Too Many Tubes???

ferrox

Well-Known Member
Jun 16, 2016
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Jakarta, Indonesia
www.primes.asia
With current systems, I am using 31 tubes in total. I am going to test a new Atma-sphere MA-1 by tomorrow evening. In that case, I will be using 67 tubes in total. :( I have no idea how it will sound because right now, I am still conducting tube preconditioning.

Lampizator Golden Gate 5 tubes
Aesthetix Eclipse Preamp 24 tubes
Aesthetix Atlas Mono Sig 2 tubes
Atma-sphere MA-1 38 tubes

Anyone auditioned so many tubes in one system alone? Please share your experience. :)
 

spiritofmusic

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2013
14,605
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Talk to Audiophile Bill, he's just bought the 3 box Io, and is tube rolling atm
A fine line btwn genius and madness, both you guys are treading
 

bonzo75

Member Sponsor
Feb 26, 2014
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With current systems, I am using 31 tubes in total. I am going to test a new Atma-sphere MA-1 by tomorrow evening. In that case, I will be using 67 tubes in total. :( I have no idea how it will sound because right now, I am still conducting tube preconditioning.

Lampizator Golden Gate 5 tubes
Aesthetix Eclipse Preamp 24 tubes
Aesthetix Atlas Mono Sig 2 tubes
Atma-sphere MA-1 38 tubes

Anyone auditioned so many tubes in one system alone? Please share your experience. :)

TheKong, with his Apogee full ranges, had the IO Eclipse box, Conrad Johnson, biamped, adding to just over a 100 tubes. He now has the Pass 600. Another guy had an IO Eclipse + Aesthetix preamp + Aesthetix power amp, around 78 or so, which, when a channel fails, brings it down to a manageable 34 to investigate.

IMO you could try another preamp - with a remote - and reduce number of tubes too.
 

cjfrbw

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
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You can never be too rich, too thin, or have too many tubes.
 

jazdoc

Member Sponsor
Aug 7, 2010
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Phono preamp signal box: 56 triodesx2; E810Fx2
Phono preamp power box: 374a Rectifiersx4
Line stage signal box: 71a triodesx2
Line stage signal box: 374a Rectifiersx2
2 Mono Amps: 1 OD3; 1 6SN7; KT77x2

Total:24 Tubes!
 

microstrip

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May 30, 2010
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With current systems, I am using 31 tubes in total. I am going to test a new Atma-sphere MA-1 by tomorrow evening. (...)

Congratulations - are these the late mk3.3? I never listened to them, but the mk3.1 versions sounded great.
 

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
With current systems, I am using 31 tubes in total. I am going to test a new Atma-sphere MA-1 by tomorrow evening. In that case, I will be using 67 tubes in total. :( I have no idea how it will sound because right now, I am still conducting tube preconditioning.

Lampizator Golden Gate 5 tubes
Aesthetix Eclipse Preamp 24 tubes
Aesthetix Atlas Mono Sig 2 tubes
Atma-sphere MA-1 38 tubes

Anyone auditioned so many tubes in one system alone? Please share your experience. :)

at one time I had an ARC Ref 600Mk lll (31 tubes per side) amps and an ARC ref 3 preamp which had 8 tubes so 70 in all

Very very good sound but commensurate with the amount of heat produced. So much so that I put a 3rd HVAC in my house with this one dedicated to only the sound room to keep the temperature down
 

ferrox

Well-Known Member
Jun 16, 2016
262
55
158
Jakarta, Indonesia
www.primes.asia
at one time I had an ARC Ref 600Mk lll (31 tubes per side) amps and an ARC ref 3 preamp which had 8 tubes so 70 in all

Very very good sound but commensurate with the amount of heat produced. So much so that I put a 3rd HVAC in my house with this one dedicated to only the sound room to keep the temperature down

Yes, heat is another issue especially for us who live in tropical country. :(
 

ferrox

Well-Known Member
Jun 16, 2016
262
55
158
Jakarta, Indonesia
www.primes.asia
Congratulations - are these the late mk3.3? I never listened to them, but the mk3.1 versions sounded great.

This is an older version mk ii.3 and I have called Ralph Karsten to ask about update plan to mk 3.3. He suggested me to use a specific freight forwarder to handle the shipping of these pair. I am trying to get a quote now. Honestly, I prefer the look of this version than the mk3 ones. Mine is rectangular with 5 6sn7's. According to Ralph, the update would include taking out the class AB feature so I can only set class A amping.
 

ferrox

Well-Known Member
Jun 16, 2016
262
55
158
Jakarta, Indonesia
www.primes.asia
Phono preamp signal box: 56 triodesx2; E810Fx2
Phono preamp power box: 374a Rectifiersx4
Line stage signal box: 71a triodesx2
Line stage signal box: 374a Rectifiersx2
2 Mono Amps: 1 OD3; 1 6SN7; KT77x2

Total:24 Tubes!

How do you find the sound? Not too tubey nor fat right? My other audio friend said, it would be too fat with so many tubes installed. :(
 

ferrox

Well-Known Member
Jun 16, 2016
262
55
158
Jakarta, Indonesia
www.primes.asia
TheKong, with his Apogee full ranges, had the IO Eclipse box, Conrad Johnson, biamped, adding to just over a 100 tubes. He now has the Pass 600. Another guy had an IO Eclipse + Aesthetix preamp + Aesthetix power amp, around 78 or so, which, when a channel fails, brings it down to a manageable 34 to investigate.

IMO you could try another preamp - with a remote - and reduce number of tubes too.

+1. It takes a lot of time to figure out what the problem is.
 

jazdoc

Member Sponsor
Aug 7, 2010
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How do you find the sound? Not too tubey nor fat right? My other audio friend said, it would be too fat with so many tubes installed. :(

I'm happy but 'biased' (sorry for the bad tube pun)...Actually tubes done well are not 'tubey' or 'fat'...they are fast and lithe.
 

andromedaaudio

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Jan 23, 2011
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Great I must say I virtually always have had a tube pre in the system , I could live without the tube power amp I like ss power amps too

QUOTE=ferrox;434650]How do you find the sound of tube preamp + tube amp so far? Aesthetix preamp + amp sound pretty nice, too. I am just trying different amp.[/QUOTE]
 

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