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Tube Rolling

Morgan D said:
Upscale Audio? Do you let your preamp sit, turned on with no record playing to burn in tubes?
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do u do that or just plug n play til u get bastnthe burn-in? or have a burn-in protocol/method aside from while u listen?
 
DavidTT said:
Getting back to this thread after a while. I hate to say that, knowing this is ALL subjective, I may be the only listener I know who didn't love the Darlington Labs product. I have come to appreciate them and their approach, their pricing and support, and their participation in the relevant forums. I also am potentially biased by my reaction against 'hype' I see in forums for any particular product, having been through it with the Lounge LCRIII phono amp, which I didn't enjoy at all, among others.

Anyway, I listened for several days, in two separate stints, to an MP-7 I had here to compare with a Hagerman Cornet 3, and I never warmed up to the Darlington. It sounded competent and detailed but it lost out to a certain euphonic sound that I struggle to describe, and which could easily be utterly in my own head when it comes to the Cornet 3. None of this it to denigrate the Darlington product, and I'm aware that I'm the only poster who hasn't raved about these units.

If anything, I suppose I'm lending credence to the idea that @Morgan D might prefer the sound of the Retro Version and enjoy the potential to roll tubes. I was surprised how much I enjoyed the Cornet 3 in comparison to the MP-7, but there it was. There is really something about having tubes somewhere in the chain. FWIW, I have an old Audio Research LS-1 hybrid SS/tube Line State coming my way this week, which will make for some interesting listening. It uses one 6DJ8/ECC88 tube for gain and should be interesting to try out and maybe to tube roll as well.
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I Think you might just like the tube sound over the ss. Also, Jim Hagerman is a GREAT EE!
 
ceylon said:
do u do that or just plug n play til u get bastnthe burn-in? or have a burn-in protocol/method aside from while u listen?
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I have only tried a few different tubes so far. So I was wondering what you more experienced guys do. PJL Electronics told me he prefers that I play an album after about 15 min of warm up. He just made the side pieces of the 6L6gc amp that he is building for me and it looks really good.
 
DavidTT said:
Getting back to this thread after a while. I hate to say that, knowing this is ALL subjective, I may be the only listener I know who didn't love the Darlington Labs product. I have come to appreciate them and their approach, their pricing and support, and their participation in the relevant forums. I also am potentially biased by my reaction against 'hype' I see in forums for any particular product, having been through it with the Lounge LCRIII phono amp, which I didn't enjoy at all, among others.

Anyway, I listened for several days, in two separate stints, to an MP-7 I had here to compare with a Hagerman Cornet 3, and I never warmed up to the Darlington. It sounded competent and detailed but it lost out to a certain euphonic sound that I struggle to describe, and which could easily be utterly in my own head when it comes to the Cornet 3. None of this it to denigrate the Darlington product, and I'm aware that I'm the only poster who hasn't raved about these units.

If anything, I suppose I'm lending credence to the idea that @Morgan D might prefer the sound of the Retro Version and enjoy the potential to roll tubes. I was surprised how much I enjoyed the Cornet 3 in comparison to the MP-7, but there it was. There is really something about having tubes somewhere in the chain. FWIW, I have an old Audio Research LS-1 hybrid SS/tube Line State coming my way this week, which will make for some interesting listening. It uses one 6DJ8/ECC88 tube for gain and should be interesting to try out and maybe to tube roll as well.
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What do you have for a power amp?
 
Morgan D said:
I have only tried a few different tubes so far. So I was wondering what you more experienced guys do. PJL Electronics told me he prefers that I play an album after about 15 min of warm up. He just made the side pieces of the 6L6gc amp that he is building for me and it looks really good.
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well, im not very experienced in hifi, but ive been using tube guitar amps cor decades.

15-30 min for serious listening seems pretty typical. i inagine thats the right way to do it. im all over the place. i click on a system the minute i step in the house. i may sit right down, but i may not til i put away my tools or groceries, unload the truck(s) or make something to eat or whatever.

in the morning, i wake up at 4 and switch on immediately. then i push play on the coffee machine and do the usual morning stuff as fast as poss so i can sit in a recliner, cat in my lap & black cuban coffee in hand, and listen to both sides of a record before i have to start movin at 5. thats...5-15 min between switchin on my gear and sittin down.

hey my friend as soon as u get that amp lets lets see it! sounds like a really cool piece of gear.
 
Are you from NJ ? Pat the PJL guy is in Hillsborough NJ. I don't know if I can figure out how to make pics happen but I can try. I think guitar amps are probably similar.
 
Morgan D said:
Are you from NJ ? Pat the PJL guy is in Hillsborough NJ. I don't know if I can figure out how to make pics happen but I can try. I think guitar amps are probably similar.
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partly. its one of several places im from or i live. jersey shore is home to me, but im not there much

i never been to hillsboro.
 
JBL Studio 590s, which are another one of those most fantastic deals in audio. I have been very, very happy with them.
 
DavidTT said:
JBL Studio 590s, which are another one of those most fantastic deals in audio. I have been very, very happy with them.
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It looks like they are fairly sensitive at 92db Also good low end specs. I have always been curious about JBL.
 
The site I am referring to had James Lansing's life story in it. I don't know how much different the Harmon products are but it is really interesting for the JBL folks out there.
 
Out of 4 sets of compatible 12ax7, my favorites were vintage matched Amperex Bugle Boys in my Cary Audio pre-amp. I tried Bellari phono preamp with a Mullard and it sucked. I went with Pro-Ject Phono Box II with the Cary. No additional coloration and just clean, full and detailed music. And you could make out differences while rolling.

Amperex Bugle Boys.jpg
 
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