Quote:
Originally Posted by toxostoma rufum  I've kept my JJ Gold Pin in channel one. The test I did earlier on another thread is with a JJ High-Gain which I really don't like and don't use anymore - might be cool for guitar, but not for the MPA. Also, I think my earlier JJ v. Valvo test is faulty in that the Valvo had much more time to warm up.
I've been swapping back and forth between my Valvo NOS and my New Sensor Tung Sol for about a month because while the Valvo is better below 200 Hz, the Tung Sol is superior everywhere else...and cleaner & better gain. This morning I decided to take out the Tung Sol because I thought it wasn't sounding that great and give the Valvo one more shot thinking that the Valvo is truly the better tube. I opened up the MPA and found that the Valvo was already in there providing the sound I wasn't thrilled with. I forgot which one was in there and thought I was getting that New Sensor "lower quality"...from a pristine NOS tube.
I hear the difference from NOS tubes (mostly in the low end freq.), but I like the character of my JJs and Tung Sols for what I do and I'll stick with them. I wouldn't recommend them for everyone. The UA and LaChappelle preamps are now coming stock with JJs and sound pretty good. |
Surprising. I have several of the New Sensor Tung Sols (aka "re-issue") and Valvos of various production years and they are quite different from each other to my ears. The Tung Sol reissues are ok in the upper-mids but the highs aren't there, low-mids are smeared, and low end isn't happening. Valvos are very airy, detailed tubes with deep bass. Maybe your Valvo has gone bad?