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Torii Mk3 and KT66's (Read 68063 times)
Greg12
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Re: Torii Mk3 and KT66's
Reply #50 - 08/22/14 at 03:20:23
 
Hi LS,

I'm happy my experience w/ the power tubes triggered the idea for you to put the el34's in in the IV.  I can see why the thought didn't occur to you for so long.  Most everything written here about the Mark IV is with the 66's in place.

I wouldn't be surprised to see someday you writing about putting the 66's back in though.  I actually have them back in my III.  And soon, I'll probably rotate the 77's in for awhile.  It seems they all have their strengths and I think I'll be enjoying revisiting them all from time to time. 77's for the awesome bass,  34's for the mid's and the 66's for the detail and other well documented strengths.  The first time I listened to a piano's decay via the 66's was certainly a jaw dropping moment.   Some day I may spring for those Psvane el34's you mentioned in the other thread. Lotta money, but if they are that much better than my tung-sols, it'll be worth it.

Lon, you are absolutely correct about us all having valid but different opinions on what tube set work best based on our differing gear,environments etc.  No doubt about it.

The reality check that keeps me from going overboard with all this nirvana searching is the reactions I see from my wife or friends when I put on a cool "stereo" kind of song like Fleetwood Mac's Rhiannon.  The talking seems to stop and they just sit in amazement at the sound.  Doesn't seem to matter which tube combinations I'm running either.   Cool  Makes me realize it's all good and there is no right or wrong, and also, for me, no set in stone tube combination.

What tube set I run is now just going to be a mood thing.

Greg

(btw, I know for most folks that read this, what I say is no revelation.  It's just some rambling of a first year tube nube figuring some things out for the first time.  It's been a really great year.)   Smiley
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Torii MkIII with Jupiter caps, ZP3 with Jupiter caps, DM947 Monoliths, Oppo 105, Pro-ject Rm-5.1 Se TT. Hana SH Shibata MC Cartridge 2.0mV
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Greg12
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Posts: 205
Re: Torii Mk3 and KT66's
Reply #51 - 08/31/14 at 16:04:07
 
Been going back and forth between tubes since my last post.  With recordings that are moderate to lean in bass, the 34's do fine in my set up. Yesterday I picked up the MFSL Abbey Road.  Notoriously bass heavy.  The 34's just couldn't control the bass, at all.  Big muddy mess.  I thought for sure last night that I was gonna be selling it immediately.  For instance,  on Here Comes the Sun the bass was almost one long, continuous soft and bloated tone.  Almost bizarre sounding.  I was thinking, what the hell was Mofi thinking on this one.  It was bad.   This morning I put the 66's back in to see how they handled things.   Now the bass is under control.  It has definition and realism.

I think what we need here is Decware to get into the Tube making business.  For starters, I need Steve to make a hybrid el34/kt66 tube, one that exploits the strengths and reduces the weakness's of each type.   Cool  I know Steve is busy designing a new Pre and a new single ended triode amp, but I really need this to happen.  ;)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjJCdCXFslY    
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Torii MkIII with Jupiter caps, ZP3 with Jupiter caps, DM947 Monoliths, Oppo 105, Pro-ject Rm-5.1 Se TT. Hana SH Shibata MC Cartridge 2.0mV
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zen101
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Re: Torii Mk3 and KT66's
Reply #52 - 09/10/14 at 06:03:26
 
What KT66's do you use?
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Greg12
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Re: Torii Mk3 and KT66's
Reply #53 - 09/10/14 at 07:26:28
 
Gold lions from Cryoset.
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Torii MkIII with Jupiter caps, ZP3 with Jupiter caps, DM947 Monoliths, Oppo 105, Pro-ject Rm-5.1 Se TT. Hana SH Shibata MC Cartridge 2.0mV
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Lon
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Re: Torii Mk3 and KT66's
Reply #54 - 09/13/14 at 14:47:55
 
will, at some point you wanted me to let you know any impressions I had if I put the Tung-Sol KT66 back in the Mk III (main system) in place of the Genelax Gold Lion KT66.

Well, I did that yesterday for about four hours of listening. And I must say. . . I put the Genelax Gold Lions back in and signed a sigh of satisfaction and relief.

The Tung-Sol are very good, but there's a bit of upper midrange energy to them in comparison that can be excellent on some material, but that overall my system doesn't need. The Gold Lions are just richer and more stately in sound, an overall nature that I prefer readily. I could live with either but the Gold Lions are more to my taste.

