Recent acquisition: A mismatched pair of NOS 805 tubes. One RCA and one United Electronics. I don't want to say much about the sound yet because its only been a few hours, but I'm optimistic that these will be keepers.



More to follow.

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These are the actual tubes in my actual STR. The original 805 spec has the plate cap attachment at the top of the tube. The more modern copies don't do that and are sometimes called 805A.

As for the sound, after about 24 hours burnin it is another WOW! moment. I've been on vacation and put these in as soon as I got home yesterday so its been almost 2 weeks since I heard the Elrogs and I'll need to put them in again, but these seem every bit as good, maybe better(!?!?!?). With semi-random tubes in my non-Decware preamp, to which the STR is attached, this is some of the best sound I've ever heard. These tubes sound big and bold, like the Chinese 805As, but the bass is solid rather than exaggerated with all the detail and transparency I could ask for.  

My STR-1002-Super landed yesterday morning. It came with stock Linlai 805a tubes. I’m not sure what I can say without repeating what others have said and without sounding over the top, but here goes. I’ve had it running for about 11 hours on and off through the day yesterday, ending with an incredible late night listen, but was afraid to post anything then, for risk of sounding hyperbolic.

I had been going through many favorites through the day and every time I thought of putting down impressions, I’ve set aside the tablet, to just listen.

Hearing this album makes me want to try to articulate what I had been hearing through the day yesterday. I’ve loved Mad Season’s Above since it came out in the mid ninety’s. Last night I heard it in a way I never have (that was a common theme all day). Hearing it with newfound and profound beauty. I heard notes played with an intension and emotion, that I hadn’t picked up on until now, right from the first notes of Wake Up. Ghost notes on the drums, subtleties in picking on the guitar, or the buzz of guitar amps in the back of the room between notes in the quiet passages, like in November Hotel. All there. I feel like before, the music could bring emotion in me to cause me to like what I was hearing, to connect with the music. Now I feel like I’m there and am connected to the whole experience, to feel the emotion of the artist and to experience it anew. Yeah, that sounds weird or maybe nonsensical. It’s difficult to articulate this. Listening to River of Deceit, you can hear the space of the studio, like you're there witnessing Layne bear his soul and the pain of addiction, before he ultimately succumbed to it. You can feel the emotion. Everything is on another level. Tone, texture, clarity, blackness, dynamics, richness, density, realistic holographic presentation… all of the words. It’s there. Instruments are clearly separated, that you pick up on phrasing and notes and inflection that were always there, just hidden treasures in the mix. It’s all there now in clean layers of depth, width, height. I had to listen to side one twice before going to bed, it was so beautiful. I feel like I’ve had similar epiphanies when I settled in with my UFO25 and when I got my Omega SAMs. This was similar, but in a different way. This isn’t to say Steves amps are lacking in any way shape or form. Before this I was skeptical how my system could improve much. It was sounding really great and I was fully satisfied. The STR really allows Steves creations to show their stuff. It’s a perfect companion to help make everything else shine. With a casual ear it may sound great, but perhaps nothing extraordinary and may be overlooked, but to the discerning ear it will reveal magic. It reminds me of something Steve said about the SE84UFO25, when he was developing the amp. To paraphrase, at first glance it sounds very familiar to the standard amp, but when you sit in the captains chair and really key in, all this stuff starts to reveal itself. It’s an uncanny resolution and realism that is revealed with all of the amps power supply upgrades and tube regulation, etc. This is just like that, taken to the next step up. It blows my mind that a rectifier can do this. With that said, I think all of the anniversary upgrades are an important first step to get there, before this.




This afternoon I had to listen to Mad Season again, to make sure it wasn’t the bourbon at the end of the night talking. Nope, it’s all goosebumps and amazement.

I’m not sure I was able to bring anything here that’s not been said before, except if nothing else to provide one more data point. Day two and I can say this was a worthwhile addition to my rig and will be a companion to my CSP3 for a good long time. I’ve not yet tried it with the amp or tried the choke, but right now I don’t feel need. I’m just fine settling in with what I am experiencing right here. Now to try to pull myself away, to get out and be productive on this beautiful day…  :)

LB,

Thanks for sharing the good news regarding your STR and the pictures are great. Enjoy the sounds.

