[ted_b]

can be enjoyed for hours and hours,

George

Show off!!     I would last 10 minutes.   

[Bigfish]

George:

To these old eyes I found both of your examples to be keepers!    I look forward to further comments!

Ken

[zybar]

can be enjoyed for hours and hours,

George

Show off!!     I would last 10 minutes.   

Did the tube goodie package arrive Ted?

George

[Philistine]

I can go one better than you guys and listen to both pairs at the same time  

[ted_b]

Yes, it did.  I'm listening to the Tung Sol round plates and they are spectactular so far.  Very wet, organic and musical, yet detailed and the bass control is excellent, better than any other signal tube in there so far......maybe the EML helps.   

[Audioclyde]

My MW Transporter arrived yesterday; got it hooked up and running  .  I have to admit that right out of the box the sound seemed a bit to 'thin' (for want of a better description) in the midbass, lower base, but has incredible detail.  After a couple of hours, I rolled in a pair of CBS blackplate 6CG7's (saving my really good tubes for post burn-in, but I have previously found these CBS blackplates to come close to the sound of the Raytheon blackplates) and things improved.  Now after about a total of 15-16 hours things seem to be sounding much better.  If it improves as much over the next few days as after these first few hours, I will be a happy camper indeed  !  So far I'm just using the 5U4GB rectifier tube Dan sent went the unit; I have a number of other 5U4GB's I can try; I also have some Mazda gz32's but I recall reading somewhere in this long thread that some users experienced some blown fuses using gz32's, so I'm not likely to try them for a while.  I have 1 NOS, 50-60's vintage Mazda 5U4 (coke bottle shape) and some old RCA 5R4GY's that I want to try; I need to look again but I recall that the 5U4 is OK to try in the MW, and need to check on the 5R4GY's.

I can't wait for Wayne to have the octal adaptors available for purchase, as I have a few pair of juicy 6SN7's I can try (some Raytheon VT-231's, KenRad VT-231s (both clear glass and black glass) and a pair of Tung Sol's--not the famed round plates, but a pair that I found sounded pretty nice as driver tubes in my amp).

Thanks again to all of you for all the great info!

Randy

[Philistine]

My MW Transporter arrived yesterday; got it hooked up and running  .  I have to admit that right out of the box the sound seemed a bit to 'thin' (for want of a better description) in the midbass, lower base, but has incredible detail.  After a couple of hours, I rolled in a pair of CBS blackplate 6CG7's (saving my really good tubes for post burn-in, but I have previously found these CBS blackplates to come close to the sound of the Raytheon blackplates) and things improved.  Now after about a total of 15-16 hours things seem to be sounding much better.  If it improves as much over the next few days as after these first few hours, I will be a happy camper indeed  !  So far I'm just using the 5U4GB rectifier tube Dan sent went the unit; I have a number of other 5U4GB's I can try; I also have some Mazda gz32's but I recall reading somewhere in this long thread that some users experienced some blown fuses using gz32's, so I'm not likely to try them for a while.  I have 1 NOS, 50-60's vintage Mazda 5U4 (coke bottle shape) and some old RCA 5R4GY's that I want to try; I need to look again but I recall that the 5U4 is OK to try in the MW, and need to check on the 5R4GY's.

I can't wait for Wayne to have the octal adaptors available for purchase, as I have a few pair of juicy 6SN7's I can try (some Raytheon VT-231's, KenRad VT-231s (both clear glass and black glass) and a pair of Tung Sol's--not the famed round plates, but a pair that I found sounded pretty nice as driver tubes in my amp).

Thanks again to all of you for all the great info!

Randy

Randy - Welcome to the MW TP world.
When we started to take delivery of the TP we did comment on the burn-in time, from what I recall it was around the 200-400 hour range?  Anyway, it just gets better and better.  A few GZ32 owners did have issues, at the same time I (and others) have not had a problem with it and would assume it depends on which GZ32 you have - just having received your TP though it's a wise move to leave it out of the mix at the moment.
You've joined the clan at an interesting time, with the EML tube and that 6SN7's you're going to have a lot of fun.
Please continue to share your tube rolling experiences - the more data points we have the better, and you're going to be a popular guy with all of those 6SN7's you have.
Have fun.
Phil

[zybar]

