LampizatOr Horizon - Tube Rolling Paradise

[dminches]

View attachment 94371

Glad you like the TS 6SN7s. I love mine.

 

[Sampajanna]

Cannot wait to start rolling when my horizon arrives! I have a headphone amp that uses 6SN7 as driver and I converted the Tungsol VT-99 tubes using Woo audio converters and that was the best I heard out of many tubes. May work on the Horizon as well.

 

[Golum]

I've been listening to H quite a lot in the last 10 days and mainly just randomly swapping the tubes around to see if something will pop out as immediate winner but with vast majority of tubes I tried H just plays exceptionally good even being dirt cheap 6n1p. Pentodes mainly I used KT170 and EL156 and the latter ones I find as a heresy to use in this position as they are fantastic, quite rare, output tubes so I'll rather stick to KT170 until I try out EL51 and Siemens f2a (which I won't use from the same reason as EL156). So far I did not focus on any specific details but rather on overall picture of the entire set playing, as nothing is broken in yet. Rectifier I used was mainly my trusted RCA 5u4g top getter while today I plugged Taka 274b. Double triodes I tried as said were 6n1p, Philips e182cc, Thompson 5687, Raytheon VT99, TungSol VT99 rounded plates.
Until today TS VT99 and Thompson 5687 stood out doing the best job but considering price delta vs 6n1p I'm not so sure they are massively better. Also driven by this article: https://www.tnt-audio.com/accessories/shuguang_treasures_cv181_e.html I got a pair of those and plugged them in tonight. From dead cold they sound fantastic and I'll keep them playing for min 50h to see the final outcome. As few guys around here know me, the name of the game for me (like with DHTs) is to find the cheapest possible option to challenge the heavy hitter ones and this tube just might be up to the task....time will tell...

Happy rolling...

One pic for the illustration:

 

[dminches]

About time you posted about the Horizon!

 

[Golum]

About time you posted about the Horizon!

Very much you're right!
Will do these days in the big thread...but tbh nothing much to add on what has been said by now - just plain and simple - masterpiece of a DAC

 

[Charlie B.]

I've been listening to H quite a lot in the last 10 days and mainly just randomly swapping the tubes around to see if something will pop out as immediate winner but with vast majority of tubes I tried H just plays exceptionally good even being dirt cheap 6n1p. Pentodes mainly I used KT170 and EL156 and the latter ones I find as a heresy to use in this position as they are fantastic, quite rare, output tubes so I'll rather stick to KT170 until I try out EL51 and Siemens f2a (which I won't use from the same reason as EL156). So far I did not focus on any specific details but rather on overall picture of the entire set playing, as nothing is broken in yet. Rectifier I used was mainly my trusted RCA 5u4g top getter while today I plugged Taka 274b. Double triodes I tried as said were 6n1p, Philips e182cc, Thompson 5687, Raytheon VT99, TungSol VT99 rounded plates.
Until today TS VT99 and Thompson 5687 stood out doing the best job but considering price delta vs 6n1p I'm not so sure they are massively better. Also driven by this article: https://www.tnt-audio.com/accessories/shuguang_treasures_cv181_e.html I got a pair of those and plugged them in tonight. From dead cold they sound fantastic and I'll keep them playing for min 50h to see the final outcome. As few guys around here know me, the name of the game for me (like with DHTs) is to find the cheapest possible option to challenge the heavy hitter ones and this tube just might be up to the task....time will tell...

Happy rolling...

One pic for the illustration:
View attachment 94531

https://www.tnt-audio.com/accessories/shuguang_treasures_cv181_e.html

According to pictures and text https://www.tubeampdoctor.com/psvane-black-treasure-cv181-z-gematches-paar-gold-gitter?c=211should be identical to https://www.tubeampdoctor.com/shuguang-black-treasure-cv181-z-gematches-paar-gold-gitter.
Can anyone confirm? (The Shuguangs are out...)

