I finally got the naughty Snapper back from checkup. It was blowing main fuse for no good reason, but it was cured by the time it arrived at Manley for service (Thanks UPS!!)
No more JJ tubes in my babies!
The new EH tubes sound fantastic. They have only about 5 hours so far, but have come alive already. I expect it to continue to improve, but already I can tell they are keepers. I am so happy about that. I did not want to chase tubes again. Now I hope they stay reliable. The bias is already rock solid. JJs never (ever) settled down.
The tubes are just as clear and 3D as the JJs, maybe will be even moreso with more burning. I think they are slightly thicker, more meaty, but I exoect that to change, not sure which way it will go. The tone is gentler, that exciting "Snappiness" is greatly relaxed which is a nice improvement. The amps had a bit of an attitude before, that was ou of character with some music that I liked, although it was perfect for rock. That attitude is mostly gone, but the speed and authority remains. Bass is a big improvement. It actually slams a little now, good impact, much better than the JJs. Rock is full and satisfying, but not overwhelming like it is sometimes fun to do. It is dry and fast and punchy, very nice. It will improve as the tubes come in, just like the JJs did, wet up and get more polished and richer.
One thing that is interesting, without the snappiness of the JJs, the music stands alone by itself in space, with less color, easier to relax and listen to music. The amps are not really in the picture as much anymore. I hope that quality improves even more.
Dynamics might be just a smidge less lightning bolt than the JJs which were unbelievable, and that was the big thing that was so dissappointing about all the other tubes I had tried. These are good enough at 90%+ of the dynamics of JJs.
So far so good!! EH 6CA7's are excellent EL-34 type tubes!
Rich
