1rst time modwright buyer wants to know about tubes

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zgooba

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1rst time modwright buyer wants to know about tubes
« on: 19 Nov 2014, 04:41 pm »
a couple months ago, my audible illusions L1 pre gave up the ghost.  i was getting tired of the tube limitations with the AI, so its demise wasn't a great disappointment.

i began researching tube pre's and the 2 used that came up in my affordable range were the bat vk-5i and the modwright swl 9.0se.  a bat 5i came up on audiogon, i procrastinated and someone else snapped it up.  when a modwright 9.0se with tube rectification and m-caps came up, i didn't hesitate.

the tubes that came with the modwright were a cryoed sovtek gz34 and cryoed red label raytheons.  these are tubes i could live with, but audiophile itch impelled me to pick up a mullard rectifier, which to my none too golden ears added a richer bass texture.  my tastes in music tend toward rock and some of that stuff ain't too well recorded.  mids and upper-mids can get peaky and hard.  when i turn up the volume on my modwright to rock levels (where i can feel the bass instead of just hearing it), the raytheons let through too much peakiness, which just gets fatiguing.

i've researched audio forums for a couple days now trying to figure out which 5687 or 7119 would smooth out the mids.  the obvious choice seems to be the sylvania gb 5687, but very hard to find and they do seem to have their own drawbacks.  rca bronze plates have a warm and full reputation, but at the expense of rounding off the sound.  the 2 that i've come up with are 50's tung sols and amperex 7119's.  many seem to think the tung sols are liquid and smooth, while still providing detail.  the opinion on the amperex seems to vary...some think it smooth and detailed, while others think it can get a bit bright and analytical.

before i pull the trigger on any tubes, i felt it might be best to see if could get any more input on this forum.  (btw, my modwright feeds into mcCormack dna .5 rev B that feed tannoy 12" hpd dual concentrics)

modwright

Re: 1rst time modwright buyer wants to know about tubes
« Reply #1 on: 19 Nov 2014, 07:43 pm »
I personally have always preferred the Tung-Sol 5687's if you can find them.

Thanks,

Dan Wright

Charles Xavier

Re: 1rst time modwright buyer wants to know about tubes
« Reply #2 on: 19 Nov 2014, 08:31 pm »
I used the Amperex 7119 in my 9.0 when i had them and to me thry gave me the liquid soundvI was looking for. To me the Tungsol 5687 was a little thin sounding. I think there is a pair on Audio Asylum for sale but if you search ebay you can find them at a better price.