KR Audio 45

[wisnon]

Well Norman, probably I am just a very lazy audiophile.

But all kidding aside, I have the following reasons for not (yet) testing the Takatsuki 300b tubes in my GG dac:
1. I really like what the Elrog 300b tubes are doing.
2. Although they have been completely reliable so far in my set up, we both know that the reliability track record of the Elrog 300b tubes in general and also in combination with the GG is not good at all. According to Lukasz the Elrog is the only 300b that ever failed on the GG. Swapping them make the chances of a break down higher. See what happened with Al's Elrog 300b tubes: they were functioning well before these tubes were being swapped and now they are 'dead'.
3. Still making serious progress with my Tidal set up. It is hard work but I am getting nearer and nearer to finalize it (although there are still three important issues that need to be resolved; see one of my earlier remarks in the Tidal La Assoluta thread). Only after the Tidal LA set up is more or less finalized/stabilized, I will be able to hear the real quality of all the different tubes.

Hopefully this makes sense.

It does.

The "rogs" are indeed delicate and its better to let sleeping dogs lie, afterall. Do you run them on the 101d setting like Mike L?

 

[Audiocrack]

It does.

The "rogs" are indeed delicate and its better to let sleeping dogs lie, afterall. Do you run them on the 101d setting like Mike L?

Lukasz advised me loud and clear to use the '300b' setting and not the 101d setting so that is what I am doing. So the answer to your question is no.

 

[wisnon]

Lukasz advised me loud and clear to use the '300b' setting and not the 101d setting so that is what I am doing. So the answer to your question is no.

Dont change what's working!

 

[murphys33]

this is the recti I was using with the Elrogs prior to getting the Takatsuki. the Tak lowered the noise floor and added nuance and authority to the Elrog's over the RCA.

and i'll add that the Elrog-Takatsuki combo made me stop rolling tubes or even thinking about it. I had been agonizing over whether I should buy this or that WE 300b/274b for months. I had bid on a few of them but never won an auction. then I heard this combo and figured why worry about it? I just like the ease, transparency and authority and the all-around listenability of this 'marriage'. I have a drawer full of tubes I had acquired while I had that 'sickness' that Norman infected me with.

the Elrog-Tak combo seemed to resemble my vinyl front end balance in many ways and that was my target reference.

Hi Mike,
Does the elrog 300b have any reliability issues? I have read about it prior and have stayed away from the elrog 300b due to past reports of it breaking down - one user commented that even when the elrog was stood down and later put back into the lampi, it broke down.

 

[wisnon]

They do claim that the later version is more reliable?

AL had version one.

 

[khonfused]

Hi Norman,

Those Kr45's are really darned good IMHO. I know I was extolling their virtues on the other thread but I wasn't surprised that they did well. They are quieter, faster and more resolving than my eml 45 mesh.

I have them both in da house now and will see which are da bomb.

 

[wisnon]

I have them both in da house now and will see which are da bomb.

I await eagerly your feedback!

 

[Steve Williams]

I have read this thread with great interest and I am still confused as to what people are recommending as the best go to tubes. I read MikeL's post as to his tubes and then read audiocrack's comment as to what settings on the GG should be used. Mike and Rudolph seem to use different settings. Is the 242 the one people like but it causes distortion with resultant tube failure unless the voltage on the GG is changed.

Of all you GG users there are so many variations of tube rolling. I am also quite surprised that a rectifier tube change can produce such sonic changes

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Hi Mike,
Does the elrog 300b have any reliability issues? I have read about it prior and have stayed away from the elrog 300b due to past reports of it breaking down - one user commented that even when the elrog was stood down and later put back into the lampi, it broke down.

I have read this thread with great interest and I am still confused as to what people are recommending as the best go to tubes. I read MikeL's post as to his tubes and then read audiocrack's comment as to what settings on the GG should be used. Mike and Rudolph seem to use different settings. Is the 242 the one people like but it causes distortion with resultant tube failure unless the voltage on the GG is changed.

