Golden Gate DAC arrives.

[Audiocrack]

When I inserted the anniversary 45 valves in my GG last Sunday my first impression was that these tubes were not less powerful sounding than the Elrog 300b's I was using before. However, after an hour or so I came to the conclusion: I misjudged because the 45's were sounding quite laid back or somewhat 'dull' if you like.

I let the 45 tubes play continiously from last Sunday afternoon so I am nearing 100 hours of playing in. They have (i) opened up, (ii) smoothed out and (iii) sound more powerful again (as in the first listening hour or so).

Of course you get used to a certain sound after a while but I believe I prefer the 45's to the Elrog 300b's in my LA/Kondo set up: the latter are 'pleasant' - or if you want: somewhat 'fat' or 'ripe' - sounding while the 45's are clearly more (i) lineair, (ii) precise and (iii) refined.

Hope the 45 valves will open up somewhat more in the next 100 hours or so.

 

[bonzo75]

Great. Strongly suggest burning in the 242 before Lukasz arrives.

 

[wisnon]

When I inserted the anniversary 45 valves in my GG last Sunday my first impression was that these tubes were not less powerful sounding than the Elrog 300b's I was using before. However, after an hour or so I came to the conclusion: I misjudged because the 45's were sounding quite laid back or somewhat 'dull' if you like.

I let the 45 tubes play continiously from last Sunday afternoon so I am nearing 100 hours of playing in. They have (i) opened up, (ii) smoothed out and (iii) sound more powerful again (as in the first listening hour or so).

Of course you get used to a certain sound after a while but I believe I prefer the 45's to the Elrog 300b's in my LA/Kondo set up: the latter are 'pleasant' - or if you want: somewhat 'fat' or 'ripe' - sounding while the 45's are clearly more (i) lineair, (ii) precise and (iii) refined.

Hope the 45 valves will open up somewhat more in the next 100 hours or so.

This is more what I expected based on AL's feedback. I have never heard the Elrogs, so cant compare personally. The Lampi anniv MESH 45s are a keeper based on sonics and "unobtainiumness".

 

[Fidach Lad]

I've never owned this Dac, but I have heard both the ELROG and WE300B in one amp I own and both 1950s and EML hard plates 45s in another. I prefer the ELROG to the WE in the 300B amp. Even though it is down on power, it sounds more present. I prefer the older 45s because of their luscious tone (distortion). In general, I like the sound of 45s and 300B, but they do different things (also the 2A3). I think it depends on personal preferences and moods.

I should add, I have an AN(UK) Dac that can use any of the 6922, 6DG8, etc. tubes. I prefer Telefunken's EC188 to a variety of vintage (old production) other tubes, simply because they are cleaner, more transparent. NOS Dacs don't need any more color than they already have.

 

[bonzo75]

I've never owned this Dac, but I have heard both the ELROG and WE300B in one amp I own and both 1950s and EML hard plates 45s in another. I prefer the ELROG to the WE in the 300B amp. Even though it is down on power, it sounds more present. I prefer the older 45s because of their luscious tone (distortion). In general, I like the sound of 45s and 300B, but they do different things (also the 2A3). I think it depends on personal preferences and moods.

Is this WE reissue? To get a good WE 300 you need to go back to 70s or earlier.

As for the 45s, with the Lampi I never liked the EML or the KR, but then EML made a special globe anniversary mesh for Lampi which sound brilliant in some systems

 

[Sablon Audio]

Is this WE reissue? To get a good WE 300 you need to go back to 70s or earlier.

This is very true. The quad of reissued WE300b I bought several years ago for my Border Patrol P20EXD were rather lacklustre, with limited extension at both ends of the frequency range yet lacking the glorious midrange some speak of. I much preferred the Sophia carbon plates which replaced them.

 

[Audiocrack]

The (very) first impressions with the Kron 242 tubes. First of all: no oversteering issues in my Kondo set up. I have no '242' switch on my GG but the combination with my Kondo preamp is just fine from a power point of view. Lukasz had informed me that the 242 valves should give no (over)power issues in a set up with tube amplification. Kedar apparently experienced oversteering issues with tube amps so maybe I am just lucky.

The anniversary 45's and the 242's seem to sound pretty similar in my set up although there are differences of course. But the differences with the Elrog 300b tubes are more significant in my view.

It might very well be that I prefer the 45's in my system (they seem to sound (somewhat) more refined than the 242's while the latter are more powerful) but much more listening is required to come to a final judgement.

 

[wisnon]

The (very) first impressions with the Kron 242 tubes. First of all: no oversteering issues in my Kondo set up. I have no '242' switch on my GG but the combination with my Kondo preamp is just fine from a power point of view. Lukasz had informed me that the 242 valves should give no (over)power issues in a set up with tube amplification. Kedar apparently experienced oversteering issues with tube amps so maybe I am just lucky.

The anniversary 45's and the 242's seem to sound pretty similar in my set up although there are differences of course. But the differences with the Elrog 300b tubes are more significant in my view.

