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Silver Pills from more thorough Testing:
Context: My system rides fine lines of many things (noise reduction, resolution, dynamics, tonal density, definition, liquidity, frequency balance…. Etc) in order to arrive at what I find the best musical balance without limiting subtle information. A beautiful territory, but challenging and easy to throw off balance.
As I talk about adapting the Pill's interesting character, adjustments are relatively subtle based on important and specific needs and results. After burnin, I would call the Pills pretty transparent within the context of how they work with the signal. At the same time, how they work with the signal can be variable depending on settings/setups so it is hard to guess just how the Pills will balance into different system/rooms. I can try to convey what they did here though and hope these observations help.
Here, the Pills in a transparent and revealing arrangement brings out the best of them. One cable, or one tube that is too dark and/or less transparent could throw off the Pill balance, the problem perhaps appearing to be the Pills. Also, here, with my system already tuned to a full, smooth, warm and dynamic density, the relatively minor tonal shift from the Pills, amped up a touch by their clarification and a slightly increased signal pressure, they could take the warm/dense too far.
Having been tuning as if my DAC, CSP3, Torii, EQ were all one thing, I ended up needing to get more calculated to fully integrate the Pills. Each needed to be approached individually and matched to get the most from the Pills, especially making the CSP3 more open and neutral into the Torii.
Signal Path: I have the Pills between the DAC and CSP3 using very transparent cables.
For me, the more I add to the signal path, the more each part has to be very transparent and often tuned a little toward open/revealing to compensate for an addition in the path. It all matters. For example, I found the more powerful (slightly bigger 24 gauge wire) VHAudio Silver recipe with Silver KLE RCAs, and Grover ZX+ ICs (both quite revealing) helped to pull the sound best from the Pills (as opposed to slightly calmer, but also very transparent 28 gauge VHAudio recipe ICs). I have a pair of Belden 8402 ICs with Eichmann gold on copper RCAs that are also big sounding with a strongish signal and wanted to check them in the Pill path. With my most transparent Silver IC going to the Pills, and the Belden between the Pills and CSP3, there was notable transparency reduction compared to using two pair of VHAudio Silver recipe ICs with silver KLE RCAs (or one of those with the Grovers) particularly in micro detail and complexity. This made the Pills flatter and less interesting to me. Or I could change a tube and shift the bass, texture, body, sense of transparency or whatever, and this also conveyed clearly to the Pill sound, and visa versa.
For these tests, I tried for transparency with the CSP3 tonally very close with the Torii, but with just a little more space, texture and less body to help the Pills integrate. This more easily accommodated what might be subtle compression and associated warm density from the Pills without a notable shift away from a sense of fine detail and texture. This also made gain riding more transparent and flexible…
Tubes: Before Pills, the MKIV had a warm/dense/dynamic, but revealing tube set….Mazda GZ32 rectifiers (Phillips/Mullard like ST shape), Phillips E188CC (Mullard made), British made 75C1 (Euro OC2 type), Dumont labelled OB3s, and Tungsol 6L6G for power.
In the CSP3 I had been running a Telefunken E88CC in the input, some early 60s D getter Sylvania gold pin 6922s outputs, and either a Mullard GZ32 or Tungsol 5R4GY. All of these tubes but the OB3s are warmish, powerful, extended, dynamic but also spacious.... All together, I had found a balance that was warm with dynamic tonal density, but spacious and lucid.
After using the Pills a while, in retrospect, this tube set was pretty maxed out for me in signal and tonal density. With a lot of listening I noticed the Pills notched that up a little making it borderline on the ears more than the mind.
Burnin: A big deal in my Pill saga, I estimate over 200 hours needed to really hear these Pill's ability to convey refined bass and subtle complexity. I wish I had kept better track, but did not expect to have them this long. Steve wanted me to wait to send them on until I had them sorted out, and now we know they sound right, but it took a while. Knowing what burnin issues sound like, I was pretty sure they were giving me problems, but with an unknown, you can't tell where it is going until you hear it get there! Trying to learn and tune to the Silver Pill's during burnin, I realize I had been chasing my tail to some degree, the per-burnin sound too variable and unrefined in different areas at different times.