My MW Transporter arrived yesterday; got it hooked up and running  .  I have to admit that right out of the box the sound seemed a bit to 'thin' (for want of a better description) in the midbass, lower base, but has incredible detail.  After a couple of hours, I rolled in a pair of CBS blackplate 6CG7's (saving my really good tubes for post burn-in, but I have previously found these CBS blackplates to come close to the sound of the Raytheon blackplates) and things improved.  Now after about a total of 15-16 hours things seem to be sounding much better.  If it improves as much over the next few days as after these first few hours, I will be a happy camper indeed  !  So far I'm just using the 5U4GB rectifier tube Dan sent went the unit; I have a number of other 5U4GB's I can try; I also have some Mazda gz32's but I recall reading somewhere in this long thread that some users experienced some blown fuses using gz32's, so I'm not likely to try them for a while.  I have 1 NOS, 50-60's vintage Mazda 5U4 (coke bottle shape) and some old RCA 5R4GY's that I want to try; I need to look again but I recall that the 5U4 is OK to try in the MW, and need to check on the 5R4GY's.

I can't wait for Wayne to have the octal adaptors available for purchase, as I have a few pair of juicy 6SN7's I can try (some Raytheon VT-231's, KenRad VT-231s (both clear glass and black glass) and a pair of Tung Sol's--not the famed round plates, but a pair that I found sounded pretty nice as driver tubes in my amp).

Thanks again to all of you for all the great info!

Randy

Randy,

Based on what I have heard in the last 24 hours, rolling in some nice 6SN7's will have the bigger impact on the sound than spending lots of money on the rectifier tube.

When evaluating that comment, please keep in mind that I don't yet have the hyper-drive upgrade or the EML rectifier and I am using pretty much the best 6SN7 tubes out there.

George

[ted_b]

Randy,
Welcome to the Club!    As el presidente (small letters) I encourage your feedback and any off-the-wall suggestions.  My first recommendation is the same as Phil's: take your time!  The MW will continue to break-in for about 400 hours.  Any tube rolling during that time will make your head explode.  Any of those rectifiers will work, ymmw.  Did you get the hypermodded Bybee'd full Monty unit?  If so, the break-in may even be longer, although likely all of that is happening concurrently.

I think Wayne will be ready to sell the adapters once he gets final feedback from Zybar, Rydenfan and myself.  I have V1 (can't accept V2 cuz my ealry model TP has smaller lid holes, until I get them recut) and am quite happy.

Tube rolling update:
I promised to leave the EML-adapter combo feedback alone until a little more break-in, but have to say that both bring about so much organic, woody musical nature that any MW TP owner needs to look at one or the other.  I'm worried, however, about the combo cuz last night I started getting some boominess and tubbiness in the lower bass that I believe is from
the incredible bandwidth of the EML and round plate TS's.  In other words, it's excited a room node that may be, on it's purest level, accurate as hell, but is a problem in my room.  During this search any complete switching out of the EML or adapter-tubes just put me back in a colder more analytical world that I can't live in anymore.    I was ready to throw in the towel (wayyyyyy too early) and then switched to one of George's highly regarded Sylvania VT-231 and voila, things snapped back in place.  Sounds wonderful!

Stay tuned....I'm also thinking about Herbie's newer Ultrasonic tungsten tube dampers (his ealrier hal-o's sometimes overdamped a unit, but the feedback on the tungsten ones are all very positive), especially for the EML.  That bug zapper is so large it has to be swaying in the wind.   

[Wayne1]

I would like to thank ted_b, rydenfan & zybar for all their comments on the adapters.

I also wish to thank the folks who PM'ed and emailed me asking about them.

The adapters that I have sent out so far, 3 pairs, have been prototypes. I wanted to make sure the concept would work, that it would be an improvement and that the adapters would hold up to tube rolling.

The first version, the one ted_b has, works but isn't very sturdy. The next version is far more sturdy.

I am still not satisfied with them in terms of construction. I have been and will continue to work on the adapters until I feel I can send them out with confidence that they would work in the field for many years

I recently received parts to build quite a few more pair and I will be working on these in the next weeks.

When they ARE ready for resale, I will post here and in my circle.

[Audioclyde]

Thanks guys; and thanks also to Wayne, I'll be ready when the adaptors are available.

I have the full platinum mod, but it is really rounding into shape already.  My previous digi source is the Raysonic CD168 and to me it has a great warm sound (which I like), so the cold MW Transporter was being compared to that source--but I'm already pretty sure I'm not looking back--the wife gets the CD168 in the bedroom system  aa!!

