[rcj1231]

Just this week I purchased a low-time Candela off A-Gon (thanks Kevin) to put up against my Tempest Extreme. I have read with great interest the previous discussions here about tube rolling and preferences. I plan to pick up a pair of RCA Clear-Tops and look for the seemingly scarce CBS/Hytron 5814WA tubes. I prefer a clean sounding tube with good bass extention for classical, female vocals and some old rock. Just as a comparison, my favorite tube for my Jolida CD player is the Sylvania 5751 triple mica black plate. Any guidance is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Rick

[mcullinan]

In my system, when I owned the Candela, I found 1950 RCA Cleartops to have the Sweetest and extended top end and a tight botom.. I had CBS/Hytron, but not the noted version, and found the botom a bit bloated.. The JJs they came with were full like the CBS/Hytron, a bit lose on the bottom too.

TomS now owns it. He has the tubes ask which he likes the best. I know these things can be system dependent.

The Candela is a rock solid piece of equipment. A great buy!!
Mike

[Tuner]

I, too, have a Tempest Extreme (which I've enjoyed very much over the past couple of years), and have been temped to try a Candela just to find out what kind of difference it would make.  I'd be interested to learn about your listening impressions, Rick, when you've had a chance to do some comparing.

Gerry

[John151]

My candela is on its way.  I would be interested everyone's experience with break in.  Also, am I correct in my understanding that Alex does a good deal of burn in before he lets them out of his possession? 

[JCarney]

I picked up my Candela at RMAF. Unfortunately, one of the JJ's was bad. I had some Brimar 13D5's in the house, and put a pair in. Done. No more tube rolling. If you can find a pair, give them a try. They do it all right, including getting your foot tapping.

JCarney

[TomS]

In my system, when I owned the Candela, I found 1950 RCA Cleartops to have the Sweetest and extended top end and a tight botom.. I had CBS/Hytron, but not the noted version, and found the botom a bit bloated.. The JJs they came with were full like the CBS/Hytron, a bit lose on the bottom too.

TomS now owns it. He has the tubes ask which he likes the best. I know these things can be system dependent.

The Candela is a rock solid piece of equipment. A great buy!!
Mike

Not done a lot of rolling yet.  I have the RCA Clear Tops, CBS Hytrons, and some JJ's in house though, so one of these days...

[lazydays]

My candela is on its way.  I would be interested everyone's experience with break in.  Also, am I correct in my understanding that Alex does a good deal of burn in before he lets them out of his possession? 

I'd say it's about 60 hours, but sounding pretty good at 35 or 40 hours. Mine blew away the Quicksilver it replaced in about thirty minutes. The first thing I noticed about it was the shear speed that everything moved at. Lower mids will have a much stronger presence without being harsh. Best bass and keyboards I've ever heard in my system.
Lastly I switched out the power cord for a Stealth, and used a set of Groneberg IC's between it and the amps. Seemed to even further open things up. The power cord alone seemed to make things more transparent. My unit still has the OEM tubes in it, and actually have not tried to get ahold of anything to replace them.
gary

[rcj1231]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will let you know how it turns out. I am going to spend the next 3-4 hours listening with the Candela (first extended listening session) with the stock tubes. A bit of Beethoven to start.....

thanks,
Rick

[Bigfish]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will let you know how it turns out. I am going to spend the next 3-4 hours listening with the Candela (first extended listening session) with the stock tubes. A bit of Beethoven to start.....

thanks,
Rick

Rick:

The RCA Black Plates and Clear Tops seem to be the favorites of most people.  I am running a pair of Amperex Bugle Boys and have a pair of NOS Mullards on order.  My speakers are a little bright on the top end and are lean to a little cold in the mid-range.  I am hopeful the Mullards will tone down the top just a little and add a little warmth to the midrange.

Tube rolling is a lot of fun!

Ken

[rcj1231]

I spent last weekend playing and comparing the (new to me) Candela with stock tubes to my trusty Tempest Extreme. My Mono Extremes are still breaking in after being upgraded to SE level a couple of months back, so I expect the sound will smooth out a bit more by the first of the year.

