New Dual Box Modwright Pre for Me!

[_Scotty_]

Mike, from my experience once you've crossed the final frontier there is no going back to the land of "musical wallpaper". Enjoy the undiscovered country.
Scotty

[Bigfish8]

Mike:

I am curious if you are still running the stock tubes in the 36.5 and what tubes were supplied in it?  I broke in the ModWright Transporter with the stock tubes and thought it sounded okay.  However, a Mullard GZ-32 rectifier and 6H30DR signal tubes took the Transporter to a whole new level in sound quality.  Reading the threads over on AC it would seem some of the guys think the 6H30DRs might be the best tube for the 36.5. 

Congratulations on your new gear!  I am certain you are having a lot of fun.

Ken

[miklorsmith]

They're the stockers, I think Sovtek 6H30s for signal tubes and I'm not sure what the rectifiers are.  I was looking at the AC tube threads and will join in the discussion there after a bit.  I'm going to get a bead on the stock sound before I start rolling and while I'm sure the other tubes are great and possibly better than what Dan supplies I doubt he'd send out junk.

In probably a month or so I'll start seriously thinking about the rolling path.  Fun!

[Carlman]

I'd ask Dan what he thinks of the Sovtek's.  Are they throw-aways because he knows everyone will immedately start rolling or did he use those for voicing?  Also, some circuit designers think the tubes only need to meet a specification to operate properly.

It's a good idea to get the stock 'flavor' with new gear.  It's been my experience that Sovtek's are better than some but not my favorite.  So, I'm guessing these meet Dan's requirements but knows you'll be rolling.

What's the point of this post?  I don't know.  Just happy for you.

-C

[richidoo]

BAT uses Russian super tubes which they say are theirs exclusively. They call them 6H30P. These are the original NOS Russian military 6H30, the russian equivalent of our SR-71. Better than all copies. How does a well connected audiophile get his hands on a set of them there Rusky supertubes?     Are they actually the -DR that bigfish has?

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?aamps&1140915566&read&keyw&zzbat

[miklorsmith]

Thanks guys.  The consensus in the Transporter and 36.5 seems to be that the 6H30 DR tubes from Parts Connexion are THE choice and there are a few rectifiers that different folks like.  First steps will probably be the DRs for signal duties and a few different choices to roll for rectifiers.  The good news is there are only 4 tubes total in the pre so rolling won't kill the bank account.

[_Scotty_]

Mike,I have a question about the gobstoppping spacial experience you had. Did the entire room disappear and did you hear discrete instruments coming from all different directions including behind you or did half the room disappear with the images concentrated in the front half of the room.
Scotty

[miklorsmith]

Everlasting gobstoppers!  No, it wasn't all around me as in a surround-type experience.  It was as if I were standing on one side of the stage/band looking out over the performance.  I've had that experience where stuff is jumping out from all sides and it never felt real.  The performers last night were tightly anchored to specific locations in depth and width but contained within the plane of the speakers which form a roughly equilateral triangle in the room to the sweet spot.

I just realized right this second that I wasn't even sitting in the sweet spot when this happened, rather the next seat over.

[richidoo]

http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?accstube&1223388340

[_Scotty_]

When listening to my system I enjoy recordings that place the instruments in the front half of a hemisphere
centered on my listening position with the captured ambiance filling the entire hemisphere, it's basically an immersion experience. I also enjoy an occasional Sensurround experience from some recordings where the instruments are located all around me. Even though it is unrealistic sounding, the amusement park ride is a lot of fun and appropriate with ambient and space music. The COSMIC GAME  from the Thievery Corporation is one of the best examples of a Sensurround recording I have come across. Please keep us filled in on the break in process and further improvements in the sonics of the preamp.
Scotty
 

[miklorsmith]

Thanks guys, Rich - those look like the ones that came with the pre.  The rectifiers are NOS Sylvania 5AU4GBs, likely pretty nice.

Scotty - thanks for the tip.  I have The Cosmic Game, along with close to everything else TC has done.  I'll definitely drop that in over the w/e.

[richidoo]

Yeah, I reread the ad, I think he means they will work in BAT (duh), but being Sovtek, they are not the NOS tubes that BAT sells.

[miklorsmith]

Never one to leave a coin unturned, I ordered the DR tubes from Parts Connexion and "the best pair" of Tung Sol rectifiers Tube World had.  Man am I glad the Moddie only takes 2 of the 6H30's, the Rogue Hera I was checking out takes 8!  At $140/pr for the good stuff you may as well be retubing a big power amp.

[Bigfish8]

Mike:

I have been trying for at least 3 months to buy a metal base GZ-34 but there are always buyers that are willing to far exceed what I will pay for one.  They may be the best rectifier tube for the Transporter but I am not going to pay in excess of $250.00 for one. 

Ken

[Bigfish8]

Hi Mike:

I just remembered another thing you will want to try is to replace the stock fuses with HiFi Tuning Fuses.  They do make a difference in the Transporter and the cost is reasonable relative to other tweaks.

I know you are having fun!

Ken