I had recently purchased ModWright LS36.5 and PS36.5 and look forward to benefiting from the vast experience you all have in this forum.
While I really liked the soundstage and midrange of this preamp, I notice a loss of dynamics and PRAT "in my system" when compared against playing the CD direct into the amps.
Rest of my system is RA Opus 21 CD Player, Nuforce Ref9V3SE Amps and Dali MS5 amps and listen to CDs only.
LS 36.5 currently has the 6H30DRs and PS36.5 has the TungSol 5U4GBs. My questions are :
1. What other tube alternatives can be recommended to improve the dynamics, PRAT and punch ?
2. Is it important that both the 6H30DR pair and 5U4GBs need to be a matched pair ?
Any other recommendations also welcome.
Many thanks in advance
Wilfred
Hello Wilfred,
I have same setup with LS/PS combo. I have updated the 6H30 with the DR version, and the RCAs with Mullard GZ34 Fat base. There was a great improvement from the factory tubes, especially the Mullards. But more than tubes, the LS/PS combo needs LOTS of break-in time to express his full potential. And I have to tanks AB for his precious suggestions.
Just to share with you my experience.
Initially I was very excited about the two box unit, but when I have connected my Bel Canto CD2 directly to the KWA 150 the sound was more transparent and brilliant. At that time the unit was about 200/250 hours. You can understand my surprise and my … sadness.
So I started rolling tubes; but in the meantime the unit was breaking in very well. A month after I had for an audition the Bel Canto DAC3VB with Virtual Battery module. This unit is far away better than the CD2 alone, not only from a sound quality point of view, but also from his enhanced driving capabilities. At the end of the audition my friend (he is a dealer also) ask me to bypass the preamp and go directly to power amp. Well, I was scared, also because I had no more excuses like tubes, break-in, etc., but I accepted.
The music starts, and only a few seconds was enough (for both my friend and me) to clearly classifies the sound as less natural, less sweet and with reduced dynamics and soundstage.
We put again the LS/PS in the loop and all was back again into the right place. At the end of the day my friend, with a very fair statement, said that it was the first time he “fails” on this test.
For sure, the synergy between the KWA150 and the LS/PS combo can be one of the reasons of this success, but I believe there is more.
Believe me, give the LS/PS combo the right time (and the right GZ34 tubes), and you will not be disappointed.
Ciao
Giuseppe