I'm thinking of perhaps trying out the TAD one of these days but. . . not soon. As I'm not really using my second system at home much (man, I spent so much on it and it languishes unused!) I swapped the JJ 6CA7s that I was using in the Mk II at my Dad's place into the Mk III in the second system and put the Tung-Sol KT66 into the Mk II at Dad's. Nice! Still dialing that in a bit but the KT66 in the Mk II is a good upgrade, fuller, richer sound in his room (which is the best naturally equipted listening room I've ever lived in). They're staying there. . . Gold Lions would probably be better but not making that expenditure til I need to replace the present tubes.

Note: all tubes in this post are from cryoset.com -- I'll get tubes from there whenever I can.
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HR-1,ZTPRE,ZBIT,ZROCK2,SEWE300B,CSP3-25mod,Taboo MkIV;Rega RP3 all GrooveTracer mods;PSAudio:PST+DSD,P15,NPC,PowerBases,AC-12 pwr cbls,Reference spkrcbls;Mapleshade SamsonV3;VooDoo:Cremona+Amati interconnects, IsoPods; headphones:Sennheiser HD800S,ZMF Ori,Oppo PM1
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will
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Re: Torii Mk3 and KT66's
Reply #55 - 09/13/14 at 17:47:58
 
Lon, yes, where was that post???? Don't we wander.

I hear the Gold Lions that way too. Bigger, rounder, richer, yet open and nice balanced detail.

I have been tempted by the cryo'd Valve Arts from tubeman, or TAD from Cryoset also...One day I guess one of us will have to go there...a different remake than the Genalex from that fabled era of KT66.
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All Modified: Balanced Transformer-DIY Strip/Shunyata Defender-RevolutionMacMini/Amarra-KTE Singxer/Gustardx20pro-ZBIT-CSP3-OldChen 300B/845, Torii IV, Simple Wave 300B-HR1/SVS Micro3000sub-Pi PCs-DIY PCs, ICs, USB, I2S, Speaker-SR and aluminum w ball bearing feet
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Lonely Raven
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Re: Torii Mk3 and KT66's
Reply #56 - 09/14/14 at 18:16:40
 

I've got about 900 hours on my stock tubes by now. I've been itching to try something new.

Steve doesn't seem to condone the use of tubes more powerful than KT-77. But I'm curious what the ZMA would sound like with a bigger tube.

My fallback is to try out one of the KT66 you guys have mentioned. The TAD or Golden Lion specifically.
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Lon
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Re: Torii Mk3 and KT66's
Reply #57 - 09/14/14 at 18:49:36
 
Eric, I think you'd like the Gold Lions once they're broken in, they may give you part of what you're seeking. . . . They have a bit more "density" than the Tung-Sols.
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HR-1,ZTPRE,ZBIT,ZROCK2,SEWE300B,CSP3-25mod,Taboo MkIV;Rega RP3 all GrooveTracer mods;PSAudio:PST+DSD,P15,NPC,PowerBases,AC-12 pwr cbls,Reference spkrcbls;Mapleshade SamsonV3;VooDoo:Cremona+Amati interconnects, IsoPods; headphones:Sennheiser HD800S,ZMF Ori,Oppo PM1
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will
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Re: Torii Mk3 and KT66's
Reply #58 - 09/14/14 at 19:22:34
 
Yes the GL KT66 are bigger, more atmospheric, and less lean here, the GL drawing notably higher current. The Maxi Ip is 37 for them, and 25 for the Tungsols, both tests by cryoset. I got into a lot of trouble with Ron on this as one GL was defective and he was convinced it was the amp, not the tube, saying this high current tube needs very accurate biasing. I thought it was a funky filament. The MKIV being self biasing, I could not argue accept that I thought Steve knew what he was doing with his amps. When I gave up, packing then for return, he finally said he would send a single he had that actually had a little higher Ip. These tubes have been in hundreds of hours, no problems.

Just a heads up in case the current/biasing is somehow and issue with the ZMA. The factory ratings on these GL KT66 are Ip: 59 and Gm: 4900 if you want to check it out.
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All Modified: Balanced Transformer-DIY Strip/Shunyata Defender-RevolutionMacMini/Amarra-KTE Singxer/Gustardx20pro-ZBIT-CSP3-OldChen 300B/845, Torii IV, Simple Wave 300B-HR1/SVS Micro3000sub-Pi PCs-DIY PCs, ICs, USB, I2S, Speaker-SR and aluminum w ball bearing feet
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Lonely Raven
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Re: Torii Mk3 and KT66's
Reply #59 - 09/15/14 at 16:14:54
 

I'm leaning towards the GL KT-66 now then. Though I'm probably going to give Steve a call about the KT-88 or KT-90. I think they are all the same pin out. And he used to say the KT-120 are OK, but I think that they over-taxed the Power Transformer.

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