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Musical Paradise MP-301 Mk3

87db bookshelf is fine in a small to medium size room. A couple of the MP-301 users have reported getting great results with Advents speakers.
 
I just received MK3 with Shunguang EL34 and 6J8P hook to mains conditioner.
No hum problem, silent...good news.Thanks Gary...

After listening 2 hours, I tried to change mains cable because I hear not good sound of saxophone (not release).
The improvement due to cable change is sound stage wider,sound little bit better.


After listening 12 hours run, I replaced Shunguang EL34 with GLKT66.Now the MK3 singing getting better.Sound more detail and "liquid".

Well, actually I"m looking more warm sound, I need to find which tube can produce warm sound (how about Winged C EL34?) or replace Shunguang 6J8P with other tubes can help my amp produce more warm sound.

Any suggestion are wellcome..


regards
ronni
 
jazzwave said:
I just received MK3 with Shunguang EL34 and 6J8P hook to mains conditioner.
No hum problem, silent...good news.Thanks Gary...

After listening 2 hours, I tried to change mains cable because I hear not good sound of saxophone (not release).
The improvement due to cable change is sound stage wider,sound little bit better.


After listening 12 hours run, I replaced Shunguang EL34 with GLKT66.Now the MK3 singing getting better.Sound more detail and "liquid".

Well, actually I"m looking more warm sound, I need to find which tube can produce warm sound (how about Winged C EL34?) or replace Shunguang 6J8P with other tubes can help my amp produce more warm sound.

Any suggestion are wellcome..


regards
ronni
Click to expand...

I found the 6L6GC tubes to have a really great, warm sound.
 
I thought I'd give a followup as I have changed things a little in my setup. I still am liking this amp very much though I don't have any other tube amp experience to compare to. I had been using a Marantz 2265 in my home office space (spare bedroom) and have had a Sansui 2000a (actually sort of similar warmth in sound but in need of recap) set up prior.

The room is small, about 10x13.

I have upgraded tubes to two GL KT66's and found two NOS 6sj7wgt to use. The 6sj7's I did a few days after the KT66's and the bass seemed punchier. I'd have to swap tubes again to verify. (But I don't wanna)
I had switched from using Advent Baby II speakers to a pair of KEF Q50's I found at thrift which also sounded pretty nice at the time. I found a pair of Klipsch KM4's (KG 3.5's) for an unbeatable price and I think have settled in for now on speakers. I am running with a cheapie (thrift too) Cerwin Vega powered sub until I upgrade that too.
Denon DVD/SACD/CD for digital playback
Turntable with Denon DL-110 cart. Yaqin phono pre with some old 12ax7's that were pulled from an old 50's or 60's Capehart 'record player' unit.
I have been listening to many types of music through it and I am not tired of listening to this thing yet.
I Still have the Marantz on the shelf along with my $5 Pioneer SX-780 and I did plug those in Friday for a quick compare. I think those will just sit and make the stand look pretty for now.

I know this isn't much of a "review", but this amp has all the power and more I need for this room. Along with the powered sub I have just the right amount of bass added that wouldn't be there without it.

I've tried listening with just headphones, but the sound is a bit too lean for my liking. If I do, I prefer my old Pioneer SE-30's to my Grado SR60i or Pioneer SE-205. For me, not really a headphone amp. Or it may just need a different tube combo than what I'm running. Mars the Bringer of War from Holst "The Planets" (Charles Dutoit, Montreal Symphony Orch. vinyl) lacks the punch with headphones, but is very good through speakers, and can rearrange furniture with the sub added.

Opinions may and will vary on what is a great setup, or how it should be done, etc. Overall I am extremely happy with my purchase of this amp for the setup I am using in the location I'm using it.

I had been planning on the HSU Research bookshelf and Sub combo, but the Klipsch were at the right price.
The Beatles, Rush, Diana Krall, various classical all are sounding pretty sweet even though my wife gave me an odd look and shook her head when "Yellow Submarine" was playing.

The power tubes are easy to find and experiment with in rolling different ones. The Pre tubes are harder to come by for rolling. I'm guessing that is to keep costs down versus designing it to use something like 12ax7's or (?).

Hope some of you can glean something from my long winded observation.
Nutshell: I love listening to this, or through this, more than any other amp I have. Just not so much through headphones. Your ears may vary.
 
Hi Ronni,
KT66 and 6L6GC usually have a bit warmer sounding than EL34 with the MP-301 MK3. To add more smoothness and warmness, get RCA 6SJ7 to replace Shuguang 6J8P.
 
They are plenty of NOS RCA 6SJ7 on eBay with affordable prices. According to my experience, this pentode tube sounds better than a lot of current production 12AX7.

Cables change the sound dramatically. Usually, expensive cables provide better details, but in a lot of cases, thinner and brighter sounding. If you like warmer and thicker sound, use regular pure copper cables, including power, interconnect and speaker cables.

mndiggerco said:
I'm guessing that is to keep costs down versus designing it to use something like 12ax7's or (?).
Click to expand...
 
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Thanks for the input on tube selection as to your choice in design. I was merely curious.

I got the Jan Philips 6sj7wgt tubes at a price that even eBay couldn't match. 3 glass tubes and 2 Jan Philips 6sj7 metal for a couple of bucks.
 
I used a pair of tubes that were "matched" only on my basic emissions tester, and they worked well.
 
I've bought a couple sets of 6SJ7's but there's so many different kinds of power tubes for this amp it makes my head spin :P I was wondering if I should try 6550 since I've read good reviews about them having a very large sound stage but, I haven't heard any reviews about people using them with the MP-301 MK3. So what's best for this amp? 6L6, EL34, KT88, 6550? and I read about the older 6L6's not being able to handle as much power as the later 6L6's so should those be excluded? Thoughts?
 
In my review of the MP-301 mk3 I used primarily GE 6550's. I feel this is a very good sounding tube.
 
I was looking at the 6550's on epay and the cheapest I can find is sovtek 6550WE for $50 are they worth it?
 
Never new them so I can't say. The 6550 does tend to be an expensive tube, but so does the EL-34.
 
The EL34's by JJ, which I've had in the past, are $28 on epay with free shipping but, I was told that the EL34 lacks some of the lower end compared to 6550's
 
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