After 100 hours or so they were sounding pretty good, and the sound was more into “warm” density than I had gone previously, but the Pill's way of doing it was compelling...quiet with a great sense of pace, density, liquidity, richness, presence, and complexity, so I was adjusting here and there, but mainly enjoying.
Fatigue: Trouble was, it was hammering my ears, progressively causing fatigue. It took many days to really set in...also indicating I was not far off. I have always associated fatigue with low range intensity/density here. When it shows up, I can calm/define the bass a bit and fatigue goes away, which I did with the Pills using some bassy recordings as reference. But because the Pills improve bass definition, they allowed me to push bass deeper without the usual muddling signs of excess. It took a while to figure it was excessive. Then, assuming it was my usual fatigue pattern, I adjusted things a little and did not look further at first.
Next day...though compromised by earlier fatigue, my ears seemed pretty good and listening to a compressed guitar recording, “one guitar” by Ottmar Liebert, and the first Yo Yo Ma Bach cello solos, I got minor fatigue. These recordings go lowish but are not about bass, so something else was going on. I recalled I had been sensitive in the past to mid/bass darkness and reduced clarity there. Though less physical, I wondered if subconsciously working to “modify” or clarify any tonal area is tiring, potentially contributing?
Then thinking about folks who associate fatigue with higher frequencies, the lightbulb began to come on about signal pressure and vibrating ear drums, no matter the frequency. That it could also be from signal pressure beyond the bass range was new to my experience.
The MKIV can be very fast and powerful, as can the CSP3, and the Pills also. I can't really tell that enhanced micro dynamics are there with the Pills, but I do hear more power to the signal. Also, as Steve points out, computer noise and software can contribute to fatigue. I think I have solved most of those things he associates with computer fatigue, but as we were talking, I realized that in my case, where EQ is necessary to get the most from my system/room, I do have to run the software volume at -4dB to compensate for some high energy areas of EQ I use otherwise causing distortion on some hot recordings. I am also doing cuts, mostly in lower bass (but mid/highs too), but I am adding some density and signal strength with EQ in some areas and this could contribute.
Finally I realized I had been close to an edge of powerful signal density anyway, and adding the Pill's shifted my sound enough that way that I needed to compensate a little for the comfort of my ears! I think it was a little excess bass and darkish low mids, but associated, it was slightly enhanced signal power and how this effected everything, including the ear. Especially after full burnin, these effects were relatively subtle, but in the context of my already powered up signal, and my sensitivities, the signal pressure and warmth needed to create the Pill sound defined a borderline for me.
Similar in ways of effecting signal/sound, the CSP3 can contribute depending on tubing and cables, and if it has an amped up signal, the Pills can accent this and visa-versa. In this setup, with many contributors to clarification and signal power, each doing a little in their own ways, the CSP3 and Pills together took it a little further, making the effects of changes with tubes/cables etc. more apparent, their traits more obvious, specific and powerful. It took me a while to figure out how best to tone down the power of the CSP3 and Torii while staying within my window a beauty.
The Story: Earlier in burnin, I had cut the low bass a little further than usual when I started using the Pills. Then later I tried different bass EQs and lots of different tubes, trying to solve a lot of what solved itself after burnin. I called Steve and talking helped clarify notions. He thought I was on reasonable conceptual tracks. But we were hunting solutions. After he asked if I had worked with the EQ, even though I had and thought it was pretty good, I did more exploring mid-bass down. I could have been fooling myself in my conditioned state of enjoying the balance I had without the usual hallmarks of bass muddle or thickness...cues I normally identify with fatigue here.