Tony

Yes, I have sometimes used two 10 V tubes with the 300B. Reading the uV meters, I was at or slightly below 40mA, as I remember. I'll check that tonight and correct this report if it's wrong. When I added the choke, the needle rose to 50-ish. I'll confirm that, too. The added boost to audio is nice with the choke on, but it also increases the level of the 300B hum. Since that is an issue for me, I tend not to use it.

I should add that I am going directly the 300B, not to a preamp.

AL got back to me with this response. He has been so good with prompt responses to all my questions. Just great service.

your observation is normal, since 805A is a DHT power tube but not rectifier tubes, so the internal impedance will give lesser current supply to the amp and give out lower output power, to increase the current you can change to 845 or 211, but they are still DHT so will only goes to around 20mA or so. If you want to get full power then you will need to use the 872A rectifier tube instead, you can just use one 872A along with a 805A or 845.

This was all experimentation for me, to see how it performed with my amp and if it sounded any better/different. I’d intended to use it with my preamp and it works great there, in fact it seems to have a touch more gain, than with a regular rectifier.

So James, looks like you’re going mercury vapor then with the two STR’s for your mono’s then?? 😆

I returned and checked the mV readings for the 805 pair in the STR. These are 10v tubes. There was little change in the mV gauge with either choke on or off. Both were around 24 mA. Subjectively, I found the choke-on was more to my liking, but not at any significant level.

The 872A pair, which are 5V tubes, gave very different readings. With the choke off, the gauges read 52 mA. With the choke on, these numbers rose to 76 mA.

Both tubes, the 805 and 872A pairs, produced excellent sound. However, I have consistently preferred the sound of the 872A pair. They always impress me, and I do not tire of their sound over long listening periods. Next week, I will have a pair of 805s with the top cap, a tube I have not heard yet.

Yes, old-timey indeed—or at least as old as the RCA ones that Brent Jessee could find in inventory. More recently produced Chinese versions were less expensive, but Brent's price ($90.00) was reasonable. I also figured that since this is the absolutely last thing that I am buying for my sound system for the rest of this year, I would get two.

I received two 805 tubes with top caps from Brent Jessee today, one RCA and one Amperex. I have another pair of 805 tubes without top caps that sound fine but left me wanting more of that extra exceptional audio quality I have found in the 872A tubes. For me, the 872As were the hurdle the 805s needed to jump.

I think they did.

I need more time to go beyond first impressions, but first impressions are still important. These tubes were sensational in the STR. Tonight or tomorrow, I'll compare them to the 872A pair. That should be a fun comparison to make.

Late night, lights out listen. A pair of Psvane 845 Art-TIII tubes arrived yesterday. Still too early to detail, but first impressions are very good. Excellent clarity, density, beautiful rich tone and exceedingly good soundstage. Bass is full, but was a touch boomy to start. Seems better tonight than yesterday, so maybe tighten up with more burn in. Very happy with these so far.

Over the weekend, I compared a pair 805 tubes to my reference pair of 872A in the STR, and judged the auditory results as a draw in my system. They both sound great. In other comparisons, I found the 872A tubes were more to my liking than the 211, 805, or 845, so it was a bit of a surprise to have the 805 pair sound as good as the 872 pair.

There are some advantages to the 805 as they don't present the same hazard as the mercury vapor 872A's, making them safer, perhaps for families and pets. On the other hand, they are harder to find, and more expensive than the 872A. Looking for US brands, I bought the last two 805s that Brent Jessee had in his inventory, selling at $90.00 each. A few other sellers on eBay were in the $75-100 range, but more often, sellers were asking around $250 or more. In comparison, 872A were less, between $30-40 each - and in some ads, even lower that. Chinese makers of the 805s are asking less for new production 805s, but I have not heard those.

GS thanks for the detailed review of those tubes! For my tastes, the higher end tube seems like they may not be the better fit for me, but the DG seems very intriguing. I want to run in these Art-TIII tubes a bit. They’re sounding better than from the start, but still perhaps just a slight touch dark, for my tastes. I’ve only had them in for about 40hrs, so I’m sure will season a bit more. At some point I’ll try a combo with my stock 805 to see what that brings.

