Golden Gate DAC arrives.

[bonzo75]

Lots of accolades on Audioshark on the 242.

Here is Marslo: "KR installed- first impression very promissing , I agree with Deuter. The sound is transparent, dynamic , selective and with good saturation, seems like one level above Psvane 101d . Now a short break in before holidays, for me this set is a keeper. I like them more than EML 45 Anniv.

There was more from Deuter http://www.audioshark.org/showthread.php?t=9928&page=7&p=173089#post173089

 

[wisnon]

Eunice Kron contact here:

http://www.kraudio.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1&Itemid=10&lang=en

 

[Alrainbow]

If I could find a way to post some pictures

 

[Alrainbow]

I played a bunch of tubes and manic most of the day. I do not like the Sophia royal 300 B. I guess I am selling them . They are like new and I really never liked them. Now I have an audio bud with a lampi headac and he loves them lol.
The 101d and eml 274B mesh is a good combo , but the eml globes are one better as they add a it of weight I like .
I'll bite Norman so I'll instruck luk to include the tubes you posted about if they will play on my B7.

 

[khonfused]

After identifying the best rectifier that is currently in my possession, the Takatsuki 274b, I turned to giving all the output tubes another run.

With this first hand experience in my own system, it is a lot easier to understand the sonic descriptions of other on these tubes.
And although everyone has a different system, the sonic descriptions of all the tubes are amazingly consistent from what I gathered.

So I think it's safe to say what certain tubes do to the musical presentation in regards of their fundamental basics. I also think that not every tubes will "the best" for every system or taste.

The Elrog300b does have the best midrange and authenticity of natural instruments. Instruments just sound that bit more like you hear them in their natural habitat, i.e. without amplification (piano, strings, drums)
While it has good bass definition and fastness, in those aspects it falls behind the psvane WE 101 replica. These tubes have speed, tight bass und a lot of control in every frequency range. They also have more air and soundstage definition. They sound more dynamic and forward stomping, something that makes you want to get up and dance...

I hear the Kron 242 are still better in all of these aspects, so those tubes are on my shopping list for sure.

The Full Music 2a3 have good weight and tonal colors, they are relaxed and laid back sounding. Quite the opposite to the 101. I could see them as a good fit for bright and fast system that could benefit from some toning down of over detailed and pronounced highs.

In conclusion, I like the Elrogs a lot for singer/songwriter, trio jazz, piano jazz, blues and chamber music and generally for all sparsly instrumented music. There the beautiful midrange will shine in full flavor and draw you into the music.

I like the psvane 101 better when it comes to complex music with a more densed musical presentation. There the 101 can separate the instruments better with more air around them and there is more definiton and clarity in the music. Together with their drive and fastness it is highly enjoyable and their small short comings on midrange glory do not play that much of a part.

So that's what I learned from my first serious tube rolling experience. I am wondering if there is a tube combination that will deliver it all?

 

[Audiocrack]

After identifying the best rectifier that is currently in my possession, the Takatsuki 274b, I turned to giving all the output tubes another run.

With this first hand experience in my own system, it is a lot easier to understand the sonic descriptions of other on these tubes.
And although everyone has a different system, the sonic descriptions of all the tubes are amazingly consistent from what I gathered.

So I think it's safe to say what certain tubes do to the musical presentation in regards of their fundamental basics. I also think that not every tubes will "the best" for every system or taste.

The Elrog300b does have the best midrange and authenticity of natural instruments. Instruments just sound that bit more like you hear them in their natural habitat, i.e. without amplification (piano, strings, drums)
While it has good bass definition and fastness, in those aspects it falls behind the psvane WE 101 replica. These tubes have speed, tight bass und a lot of control in every frequency range. They also have more air and soundstage definition. They sound more dynamic and forward stomping, something that makes you want to get up and dance...

I hear the Kron 242 are still better in all of these aspects, so those tubes are on my shopping list for sure.

The Full Music 2a3 have good weight and tonal colors, they are relaxed and laid back sounding. Quite the opposite to the 101. I could see them as a good fit for bright and fast system that could benefit from some toning down of over detailed and pronounced highs.

In conclusion, I like the Elrogs a lot for singer/songwriter, trio jazz, piano jazz, blues and chamber music and generally for all sparsly instrumented music. There the beautiful midrange will shine in full flavor and draw you into the music.

I like the psvane 101 better when it comes to complex music with a more densed musical presentation. There the 101 can separate the instruments better with more air around them and there is more definiton and clarity in the music. Together with their drive and fastness it is highly enjoyable and their small short comings on midrange glory do not play that much of a part.