This was when I discovered the Pills were allowing more low end without muddle (no mean task!), and I liked it, but it proved to be too much pressure for my ears.
Fine lines, but I realized that the way the Pills arrive at sounding good can mitigate a number of audio foibles making my usual cues for issues lesser references. And not only do they resolve bass, they resolve everything if “in tune” (depending on the rest). To a degree, they can make abrasive sounds like hard trumpet blows, or higher singing notes sound more natural while still being quite forceful, even over the top. A clue to my fatigue not being limited to bass.
I suspect this Pill associated signal pressure was mostly due to where I started, my specific system tuning and sensitivities. But to integrate the Pills qualities best I could, especially with the CSP3, I needed to reduce bass, open the sound a bit, and reduce signal power some.
Tube Changes: I love the warm but open Phillips ST style Mazda and Mullard GZ32s I had been using. But dynamic and powerful, I looked to them first. Not wanting to change the Torii reference, in the CSP3 I tried a RCA 5Y3GT knowing it would tone the whole down more notably than any rectifier I have. As usual, I found it flattened dynamics too much for my tastes. Same with a more open Bendix 5Y3WGTA.
Apparently the relative dynamics I find musical was close with the CSP/Pills. This pointed further to part of my problem being the clarity/resolution and powered up signal pressure from the Pills addition. With the greater power, everything is delivered a bit more, and if the rest is tuned for warmth and density, this shifts the signal a little darker/denser. But I always found OA3s in my Toriis too much, preferring the reduced power and more open signal with OB3s, and most stay with OA3s. So I am sensitive.
In the CSP3 I ended up with a more open/less deep GE GZ32/5V4GA. For outputs some open and extended early 60's Valvo 6922s, and input, a very nice Teonex labelled PCC88 that looks like it is Telefunken made. Overall this is less powerful, a little less extended, but revealing, and with very musical, open mids.
Not quite enough signal reduction, I changed the Torii replacing the powerful and dynamic Phillips E188CCs for a calmer 59 CBS labelled Siemens ECC88, an unusually good 6DJ8 type. I tried replacing the Mazda GZ32s, and that reduced warmth, density and punch a bit, but I lost too much of what I depend on them for….warm articulation with very open mids, atmospheric and textured, and powerful but well organized bass. So they stayed.
All together, still warm, but more open than the original sets...AND as important, less powerful/pushy, the Pill/CSP3 influences balanced nicely.
Burnin Effects: As the Pills reached a more refined resolution from use...tones and edges are more complex and definition is throughout, the bass coming last. This really helped me refine, the Pills tone stable.
Now needing lower key EQ, the amount of bass was reduced in some areas, but as much, it was better organized. At the same time, I kept refining mids up, little shifts again, reorganized more than anything else.
Also interesting, for a while I had to tone down the CSP3 volume settings to calm the signal power and clarity. I came back into the range of my relatively powerful standard settings (the area I have found to pull the best sound from the CSP3).
Even burned in, tuning with Pills added was trickier. In my already cleaned and powered up system, and with the Pills taking this further... the cleaner/smoother/more powerful signal focused whatever was there with less “fuzzy” distractions (distortions) making it more clearly what it was, more apparent and specific. I really liked this once I got used to it due to enhanced clarity that was pretty comfortable.
CSP3: The Pills smooth and resolve with density and the CSP3 can do these also. Depending on the balance of the CSP3, the sum of the two can be greater than the parts and this effected everything. After burnin there was less tonal difference introducing the Silver Pills but in their interaction with the CSP3, some tunings having more profound effects and others less, this is still a little mysterious to me. At the same time, it is compelling with the richened complexity the two together can offer.
Before full burnin, with my penchant for fine-tuned sound, and as I worked to figure out what was causing fatigue, it was a bit of a nightmare. But this taught me what the Pills brought to the system and how. Finally, they integrated pretty easily into my normal window of beauty, and it really did not take much to do it.
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