Harsh top-end

[Zuman]

Hi. My digital side is - surprisingly - smoother and less fatiguing than my analogue system.
Here's what I'm working with:
Digital - Roon NUC and NAD M50.2 with M101 and Hapa Audio cables and Stack SmoothLAN filter into Denafrips Terminator DAC into Modwright KWH 225i integrated amp with two Amperex 6DJ8 (Holland) as front end.
Analogue - Clearaudio Performance DC AiR table with Tracer arm and Hana ML cart into Modwright PH 9.0XT phono stage with (2) SovTek 6C45 tubes, (2) Electro-Harmonix 6922 tubes, and 1 Sophia II Aqua 274b rectifier, into the Modwright KWH 225i amp with Hapa Audio cables.
Can you suggest alternative tubes for the phono stage to help tame my high frequency harshness?
Thanks!

 

[sparkie]

Change the 6922 tube to an Amperex 6DJ8. Looking at the picture of the inside of it, its one of the very few tubes that will warm up that stage that the resistors are not selected for proper balance in tone. Even though 6C45 tubes sound the best when driven hard, but I don't think that is the issue since an all standard metal film 6922 stage will be slightly sterile with harsh highs and and the Amperex tube is one of the few tubes that will make the issue less.

Wow, looking at the price tag on these, I should get back into building, even though I'm not a big fan of PC boards. But I should hit up Tom Brooskie to see where he gets his boards made since he builds in the same style as I do and use quality boards which is hard to find a good manufacturer.

 

[sparkie]

I want to take a few minutes to explain to the end user audience that its a tube engineer newbie mistake to make all metal film resistor designs for reproduction equipment. It will always force the end user to change the tubes in attempt to put a bandage on it.

 

[Argonaut]

Can you suggest alternative tubes for the phono stage to help tame my high frequency harshness?
Thanks!

Was this always he case with your Vinyl chain ? , has anything in the configuration been altered recently ? Have you checked your cartridge alignment ? If not begin there , if you have check it again .

 

[PierreB]

Have you tried different resistance loading like 20 or 50 ??