I play mostly vinyl and am currently using a Whest .20 phono preamp which I find to be somewhat more enjoyable than the very good Tempest EX phono section. I also have a Parts Connexion modified GCPH phono stage, which is also very good. My vinyl rig is a VPI TNT with an ET-2.5 tonearm and Shelter 90X cartridge. My CD player is Jolida 100 with a Parts Connexion Level 2 mod and Sylvania 5751 triple mica black plate tubes. Speakers are OHM Model I. All cables are Groneberg Quattro Reference.

Build: The first thing I noticed about the Candela is how much lighter in weight it is compared to the Tempest EX. Fit and finish are professional and excellent on both units. On the Candela, the input selector on my unit has a 6 position switch, and there are only 4 inputs, leaving two positions unmarked and unused. Also, when changing the input selector position, there is a hollow thud sound from the unit. I am assuming that is because the unit has a lot of unused space inside which allows for a bit of mechanical echo. No big deal, it's just different from the Tempest which is a very solid unit.

Sound: I have always enjoyed the sound of the Tempest EX. It has a clear, dynamic output, somewhat laid back in perpective. It is quiet through the speakers, although the preamp itself will buzz/hum a little occassionally. The Candela has a different presentation entirely. I found it to be more forward, like front row seats. The music seemed to come from a blacker backround, more powerful and dynamic. The bass was very strong and accurate. All of the highs, at least those I can still hear, were present and clean. The mid range was nice, not too lush or too dry. Just about right. No hum. Dead quiet. I find the Candela to be somewhat more enjoyable than the Tempest EX in my system.

I switched between the Tempest and the Candela several times over the weekend to try and get a feel for the differences. While I think I like the Candela better right now, I will swap them out again in a few weeks to compare again. I also have a pair of RCA clear tops and CBS/Hytron 5814A tubes on the way to try out over the weekend. I'll let you know how that goes. Thanks for all of your input.

Rick

[Lkdog]

Have tried a lot of 12au7/5814 tubes in my Audio Mirror preamp.
A lot has to do with system synergy, of course, and your preferences.

My favorites in order:

1) Amperex 7316
2) CBS/Hytron 5814wa (mid 50's)
3) Raytheon 5814's (mid 50's)

The RCA cleartops were clean punchy, but a bit unrefined in my opinion. Sort of a "B" version of the Amperex 7316's.
Tried various Mullard 12au7 variants (short plates) and thought they were too rounded and lacked bass power and extension.

Have fun.

[rcj1231]

Is anyone using tube dampeners?

[drewfidelity]

I just got a pair of the Brimar 13D5 tubes that had been suggested in this thread yesterday and they are a large step forward in soundstage width and depth from the tubes than the upgraded tubes shipped with the Candela  late last year.  Vocals have a much more three dimensional quality than before.  The presentation is not as forward, but is more detailed.  I would describe the sound now compared with before as more articulate for most of the spectrum.  Very pleasant.  Very Very Pleasant.

Not as punchy as the previous tube pair, but bass lines are easier to follow.  I increased the volume of my sub, MJ Acoustics Reference 1 MK 3 (exceptional value-like a REL Stadium 3 at half the price) one increment and now have better bass response. 

Great choice for the Candela. 

System:
Magnepan 1.6's
MJ Acoustics Reference 1 Mark 3 Subwoofer
Odyssey Audio Mono Extreme Amplifiers-Green Boards
Odyssey Audio Candela Preamplifier
Cambridge Audio 840C CD Player/DAC
Polk Audio XM Home Audio Tuner
Oppo 970 DVD/SACD Player

[Bigfish]

Is anyone using tube dampeners?

I am using a pair of Herbies Ultrasonic Tube Dampeners I purchased last weekend at the Triangle Audio Society G2G. 

Since my last post I received the Mullard 12AU7 tubes I ordered from Andy of Vintage Tube Services.  They are the best tubes I have rolled into my system (JJ Teslers, Amperex Bugle Boys, Telefunken and the Mullards).  Each tube definitely impacts the sound of the system and is has been a lot of fun experimenting.  However, now that I have the Mullards in place I belive I am done rolling for awhile. 

Ken