Of all you GG users there are so many variations of tube rolling. I am also quite surprised that a rectifier tube change can produce such sonic changes

I bought my first set of Elrog 300b's on my GG in November and used them (and loved them) for 150 hours at which time one tube slowly lost gain. I spoke to my dealer (who was replacing the problem Elrogs) who spoke to the factory. the factory, after investigating the GG circuit, recommended to me that I use the 101d/45 setting instead of the 300b setting. I received my new set of Elrog 300b's in early January and have been using them for hours daily on the GG without any issues. Rudolf/Audiocrack bought the Elrog's on my (and maybe others) recommendation and has been enjoying them on his GG using the 300b setting without issue for the same period of time.

I'm told that my Elrogs came from a later build run with some changes after earlier production run had issues (Al's Elrogs possibly).

as far as the KR242's there are two versions; the 20 year old now out of production version with a pin configuration that needs an adapter to work in the 300b pattern. this is what I have. and I'm told that this earlier version works great on the B7 Lampi but in my GG it has too much gain as the GG is set up stock.

the other version of the KR242 is a recent small special run of them for Lukaz which I was not far enough up the Lampi list to be able to get a pair. these evidently do work well with the GG.

are the special KR242's as great sounding, or better sounding, than the Elrog's?

I don't know.

 

[bonzo75]

I got my 242s from Lukasz. They distort in GG though unless you change voltage setting for them in the GG. They will be a different flavor from Elrogs. They are a much better version of the 101D replicas, i.e. neutral, dynamic, more soundstage than the replicas, and bassy. I haven't heard the Elrogs but would expect them, as 300bs, to be more 'glorious' in a different way.

 

[Zero000]

Look at the Lampy website now and Lucasz is selling KR242 amongst loads of other types.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Look at the Lampy website now and Lucasz is selling KR242 amongst loads of other types.

I just went to the Lampi website and look around and could not find that tube specifically listed anywhere. I would appreciate it if you could either post a link to the page where it's listed or maybe a screen shot of it on the page.

it appears the Lampi website is in the middle of a build out/redesign mode where the pages are not well organized.

 

[Steve Williams]

It's there Mike. I can see it. He sells them for 600 euros/pair

http://www.lampizator.eu/Fikus/DHT_TUBES.html

scroll to the bottom of the page

 

[bonzo75]

Mike click on Technology, and then click on DHT tubes

 

[Mike Lavigne]

thank you. got it.

does anyone know if the GG has to be modified for lower gain for this KR242 tube to work? or does this version work ok with the GG as is?

I already own the NOS KR242 version that has too much gain. but mine does need the pin adapter which I understand this new version does not. but if I need my GG modified then my Elrog's won't work.

i'll stick with my Elrog's in that case.

ideally I could try both tubes and compare.

 

[bonzo75]

I plan to do that. The lower gain thing. all in good time though. But yes it can be done though you might have to send it back. It doesn't need a pin adapter, will then work with both 242 and 300b - as well as 101 and 45s.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

I plan to do that. The lower gain thing. all in good time though. But yes it can be done though you might have to send it back. It doesn't need a pin adapter, will then work with both 242 and 300b - as well as 101 and 45s.

but if you change the gain you will trade one range of tube optimization for another.

my recollection is if you go with the lower gain for the KR242 you cannot use the 45 tubes. I could have that not exactly right but either the 101d or the 45 no longer will be right. I recall that is what Norman posted at some point.

 

[microstrip]

What is the function and topology of this DHT tube that is being debated in the GG?

 

[bonzo75]

but if you change the gain you will trade one range of tube optimization for another.

my recollection is if you go with the lower gain for the KR242 you cannot use the 45 tubes. I could have that not exactly right but either the 101d or the 45 no longer will be right. I recall that is what Norman posted at some point.

I have been assured that all except 2A3 will work. I can't confirm this until is implemented. If it causes issues I will revert back to original topology. But given that big 7 was playing it fine along with the others, don't see why it should be an issue

 

[wisnon]

but if you change the gain you will trade one range of tube optimization for another.

my recollection is if you go with the lower gain for the KR242 you cannot use the 45 tubes. I could have that not exactly right but either the 101d or the 45 no longer will be right. I recall that is what Norman posted at some point.

I dont recall saying that. What I do know is that there are 2 settings and they are both auto-balancing to a total wattage maximum. More than that I dont know, but could ask Luk when he gets back.