So that's what I learned from my first serious tube rolling experience. I am wondering if there is a tube combination that will deliver it all?

Cannot give a definitive answer to tour (last) question but what about a full Takatsuki trio: one Takatsuki 274b valve and two Takatsuki 300b tubes? My gut feeling tells me that the Takatsuki 300b is a more transparent tube than the Elrog 300b.

 

[Alrainbow]

Does anyone here posting use or have the lampi globe45 mesh. ?

 

[khonfused]

Does anyone here posting use or have the lampi globe45 mesh. ?

Yes I have, just forgot to include them in my testing report above. They are pretty close to the psvane.

 

[Audiophile Bill]

After identifying the best rectifier that is currently in my possession, the Takatsuki 274b, I turned to giving all the output tubes another run.

With this first hand experience in my own system, it is a lot easier to understand the sonic descriptions of other on these tubes.
And although everyone has a different system, the sonic descriptions of all the tubes are amazingly consistent from what I gathered.

So I think it's safe to say what certain tubes do to the musical presentation in regards of their fundamental basics. I also think that not every tubes will "the best" for every system or taste.

The Elrog300b does have the best midrange and authenticity of natural instruments. Instruments just sound that bit more like you hear them in their natural habitat, i.e. without amplification (piano, strings, drums)
While it has good bass definition and fastness, in those aspects it falls behind the psvane WE 101 replica. These tubes have speed, tight bass und a lot of control in every frequency range. They also have more air and soundstage definition. They sound more dynamic and forward stomping, something that makes you want to get up and dance...

I hear the Kron 242 are still better in all of these aspects, so those tubes are on my shopping list for sure.

The Full Music 2a3 have good weight and tonal colors, they are relaxed and laid back sounding. Quite the opposite to the 101. I could see them as a good fit for bright and fast system that could benefit from some toning down of over detailed and pronounced highs.

In conclusion, I like the Elrogs a lot for singer/songwriter, trio jazz, piano jazz, blues and chamber music and generally for all sparsly instrumented music. There the beautiful midrange will shine in full flavor and draw you into the music.

I like the psvane 101 better when it comes to complex music with a more densed musical presentation. There the 101 can separate the instruments better with more air around them and there is more definiton and clarity in the music. Together with their drive and fastness it is highly enjoyable and their small short comings on midrange glory do not play that much of a part.

So that's what I learned from my first serious tube rolling experience. I am wondering if there is a tube combination that will deliver it all?

Hi Khonfused,

Nice write up and I agree with you. The most important thing you have written IMHO is that there is simply not a tube recipe that is best - this will all be relative to the rest of the system balance. Absolute statements that the 242 is best is wrong IMHO - the 242 has great virtues BUT it does not have the rich mid range of the 300b's - not even close. It does have more than the 101d we replica as well as speed and dynamics.

In many ways, we should all know better than absolutes in tubes since the analogy is similar to cartridges in an analogue system. There is no best cartridge but a hand full of incredible ones each with their virtues - it is the user's taste that will determine this. That being said, I think we can make some nearly absolute statements such as 101d we replica is superior to basic 101d etc. The other confounded is the recti that changes the flavour again.

 

[khonfused]

Bill,
I agree 100%.

If the 242 has everything at least as the 101 plus more midrange they would come close though and therefore:

I want them!

I would use them for my standard setup, changing to the 300b once in a while.

 

[murphys33]

Which batch is yr Elrogs? I was contemplating getting them but jheld back due to reports of reliability. I bot the eml 45.mesh and thought they paired up well with Taka 274b

 

[Audiophile Bill]

View attachment 27688

Bill,
I agree 100%.

If the 242 has everything at least as the 101 plus more midrange they would come close though and therefore:

I want them!

I would use them for my standard setup, changing to the 300b once in a while.

Ha. You definitely should own the 242

Don't forget the Px-25 as word on the street has it that it is a steroidal Px-4. The latter has a beauty to behold IMHO and the benefit from being the quietest of all the tubes. If the Px-25 ups the ante with extra punch, speed, and dynamics, that might just be heaven for me.