​

 

[Golum]

According to pictures and text https://www.tubeampdoctor.com/psvane-black-treasure-cv181-z-gematches-paar-gold-gitter?c=211should be identical to https://www.tubeampdoctor.com/shuguang-black-treasure-cv181-z-gematches-paar-gold-gitter.
Can anyone confirm? (The Shuguangs are out...)

I got exactly those from TubeAmpDoctor and as per my knowledge Shugaung and Psvane are same factory with just two different brand names of tubes
And I got them from TubeAmpDoctor as they are doing their internal check up and additional QC - so per my logic safer option then getting from eBay or Chinese sellers directly

 

[plasmod3]

I got exactly those from TubeAmpDoctor and as per my knowledge Shugaung and Psvane are same factory with just two different brand names of tubes
And I got them from TubeAmpDoctor as they are doing their internal check up and additional QC - so per my logic safer option then getting from eBay or Chinese sellers directly

I have rolled the cv181 with the tung sol metal base and the latter sounds better. Delta not much off as well. Tungsols are cheap relatively

 

[dminches]

I have rolled the cv181 with the tung sol metal base and the latter sounds better. Delta not much off as well. Tungsols are cheap relatively

Can you post a picture of your metal base Tung Sol? The ones on ebay are rebranded Sylvanias.

 

[plasmod3]

Can you post a picture of your metal base Tung Sol? The ones on ebay are rebranded Sylvanias.

But they are sylvania rebranded a lot of the 6sn7w tubes for other manufacturers, this one not withstanding.the sylvania 1940s 6sn7w is one the finest in this class if not the finest. Black bases might have a bit more lows but nothing compares to the metal base.

 

[dminches]

But they are sylvania rebranded a lot of the 6sn7w tubes for other manufacturers, this one not withstanding.the sylvania 1940s 6sn7w is one the finest in this class if not the finest. Black bases might have a bit more lows but nothing compares to the metal base.

just so I understand, you are saying they are Sylvanias?

thanks.

 

[plasmod3]

just so I understand, you are saying they are Sylvanias?

thanks.

Yes I thought they were different but in fact plate structure same as the sylvanias. Including markings at top of tube . Do not confuse the sylvania metal base 6sn7w with the rest of the pack though. Black based 6sn7w for eg are a later version; different sound

 

[plasmod3]

6sn7 distortion values. 1940s syl top of the pack

 

[plasmod3]

6sn7 distortion values. 1940s syl top of the pack

 

[dminches]

Yes I thought they were different but in fact plate structure same as the sylvanias. Including markings at top of tube . Do not confuse the sylvania metal base 6sn7w with the rest of the pack though. Black based 6sn7w for eg are a later version; different sound

The metal base Sylvanias are one of the top 5 6SN7s made. The black base ones, tall or short, are nice, but they don't compete well with the metal.

 

[Steve Williams]

The metal base Sylvanias are one of the top 5 6SN7s made. The black base ones, tall or short, are nice, but they don't compete well with the metal.

David

How do these compare to the TS VT231 6SN7 GT Round Plate that you turned me onto...which I love BTW. They sound like the 5687 on steroids. How do these compare to the metal base

 

[plasmod3]

Cutting to the chase....top 6sn7s in no particular order, syl metal being my favourite

Brimar cv1988
Sylvania 6sn7w metal base
Raytheon 6sn7wgt

Steve,

Ts vt231 has much higher distortion values hence a more sibilant sound comparatively

 

[dminches]

David

How do these compare to the TS VT231 6SN7 GT Round Plate that you turned me onto...which I love BTW. They sound like the 5687 on steroids. How do these compare to the metal base

Steve, I don't know yet. I spent a couple hours going through all my 6SN7s and testing them to "match" them. I will now starting listening to them, starting with the Sylvania metal base 6SN7Ws.

 

[Steve Williams]

my impressions with the TS round plate is a top to bottom increase in dynamics with a much tighter and better defined bass than the 5687. I'd be interested in how the Sylvania metal base compares to the TS

 

[Golum]

my impressions with the TS round plate is a top to bottom increase in dynamics with a much tighter and better defined bass than the 5687. I'd be interested in how the Sylvania metal base compares to the TS

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