[Ictwoody]

Hey guys. I just took delivery of an LS100 purchased used online and installed it today. I purchased it because I'm considering moving my components around and I would need a long run of ICs from the pre to my Odyssey monoblocks using XLR cables.

My previous preamp is a Juicy Music Blueberry XTreme 2, which I enjoy very much — but it lacks XLR outputs.

The LS100 sounds great — lots of body to the sound, and great bass. Soundstage and image is excellent as well. But the tube rush seems excessive.

With my Juicy you couldn't even tell if my system was on with nothing playing. Almost dead silent. With the LS100 the tube rush is audible from my listening position during quiet passages... it's quite evident and it's at a level I don't feel is acceptable for a preamp that retails at almost $4k.

Current tube complement is Black Treasures in the outputs, and a Sovtek Rectifier tube.

My speakers are Philharmonic 3's which are only 85db/1w/1m. So it's not like I'm using it with 100+ Db horns or anything. When I mute the Modwright my system goes back to being dead quiet.

How much tube rush is acceptable in an LS100? Cause to me this is too much. It's distracting from much of my music.

- Woody

[toddc2]

I found it difficult to find quiet 6SN7's for the LS100. I finally had a tube vendor over to my place and we spent a few hours trying different tubes. I sold my LS100 but still have some tubes, PM me and I can send a few pairs out for you to try.

[Ictwoody]

I found it difficult to find quiet 6SN7's for the LS100. I finally had a tube vendor over to my place and we spent a few hours trying different tubes. I sold my LS100 but still have some tubes, PM me and I can send a few pairs out for you to try.

This is amazing! I'll send you a PM.

- Woody

[jimbones]

very strange. I have rolled all sorts  of tubes and I never experienced any tube rush 

[FullRangeMan]

It would be tube Bias load?

[cheech]

I've had my LS100 for three years and the only time I heard anything from the tubes was recently when one of my BT CV181s started to crap out. Swapped them out for some NOS Sylvania 6sn7 WGTAs and back to musical enjoyment

[Ictwoody]

I've had my LS100 for three years and the only time I heard anything from the tubes was recently when one of my BT CV181s started to crap out. Swapped them out for some NOS Sylvania 6sn7 WGTAs and back to musical enjoyment

Coming from my previous tube pre (Juicy Music Blueberry Xtreem2) I was use to being able to walk into my listening room and it was like my stereo was off it was so quiet. It was only once I "dropped the needle" and the music jumped out of the blackness you would know it was on. With the LS100, when I walk in the room, from about 12-14' away from my speakers I can hear the soft Shhhhhhhhhhhhh sound.

- Woody

[cheech]

Again, not my experience with the amp; maybe give Dan Wright a call and discuss the issue with him

[toddc2]

Again, not my experience with the amp; maybe give Dan Wright a call and discuss the issue with him

This was exactly my experience, audible noise from my listening position. The level varies with the tubes as some are definitely quieter than others. I've seen several people post that they've never had a problem. Seems odd.

[FullRangeMan]

This was exactly my experience, audible noise from my listening position. The level varies with the tubes as some are definitely quieter than others. I've seen several people post that they've never had a problem. Seems odd.

Maybe a aged tube.

[Ictwoody]

The tubes are suspect, my unit came with the Black bottle tubes from the PO and they sound great, just a little (or a lot) noisy. I reversed them to try the other triodes and they were worse.

Thanks to Todd I have several other sets of tubes to play with at the moment. I've only evaluated one pair so far and they are quieter than the Psvanes, but still not on par with my Juicy. TBD.

- Woody

[jimbones]

 own a LS100 and have not had any tube rush. Must be a bad tube

[thunderbrick]

own a LS100 and have not had any tube rush. Must be a bad tube

Same here.

[Ictwoody]

Same here.

own a LS100 and have not had any tube rush. Must be a bad tube

Do you guys have any noise from your speakers when nothing is playing? What associated amps and speakers?

- Woody

[JackD]

Woody

My LS-100 is sensitive to which input tubes you use more so than any tube preamp I have ever owned.  I have rolled through dozens of pairs of NOS 6SN7s and only about half have been acceptable regardless of which half was in use.  This is also much more apparent with amps with 1 volt or less input sensitivity like the Odyssey's.  Unless you buy from a vendor that actually test the tubes in a preamp circuit like Andy Bowman for NOS tubes it can be an adventure.  Mine came from Dan with gold pin EH's which of course are silent as that is what it was burned in with at the factory  so I always have that option if it ever became necessary.  Only slightly over half of the ones I have bought from Bryce on AK have worked in the LS-100 though they are fine in the tube amps.  With my Kismet amp I am happy if I can't hear the hiss until within a foot of the speaker. With the NOS tubes I have had better luck with the cheaper GTB tubes being quiet.  My Nolas are 91 db too which doesn't help.

[Carl V]

cj Tube pre-amps quiet until tubes head south.
I would suspect the same from MW gear

*Woody & jack have you two ever heard
or considered the Candella Pre-amp. 

*AVA fet Valve pre-amp are nice & Quiet.

[Ictwoody]

cj Tube pre-amps quiet until tubes head south.
I would suspect the same from MW gear

*Woody & jack have you two ever heard
or considered the Candella Pre-amp. 

*AVA fet Valve pre-amp are nice & Quiet.

I'm no where near giving up on the LS100 yet. I love the way it sounds... I hope I can find some quiet tubes to establish a baseline.

I have considered a Candela... but I really like the Modwright gear and the main reason I bought it is cause I need to drive 25' XLR IC's from the pre to my monoblocks. The AVA and Odyssey don't have XLR outputs, although I'm sure Klaus would add them just as he gave my the XLR in's on my Kismets. I put Odyssey and AVA in the same class and I personally view Modwright as a step up. This is based on nothing more than fit and finish and reputation and pricepoints. I have actually been considering a KWA100SE if I decide the LS100 is a keeper.

- Woody

[JackD]

Carl

I've owned Odyssey amps since '99 and a pair of Lorelei's but never tried the Candela.  If I could find a used on for a good price would love to try it.  All the tubes I had noise with were tested as new by reputable sellers just not in equipment which is why they were fine as input or driver tubes in amps.   Some circuits are just less forgiving of tube faults and at this point in time what is left of the desired tubes from the 50's are still around for a reason in many cases. 

The LS-100 is a very good sounding preamp with the right tubes.  I had a large stash of the tubes here anyway so I went though different pairs and marked the pairs that would be acceptable in the LS-100.  So I am probably good for many years to come.

The two that have me curious at the moment are the PS Audio BHK preamp and the latest version of the Backert Rhumba.