audio-talk

Hotrox have been loving me for a while.
Over the past 12 months, I've had quads of, 6CA7EH, TAD EL34B, Tung Sol EL34B and now a quad of Tung Sol reissue
7581-A, which is a modern version of the old mil spec version of the 6L6GC.

These 6L6s are superb in my Barbarik monoblocks. They are making the system sound more fluid and musical than ever. Right up there with the old grey glass KT66s I have been running, courtesy of Steve S.

The Tung-Sol 7581-A is surely one of the finest current production power valves available in 2017. It’s flawless. It is always in complete command of the music, being dynamic and crunchy like a KT120 or KT88 but with more warmth and depth. It has nice tonal saturation but it’s not excessively mid-rangy like the EL34s.

It can dig up micro-detail but it’s never bright. It’s in control of the music even at low volume levels. It can do romantic and can be luminous but it can rock like buggery. Surprisingly deep and powerful, it throws a deep, wide soundstage but it’s disciplined: images are stable, firmly locked in space.

The 7581-A is big, up front. It follows complex, aggressive beats without a drip of sweat. No other valve has given such a sense of strength and complete control to my Barbariks and I've used a lot of different power valves apart from the KT150, in them.
Nobody seems to use them in hi-fi valve amps; instead preferring the current high power KT150 fashion statement valves.
Their loss.

I guess the simple reason that the mainstream manufacturers, such as Audio Research, Primaluna, Icon Audio et al tend to use the KT88, KT120, and the KT150 in their amps is power, pure and simple. Their valve amps have to drive mainstream speakers, so really they have no choice if they want to compete. Whether these things produce any music is open to debate, but people will buy them because they don't have to change their speakers if they want to try valves.

I have two heavy monoblocks that with 6L6s in them, will produce maybe 25Wpc of clean power with a following wind. Not a chance of driving mainstream, complex-crossovered, multiple driver floorstanders properly.

KT150s, on the other hand, will put out 100Wpc in push-pull ultralinear, when cruising on a whiff of throttle; all off a single chassis, lighter amplifier and will kick the aforementioned floorstanders into something resembling life. IMHO A whole section of good musical valves are locked out of the American and European audiophile markets because of the cost-effective, high power these big modern beam pentodes produce.

The SET market is of course, quite different and the nutters that use those make damned sure their speakers are highly efficient and very expensive or build their own monsters: a whole different level of craziness

Thank heaven there are considerably more guitarists about than audiophiles, to keep these venerable medium power pentodes going.

Barbarik monoblocks

Are these coming to Owston? With the 6L6's ...

.

Mike H wrote: ↑Mon May 08, 2017 7:38 pm

Barbarik monoblocks

Are these coming to Owston? With the 6L6's ...

Yes.

Should be a good do by the sounds, with some interesting stuff.

I'm assuming Phil's also bringing his MOSFET modern art sculptures.

Mike H wrote: ↑Tue May 09, 2017 11:39 pm

Should be a good do by the sounds, with some interesting stuff.

I'm assuming Phil's also bringing his MOSFET modern art sculptures.

Hope so Mike.