 

[funkmonkey]

Any Transporter owners that are going the octal route and want to unload their stash of DRs? I could use a back-up set for my 36.5 

Edit: Done.  Thanks for the offers guys.

[zybar]

Any Transporter owners that are going the octal route and want to unload their stash of DRs? I could use a back-up set for my 36.5 

I might make mine available.

I'll let you know.

George

[rpf]

Although I only have a MW 36.5 (single box) and a MW Sony 9100 and don't have a Transporter yet, I've been posting on this thread because - while there are threads on the two former pieces - this one has become the primary source of tube info on MW gear, which all have similarities in their output stages and power supplies.

This is an update (and a short re-cap for those who might be new and haven't yet gotten through all 37 pages of this fun journey  ).

I've tried the following rectifiers in both the 36.5 and MW Sony 9100 (all NOS except for the Sovtek): Sovtek GZ34/5AR4 (stock tube), RCA 5U4GB, Tung Sol 5U4G, brown and black base Mullard GZ32, brown base Mullard GZ37, the High Wycombe GZ37, several different Mullard GZ34/5AR4s, an Amperex metal base GZ34/5AR4 and, recently, the EML 5U4G. I was able to try all but the Tung Sol, Amperex and EML in both pieces simultaneously and in all cases I found I didn't like using two of the same rectifiers (too limited and homogenized a sound).

The next result is that, for me, IMS, the best rectifier for the 36.5 is the GZ34/5AR4, primarily for it's tonal weight/density. The surprising part is that it is not the metal or fat base pieces I have but rather a regular black base Philips labelled Mullard from 1964 that is my favorite. This piece has the most even tonal and frequency balance and resolution of any of the more than half a dozen NOS GZ34s I've employed. Also interestingly, an early '60s regular black base Amperex labelled Mullard I have is very close in sound to the Amperex metal base (extremely refined, and airy); while one of my two Matsushita (Japanese Mullard) units from the '70s has the fullest bass and is on the level of some of the '60s Mullards I've tried. All of this seems to confirm what Andy at Vintage Tube Service told me some time ago: that it is the quality of the individual (GZ34) tube that most matters, not the construction type or year of manufacture. This particularly makes sense when one remembers that tubes are hand made.

My favorite rectifier for the MW Sony 9100 has been the High Wycombe GZ37 for it's large soundstage, resolution, refinement and tonal accuracy. Followed by the black base Mullard GZ32 which excels in imaging and refined, extended, airy and dimensional vocals. I recently received the EML 5U4G and had it in for a week, in which time it became clear that it is at least on the same level as the HW GZ37, and perhaps better. I say perhaps because a very short while after I re-inserted the HW the transport on the Sony stopped working so I wasn't able to do an ABA comparison. But my impressions are that the EML piece combines most of the best qualities of the HW GZ37 with those of the black base GZ32; having the relatively more forward (more pronounced leading edge transients) character and greater drive of the latter combined with the other above mentioned qualities of both tubes. I can see wanting to use the HW at times for it's slightly softer, more restrained quality but I can also see using the EML at least as often. It's fantastic that EML is making such a high quality tube, one that rivals the best of NOS.

Rob

[Philistine]

Hi Phil.... you're very welcome.... but I believe Thalvor was the first to mention this tube?

I bought mine around the same time as Thalvors first post after research on head-fi.... I would still like to know how a Sophia Princess compares.... if indeed it does actually work in a Transporter?  The EML and Sophia seem to be the two top tubes over on that forum?  I see there are several alternative flashy carbon (read expensive) versions of the Sophia too?

Cheers for the weekend.... boy, I wish draft Bass tasted like it's supposed to here!

Mark

Mark, brief thread hijack for my fellow Brit.
Talked to an old friend of mine today who lives in Staffs, he tells me that the draft bass we knew and loved no longer exists - it's now brewed all over the country and doesn't have the special ingredient (Burton water) anymore.  I grew up on Marstons Pedigree but spent 7 years living in Germany before I moved here so got used to the Reinsheitsgebot.  We have some great micro brews in Pittsburgh (and the Steelers), apart from this can't think of any other pluses   Enjoy the Grammy's - we Brits still make the best music and have the best humour    Thread hijack over.  Phil

[rydenfan]

Phil, I have tasted the decline of Bass stateside for quite awhile now. It has lead to an increase in my Newcastle consumption 

[rydenfan]

Rob, thanks so much for taking the time to post your thoughts  What you have to say about the EML holds special interest to me as we often have very similar experiences with tubes and are both big HW GZ37 fans. For you to say the EML is at least as good, if not better, is pretty strong. I guess I am going to have to pick one of these up this week...

