Golden Gate 2 Reactions

[bonzo75]

You need to hear it. The noise floor drops so far lower than other tubes, and music just flows as if there is nothing there. Every note can be heard much more, and much more extended in all directions. You also end up following each note more closely. The details are far higher, and you will be able to distinguish each note decaying and flowing more.

There is a grip to each note. Soundstage, drive, are higher.

This is not a preference flavor. It is the least colored and most transparent of the tubes. If it does not work, it will either distort, sound too forward and hard, or just wimpy. For example, the UK distro still hasn't heard this sounding right, and I understand why, since in his system, or Rob's, or the universum that we heard, it does not work.

 

[abeidrov]

Congrats on your new GG2.
I think I would have ordered it in the exact same config as you did.
Have you already compared the RK KR 300b to the KR 242 (my favorite output tube by quite a margin)?
Are all your tubes brand new, i.e. no break-in so far?

Thank you. Both the DAC and the tubes are brand new, so it is too early to make any final conclusions. But 242 tubes are very different to the Lampi sound I am used to. The soundstage is closer, the musicians are much bigger. I think the 300b tubes are more relaxed sounding and more dense at the same time, while 242s are more in the face and more resolving.

 

[Zero000]

Did you try it with Rob's GG when he was using his Hattor passive?

 

[bonzo75]

Did you try it with Rob's GG when he was using his Hattor passive?

I tried, don't remember when. It has worked with active preamps.

 

[bonzo75]

Thank you. Both the DAC and the tubes are brand new, so it is too early to make any final conclusions. But 242 tubes are very different to the Lampi sound I am used to. The soundstage is closer, the musicians are much bigger. I think the 300b tubes are more relaxed sounding and more dense at the same time, while 242s are more in the face and more resolving.

Are they sounding too forward or fatiguing?

 

[abeidrov]

Are they sounding too forward or fatiguing?

This is a very good question. I am not sure. It is now 1am, and I am listening at a lowest possible volume setting. Still, on some tracks it is too loud for late at night listening. I wish, the dac had a switch to lower the gain while using 242 tubes. I need to give it more time and listen at a higher volume. Also, the sound should change as both the dac and the tubes will go through break in?

 

[shakti]

the KR Tubes sometimes need up to 300h to settle fully. Your GG2 needs some hours too, depends on the caps you have ordered, Duelund will take similar long, the Mundorf are much faster to the point.

 

[bonzo75]

This is a very good question. I am not sure. It is now 1am, and I am listening at a lowest possible volume setting. Still, on some tracks it is too loud for late at night listening. I wish, the dac had a switch to lower the gain while using 242 tubes. I need to give it more time and listen at a higher volume. Also, the sound should change as both the dac and the tubes will go through break in?

The 242 has very high gain. Dctom reduced the gain on his Lampi and that worked for him. Lampi improves over time. Also, next year or so, send it back once for adjustments that you find through yoru learnings. It will come back much better...they keep improving it all the time. Also, if you have Mundorf caps, add Jupiter...it will add more body

 

[marslo]

Beautiful.
Feedback on sonics when you can please.

+1

 

[marslo]

You need to hear it. The noise floor drops so far lower than other tubes, and music just flows as if there is nothing there. Every note can be heard much more, and much more extended in all directions. You also end up following each note more closely. The details are far higher, and you will be able to distinguish each note decaying and flowing more.

There is a grip to each note. Soundstage, drive, are higher.

This is not a preference flavor. It is the least colored and most transparent of the tubes. If it does not work, it will either distort, sound too forward and hard, or just wimpy. For example, the UK distro still hasn't heard this sounding right, and I understand why, since in his system, or Rob's, or the universum that we heard, it does not work.

It seems that KR 242 are not a good match with efficient speakers , even with reduced Lampi gain.
I appreciated this sonic bomb very much during listening tests but too much is too much, PX4 were just fine, very descent all-rounder with approx half a gain of 242.
Now 300 B RK have already around 100 h, Duelund Cast Pio caps, KR 5u4g ( not RK which have gold plated pins instead of rodium) , R2R.
So far so good , those 300B RK are transparent, resolved , saturated and analog like.
Recommended

 

[christoph]

Hi shakti

the KR Tubes sometimes need up to 300h to settle fully. Your GG2 needs some hours too, depends on the caps you have ordered, Duelund will take similar long, the Mundorf are much faster to the point.

So what is your verdict regarding KR RK300b vs. KR 242?
You have them for quite some time now...

 

[christoph]

Hi Justin

Christoph, or anyone, what do you think makes the 242 better than the RK 300B i.e. how would you describe the difference?

Sorry for obviously causing a misunderstanding with you. I have never heard the RK KR 300b so far.
But my good friend Wisnon lent me his pair of RK KR 300b so I will be able to give them a try pretty soon.

