C2200 Newby, Tube Suggestions?

Z

Zenfishbike

New Member
Just received a used C2200 with stock tubes, don't know how many hours on them but they are likely well seasoned. Looking to "warm up" the mid-range in my fully active Linn system and the C2200 has done that but at the expense of some dynamics and detail (particularly in the treble but also noted with drums) and has collapsed the soundstage a fair amount. Are these "normal" trade-offs for a tube pre in general and a stock C2200 in particular? Any tube suggestions that would "rectify" these trade-offs? New to the forum, thanks in advance!
 
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I put some PSVane 12ax7's in my C220 initially and was impressed with the lowered noise floor and additional clarity. Since then I've rolled in some vintage tubes, finally stopping with some RCA black plates. Tubes can change the spice in your chili, but they won't make turkey taste like beef. The C2200 may or may not be your cup of tea - good luck in your quest to dial in it with some different tubes.

jblnut
 
louisjames said:
After an extensive tube-rolling exercise I ended up with Teles AX7's and late 50's / early 60's Sylvania AT7 JWA (military-spec) in both the line and phono stages. The pairing does make a difference and it can be a balancing act. One thing I would suggest given your comments and my experience with the C2200 is stay away from Mullard (whether Mullard branded, RCA or Amperex). While the Mullard's will give a warm sound they lack drive and detail. The USA-built tubes might work out well for you although with my speakers, which are forward voiced, the sound was a bit too clean and thin. Are you using the RCA outs or XLR? That will also make a difference in the overall listening experience.
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Excellent. Thanks for this. RCA outs at the moment. My Linn amps won't take XLR however my PS Audio phono pre will output XLR though I haven't any cables for that yet. Intend to.
 
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jblnut said:
I put some PSVane 12ax7's in my C220 initially and was impressed with the lowered noise floor and additional clarity. Since then I've rolled in some vintage tubes, finally stopping with some RCA black plates. Tubes can change the spice in your chili, but they won't make turkey taste like beef. The C2200 may or may not be your cup of tea - good luck in your quest to dial in it with some different tubes.

jblnut
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Thanks Jblnut, you may be right about the tea. The C2200 seemed to be my best choice having tone and balance controls plus HT bypass, all of which are very hard to come by in one unit. Reviews, quality, popularity, retained value, rolling options and a wealth of experience shared on user forums such as this all made it my best choice to experiment with tea leaves. There may be no perfect pancea at my price points, but the quest is fun. If I end up switching between it and pure solid state based on content so be it. Life could be worse! :)
 
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