It might very well be that I prefer the 45's in my system (they seem to sound (somewhat) more refined than the 242's while the latter are more powerful) but much more listening is required to come to a final judgement.

Fair assessment.

Please try them on Classical music especially, as I know you are a buff.

Hopefully you have the 242 on the 45 "low" setting.

 

[bonzo75]

Hi, distortion aside, we found that in one SET system, which had a GG not optimized for them, they did not show any difference and sounded pretty flat. In some systems they sounded powerful bit coarse – the sound coming with power but more from the speakers, a bit rough.

The ones they worked in, the noise floor drops, there is a fantastic increase in transparency and linearity, each note on either side is more extended with a real decay, and soundstaging, dynamics, and detail go up considerably. I cannot explain why it happens in one system and not the other. There is much more of a consistency among all other tubes. Therefore my suggestion is always to have system optimized for 242 with a back up of 45 or PX25, whatever works.

A small twist is that I had posted my 242s to Christoph, and they worked brilliantly with his Kronzilla. Then Bill wanted them desperately because they were so much killing the PX25 and the 45s in his system (and same for another friend of mine who owns the same Analog Domain), so I gave mine to him and got new ones, which when I took to Christoph, did not sound good - a bit coarse like described above (the 45s did not sound good in his system either and we much preferred the PX25, which he is now using).

That’s why I have all 3. Had my pre/power been finalized, I would have let one go and kept two.

 

[Audiocrack]

Fair assessment.

Please try them on Classical music especially, as I know you are a buff.

Hopefully you have the 242 on the 45 "low" setting.

Yep, playing nearly only classical pieces. Yep, was playing on the 45 setting. Will try later today the Takatsuki's 300b valves.

 

[christoph]

A small twist is that I had posted my 242s to Christoph, and they worked brilliantly with his Kronzilla. Then Bill wanted them desperately because they were so much killing the PX25 and the 45s in his system (and same for another friend of mine who owns the same Analog Domain), so I gave mine to him and got new ones, which when I took to Christoph, did not sound good - a bit coarse like described above (the 45s did not sound good in his system either and we much preferred the PX25, which he is now using).
That’s why I have all 3. Had my pre/power been finalized, I would have let one go and kept two.

Your pair of 242 you sent me, was the best of the three (KR 242, KR PX25 and EML 45 mesh Anniversary Globes), while the pair of 242 you brought along was not good at all. Don't you think that pair is defective or at least faulty?

 

[bonzo75]

Your pair of 242 was the best of the three (KR 242, KR PX25 and EML 45 mesh Anniversary Globes), while the pair of 242 you brought along was the not good at all. Don't you think that pair is defective or at least faulty?

They worked great in a friend's system after that. I need to compare the tubes to Bill's 242 again

 

[christoph]

They worked great in a friend's system after that. I need to compare the tubes to Bill's 242 again

Please do that.
This could mean, that the KR 242 Need quite some time to burn-in?
You remember they sounded awful at my place...

 

[Audiocrack]

In my Tidal LA/Kondo single ended system from the four tubes I tried so far - Elrog 300b, EL anniversary 45, Kron 242 and Takatsuki 300b - I prefer the 45 valves. To my ears - and playing nearly only classical music - the 45's sound more refined, more lineair and more transparent than the other tubes. The 242's are the most powerful sounding tubes in my set up.

 

[ferrox]

Now..this is what I would love to hear..how's your first impression???

 

[Audiocrack]

Now..this is what I would love to hear..how's your first impression???

Do not know if I understand what you are referring at: who and what are you asking?

 

[ferrox]

Do not know if I understand what you are referring at: who and what are you asking?

I forgot to attach the message..it's about testing Takatsuki TA-300B on Lampi.

 

[Audiocrack]

I forgot to attach the message..it's about testing Takatsuki TA-300B on Lampi.

I liked the combi of Tak 300b and GG dac. It is less 'thick' and upfront sounding than the Elrog 300b. I particularly liked the fluidity of this combo.

But in comparison to the anniversary 45 valves they are less transparant and less lineair sounding ... in my set up. Furthermore the soundstage depth is less than with the 45 valves.

As Kedar mentioned a couple of post before, once you insert the 'right' tubes in your audio setting you immediately notice this: more lineairity, more transparency, lower noisefloor etc.

That said I liked the Tak 300b/GG a lot. Actually I preferred it to the Elrog 300b/GG combo. I would not be surprised at all if in another audio setting people would prefer the Tak 300b valves on the GG. Actually, a Dutch audiophile - that contacted me privately through WBF - using solid state amplification compared the Tak 300b to even more tubes than I did and ruled the Tak 300b/GG combo number one in his audio set.

So in the end it is - as always - a matter of taste and interaction with your other audio components.

 

[bonzo75]

Do you know if he compared the Tak to any of the PXs, 242, or the special 45s?

 

[Audiocrack]

Do you know if he compared the Tak to any of the PXs, 242, or the special 45s?

He compared the following valves:
- Elrog 300b
- Anniversary 45
- WE 101d reps
- PX 4
- KR 242
- Tak 300b