[owenmd]

Hi Phil,

Sorry guys.... quick reply to the hijacker.... damn foreigners....!
Thanks.... that would explain it.... I haven't had a decent Bass in a long time now.... I always presumed it was some preservative crap they threw in it for the journey across the pond?  Shame... Bass was always my.... if you could only have one beer for the rest of your life, which one would it be beer?  Pedigree, Speckled Hen, and Old Hooky.... all phenomenal beers but getting very hard (and expensive) to find now. 

I must say, in the last 2 years I've noticed some amazingly good micro-brews made here in the good old U S of A....well done for finally getting a clue!  Ouch.... got a slap from my mid-western sweetheart for that one!

Worked in Aschaffenburg a few years ago and didn't try Reinsheltsgebot that I recall.... must try and find that.

Agreed on the music and humor thing.... if only everyone around me would agree too...!

Anyway.... I'm very interested in the EML / octul adapter combo in comparison to DR's.... I thought this spending madness was over.... but it seems not...?  I might try a second EML in my Carina SET amp with the Transporter and see how that works.... might be interesting?

Cheers,

Mark


[/quote]

Mark, brief thread hijack for my fellow Brit.
Talked to an old friend of mine today who lives in Staffs, he tells me that the draft bass we knew and loved no longer exists - it's now brewed all over the country and doesn't have the special ingredient (Burton water) anymore.  I grew up on Marstons Pedigree but spent 7 years living in Germany before I moved here so got used to the Reinsheitsgebot.  We have some great micro brews in Pittsburgh (and the Steelers), apart from this can't think of any other pluses   Enjoy the Grammy's - we Brits still make the best music and have the best humour    Thread hijack over.  Phil
[/quote]

[ted_b]

The combination of EML mesh plate 5U4G and octal adapter 6SN7's ...is magical.  It has pushed my MW Transporter into a new musical realm that I am very excited about.  The piece de resistance is the combination of EML and Tung Sol round plates (thanks George/Zybar for the loan, via David).  WOW!  How can a tube compliment provide even more detail than the Transporter has given me to date?  I'm hearing ambient cues like voices (yes, I'm hearing voices...   ) in the background of recordings, venue boundaries, etc.  It's amazing, really, and all the while adding a rich organic woody color that makes the music that much more enjoyable.  It's as if you were listening to tremendous daytime outdooor live music, but all the while realized that the sun was glaring a bit too much.  Once the sunglasses went on the music, unchanged aurally, took on a much easier and calmer quality, yet could be appreciated as loud as ever.  That's the feeling I get with this new combo.....and it's not just the expensive round plates.  All the 6SN7's I've tried, with the EML recitfier powering the way, (my $40 RCA Silver labels, my newest NOS RCA VT-231's, and the rest of George's stash.....Sylvania VT-231's, Raytheons, RCA 6SN7GT's....) gave the Transporter a much more balanced yet rich quality.

I, for one, am not going back to nine pins on the TP.  I'm done tube rolling in that category.  I also may be done tube rolling recitfiers on the TP.  The EML seems to add sanity and balance to every signal tube choice. (Note:  I'm still concerned that it glows too brightly, but Dan assures me we're not driving it too hard).  I'm nowhere near done tube rolling the 6SN7's however....unless I spring for those round plates, that is.   

Net/net, if asked which gives bigger bang for the buck I would say the octal adapter jump.. It's quite a revelation, and brings many new tubes into the roll mix.  But.....the EML move is completely additive, and the combo is killer  Sorry.

[Philistine]

Guess you like it then Ted?

Ken (Bigfish) pointed me to this link:
http://thetubestore.com/6sn7types.html

Interesting to hear what the current production varieties sound like.

Even without the 6SN7, just the EML, the TP to me doesn't sound analog or digital anymore - it just sounds like music.
Before the EML I listened to the live CD that comes with Adele 19 and it sounded a little bright, now it sounds like your at the venue.  Can't wait to get my 6SN7's