 

[Alrainbow]

Which batch is yr Elrogs? I was contemplating getting them but jheld back due to reports of reliability. I bot the eml 45.mesh and thought they paired up well with Taka 274b

Save your money don't buy the Elrogs there is no good batch. Between me and just one friend 6 tubes were bad after a shirt while.
Mine were early used in my lampi and used in my woo wa5. Try them if you like them but I will not Recomend them. For me the 45 mesh globes are more mid centric and I like them more. 300 b tubes are good with system or headphones that need weight. If you system is normal the globes for me are best. The 101d is good but lacks a bit of note thickness that is needed in rock or even some jazz. Also for me 300b is less in details and low end clarity. Of your happy with the globes I do not know of there is better. My dac comes today back from lampi. It is coming with kron recti and drivers. Recti 5U4 a tube I am not sure I will like. The drivers are kron the 101d super ones lol. Let's see luk feels it's a great paring.

 

[Alrainbow]

Which batch is yr Elrogs? I was contemplating getting them but jheld back due to reports of reliability. I bot the eml 45.mesh and thought they paired up well with Taka 274b

Save your money don't buy the Elrogs there is no good batch. Between me and just one friend 6 tubes were bad after a shirt while.
Mine were early used in my lampi and used in my woo wa5. Try them if you like them but I will not Recomend them. For me the 45 mesh globes are more mid centric and I like them more. 300 b tubes are good with system or headphones that need weight. If you system is normal the globes for me are best. The 101d is good but lacks a bit of note thickness that is needed in rock or even some jazz. Also for me 300b is less in details and low end clarity. Of your happy with the globes I do not know of there is better. My dac comes today back from lampi. It is coming with kron recti and drivers. Recti 5U4g anniversary globes a tube I am not sure I will like. The drivers are kron the 101d super ones px25. Let's see luk feels it's a great paring.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Which batch is yr Elrogs? I was contemplating getting them but jheld back due to reports of reliability. I bot the eml 45.mesh and thought they paired up well with Taka 274b

I've had my Elrog's going 2-4 hours a day on my SE GG with the Tak 274b since January (on the 101d/45 setting) with zero issues.

I got mine from George at Tubes USA .

as far as the exact batch earlier one's seemed to have issues. George would know about that.

 

[Alrainbow]

Mike the guy who had 4 go bad you know him 4 tubes MIKE.
He and I both know George a really nice guy who I always reccommd people to buy from.
He sold me mine. They were used in my woo only
They went bad while sitting in the box. According to luk he drives all the tubes with less than spec voltage and Heater current. Hell most of my tubes barly glow in the lampi.
Now I am not saying no one should buy them but I am saying I would never reccommemd them to anyone. Also the tubes I speak of were bought about a year or more apart. Your friend sent his back many times. Just my view here and not that I did not like the sound of them. I praised them I also read how they were a bad deal on going defective often before I bought them.
Just my two cents noting else.

 

[Audiocrack]

Mike the guy who had 4 go bad you know him 4 tubes MIKE.
He and I both know George a really nice guy who I always reccommd people to buy from.
He sold me mine. They were used in my woo only
They went bad while sitting in the box. According to luk he drives all the tubes with less than spec voltage and Heater current. Hell most of my tubes barly glow in the lampi.
Now I am not saying no one should buy them but I am saying I would never reccommemd them to anyone. Also the tubes I speak of were bought about a year or more apart. Your friend sent his back many times. Just my view here and not that I did not like the sound of them. I praised them I also read how they were a bad deal on going defective often before I bought them.
Just my two cents noting else.

I think we all more or less agree on the virtues of the Elrog 300b tubes in the GG. Although I was very hesitant to try them out due to their unreliability in the end I bought a pair. I have been so happy with their performance in my Tidal LA set up that I have not tried any of the other tubes that I have available such as a pair of Takatsuki 300B
tubes and a pair of the mesh tubes lukasz introduced a while back. Maybe I have been - just as Mike - lucky (so far) but my Elrogs are reliable. According to some the latest batches of Elrog tubes are (much) more reliable than their first 300B output. At the same time I have not made the step to insert them in my Kondo Gakuoh amps although I need a new quad of 300B tubes. Apparently I am still feeling somewhat uneasy about them.

 

[Alrainbow]

Very well stated and I also agree with you and mike as for me I am done for now lol. I am not mad about what happened but I am on the side not me anymore. I was the one who posted how good they sounded look it up in My threads. Also has anyone who loves mids tired the 6A3 combo with the latest rec tubes available. ? I also used the 45 setting as well. What ever happened to my tubes is heater related as they glow very Brite and have distorted sound

 

[khonfused]

I read about the earlier problems about the Elrogs.

But my pair is of the latest batch and has a one year guarantee, so I felt confident buying them.

 

[Alrainbow]

Good and I truly am glad they are fine. My sounded wonderful and had that warentee also.