@Norman
How many hours are on your pair of RK KR 300b? Are they properly burned-in with the Al-/EML-method already?

 

[christoph]

This is a very good question. I am not sure. It is now 1am, and I am listening at a lowest possible volume setting. Still, on some tracks it is too loud for late at night listening. I wish, the dac had a switch to lower the gain while using 242 tubes. I need to give it more time and listen at a higher volume. Also, the sound should change as both the dac and the tubes will go through break in?

That very high gain of the 242 can be an issue for late night low volume listening, as the lowest setting of a preamp can already be too loud. When I want to listen with very low volume, I either insert other tubes than the 242 (the EML 45 mesh Anniversary Globes for example have around 10dB less gain) or if I want to listen to the 242 anyhow, I convert the music to DSD (with HQPlayer or for convenience with roon) and use the chipless DSD512 engine in my GG which is also around 6 dB lower than the R2R PCM/DSD256 combo engine.
Maybe that is also a feasible way for you to enjoy late night music at lower volumes.

 

[bonzo75]

Hi shakti



So what is your verdict regarding KR RK300b vs. KR 242?
You have them for quite some time now...

I thought he said the 242 did not work here like they did when he previously had the GG

 

[Sablon Audio]

That very high gain of the 242 can be an issue for late night low volume listening, as the lowest setting of a preamp can already be too loud. When I want to listen with very low volume, I either insert other tubes than the 242 (the EML 45 mesh Anniversary Globes for example have around 10dB less gain) or if I want to listen to the 242 anyhow, I convert the music to DSD (with HQPlayer or for convenience with roon) and use the chipless DSD512 engine in my GG which is also around 6 dB lower than the R2R PCM/DSD256 combo engine.
Maybe that is also a feasible way for you to enjoy late night music at lower volumes.

You could also put some resistors / higher value resistors behind either the dac outputs or one of the preamp inputs to pad down excess gain. Best to get clearance from manufacturer first to keep the warranty intact and use something decent like, say, Takman / Dale / Vishay etc.

 

[wisnon]

Hi Justin



Sorry for obviously causing a misunderstanding with you. I have never heard the RK KR 300b so far.
But my good friend Wisnon lent me his pair of RK KR 300b so I will be able to give them a try pretty soon.

@Norman
How many hours are on your pair of RK KR 300b? Are they properly burned-in with the Al-/EML-method already?

Not scientifically burned in with the AL/Chris method but I would say they haven been played 50 to 100 hours with 200 to 300 hrs on in total.

 

[Zero000]

I probably have an excellent 242 preamp. An Air Tight passive with an Alps RK50 in it. This is driven by an electric motor under r/c control.

The real point is the control of volume is super fine. It takes literally seconds to achieve a small change in volume, which can be annoying, but it will definitely cure any excess gain issues easily, I think.

Ked is going to send me his 242 and I will compare with RK 300B, which are late shipping to me. I'm using a quite radically altered Big 7, not a GG 2. But we should get a number of views on the RK Vs 242.

 

[shakti]

looking forward to get your comparison notes!

My Koda Takumi K10 GII likes the 242 as well, the Koda is close to a passive Pre, as the gain stage makes only 6db, so a high gain input is recommended.
(sometimes critical with a tube phonopre, but perfect with high gain dac as Lampi)

 

[abeidrov]

That very high gain of the 242 can be an issue for late night low volume listening, as the lowest setting of a preamp can already be too loud. When I want to listen with very low volume, I either insert other tubes than the 242 (the EML 45 mesh Anniversary Globes for example have around 10dB less gain) or if I want to listen to the 242 anyhow, I convert the music to DSD (with HQPlayer or for convenience with roon) and use the chipless DSD512 engine in my GG which is also around 6 dB lower than the R2R PCM/DSD256 combo engine.
Maybe that is also a feasible way for you to enjoy late night music at lower volumes.

That is a good suggestion. If I like 242, and so far I do not hear any distortion when using them, they will be for day time listening. At night I can use RK 300b or any other tube I’ll collect over time.
Does anyone know what the front button on the GG2 does? Does it put the tubes in some sort of stand by mode when depressed?

 

[christoph]

That is a good suggestion. If I like 242, and so far I do not hear any distortion when using them, they will be for day time listening. At night I can use RK 300b or any other tube I’ll collect over time.
Does anyone know what the front button on the GG2 does? Does it put the tubes in some sort of stand by mode when depressed?

As you have the extra chipless DSD512 engine, I'm pretty sure that the front button changes from the R2R combi PCM-/DSD256 engine (button out) to the chipless DSD only engine (button in). At least it is like that on my similarly specced GG1.
Btw. make sure you have a DSD signal when changing to the DSD only engine. Otherwise you will hear nothing