Randy, well art is in their name and they could perhaps transport you to other dimensions, so… 🤷🏽😁

There are still bargains to be had out there. I've been so happy with my NOS 805s that I've been on the lookout for backups. This is even though I expect they will last the rest of my life, just because you never know with tubes. I found a pair of used RCA 805s that according to the ebay listing were a little weak at 1000V, but I figure they would be fine at the few hundred volts my preamp needs. My offer of a hundred bucks for the pair was accepted and they arrived today.

My tube tester can't test the 10V DHTs so I have no way of verifying the test results, but I fired them up in the STR and they sound indistinguishable from the NOS tubes. Now they go back in their boxes, and if they never come out again that will be fine. But I'll sleep better knowing they are there.

I feel like unless I find a killer deal on USA made 845s, or I come into a bunch of money, these might be the last tubes I ever buy. Pass the candle.

hifimark,

Congrats, and welcome to the club. This has undoubtedly been one of my favorite system additions, and I hope it will be for you, too. You also mentioned a tube that I don't know, the 1616. I hope you will say something more about it in time. Enjoy!

Nice review hifimark . I have the 3b22, and liked their sound. I think you're the first to review the 1616, and you have piqued my interest.

Interesting to see the comments from Sai.  I also have a pair of RCA 866As that I have just put in.  They make me realise how loose (in comparison) the bass of the 1616 is.  The 866As tighten the bass back up again and as Sai has said they have a lively, energetic in your face presentation which I quite like, whilst avoiding the hifiness.  However they dont quite have the same musicality as the 1616.  Having said that, they have clarity without sharpness, I'm picking up things in songs I've never heard before...

Plus they glow blue/green, theres that too!



Maybe the answer is one 866A and one 1616...?

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https://www.hifishark.com/search?q=1616+tube

to anyone who has this equipment, has the cost vs positive impact been worth it?

Thanks CAJames. Yes, I read the thread. Lots of excitement! I'm just not sure if this equipment is for me.

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Just do it.  I have a KR anniversary 5U4G, a very good tube.  The STR blows it away...

I had to have the sockets replaced in my STR-104 Super. It's just back and I'm amazed all over again. It reveals how good the rest of my system is--like opening the door on a fragrant summer morning. Try "Mountain Song" by Vollenweider. It'll change your life. Mention wanting the white ceramic sockets when you order.  

Duaneh, My Str-104 had the dark sockets pull apart and I had to send it in to have Al replace them with the white ceramic sockets.  Much better sockets.  Also, the power switch light stopped working and it was blowing my Torii Jr v2 rectifier fuse.  Al fixed those issues by installing a soft start power switch and all was good.  I loved it in my Torii Jr.  It did make the Torii Jr sound much better than any of my high quality rectifier tubes.  An interesting note is the Str104 didn’t notably improve the sound quality on my Supratek Preamp.  Not sure why?

Glad to see new folks jumping on the super rectifier train. I took a hiatus due to a newborn last September. He came right when I had received my STR-102 and purchased a plethora of really interesting tubes to try with it. First impressions were definitely positive but nothing was ever burned in so I reserved judgement like any card carrying audiophile should.

I've been missing my system something terrible, and so decided to get back into headphones. I purchased a Hifiman Susvara that will hopefully be a good match with my Wyetech Monoblocks using a Zysonix speaker adapter box.

In a few weeks, I should be able to share some impressions with the group.

JHC,

Congrats on your Space Tech Labs STR, I assume the STR-1002? While I'm not sure what tube preamp your using, Ed told me the the STR-1002 would have the biggest positive impact on my Decware CSP3 preamp as opposed to an amplifier.

You might simply want to try it on both the UFO and then your preamp to see what works best for you. Enjoy.

HK

Thanks for the welcome. My STR is the STR-104-Mk2-Super paired with a QA-114-Mk2 Super preamp. My new Decware amp is about three years out, so perhaps by that time I will upgrade to the 1002, especially if I decide to run the Sarah without a preamp.

My 2A3s lack a little depth compared to the 866As but still sound great. The 866As also seem to have more contrast and allow for more instrument separation. But I am not sure my ear is well tuned enough to make out much more nuance than that. The 866As will be on hand when I can sit have have long listening sessions, but the 2A3s for regular use. I am sure the quest for other tubes will continue.