LampizatOr Horizon - Tube Rolling Paradise

[dminches]

Do the C3Gs in the Horizon have more gain than a 6SN7?

 

[Sampajanna]

Do the C3Gs in the Horizon have more gain than a 6SN7?

I think so. It feels that way

 

[dminches]

I think so. It feels that way

Same. I haven’t put my Tung Sols back in but the C3Gs seem to have a lot of gain, like the ECC32s.

 

[Golum]

Do the C3Gs in the Horizon have more gain than a 6SN7?

Even above ecc32

 

[Designsfx]

Even above ecc32

Which is “The” ECC32 to have?

 

[Golum]

Which is “The” ECC32 to have?

Mullard

 

[dminches]

Even above ecc32

The issue with these high output tubes is that my preamp gets played at settings 3-8 as opposed to mid teens to 20 where it sounds better. I could lower the volume on the Horizon but I thought that also sound best at 63, or bypass mode.

 

[Golum]

The issue with these high output tubes is that my preamp gets played at settings 3-8 as opposed to mid teens to 20 where it sounds better. I could lower the volume on the Horizon but I thought that also sound best at 63, or bypass mode.

Hence I said that my situation is a bit different as my pre is a single stage DHT one (with 10Y & variants) with low gain but on the other side can swallow high (extremely high input) so those high gain tubes are a blessing for my system .
But this of course does not change the character of the used tubes just my OCD as I can listen at normal volume with the pot at 21h instead of 12h for example.

 

[Steve Williams]

The issue with these high output tubes is that my preamp gets played at settings 3-8 as opposed to mid teens to 20 where it sounds better. I could lower the volume on the Horizon but I thought that also sound best at 63, or bypass mode.

Exactly the same issue at my end. I won’t play the Horizon below 63 ever so my preamp used to be at detente position 7-8. It’s now at 5. But the c3gs was for me a system changer. I have 3 sets of Mullard ECC32. They are superb until you hear the c3gs

 

[Steve Williams]

What power tubes are you using David

I graduated from the KT-170 to the OS1. These plus the ECC32 and TFKN RGN 2004 produced beautiful music. Once I switched to the SRS551 the dynamics were so much better. Then came the Valvo G2504 with the TFKN c3gs and I have never heard my system sound ass good as that. I’ve gone back and forth a few times bn the G2504 and TFKN RGN2004 I love both but there is just so much more of everything that I am a happy camper.
As for native XDMI it is still my intent that once Emile can come up for air and take a few days to travel across the pond to the west coast where I’m hoping we can do a soft launch of the Olympus, I/O along with native XDMI. I’m saying this here as I am frequently getting messages from members who want to attend. If everyone attends who has replied this will be a very large turnout

 

[John T]

The issue with these high output tubes is that my preamp gets played at settings 3-8 as opposed to mid teens to 20 where it sounds better. I could lower the volume on the Horizon but I thought that also sound best at 63, or bypass mode.

This is coming from a guy who was introduced to tubes for only a little over a year. David, I consulted you for my first tube purchase. Which has snowballed into a formidable collection. The Horizon is my only tube component. My Mephisto/Pandora work hand in glove together. I don't care what tubes they are, if the symmetry of the Amp/Pre is disturbed, IMO it only creates turmoil...

 

[heihei]

c3g and lampi at 63 overdrives my Stern pre-amp, so reducing it to 57 solves the problem

 

[Steve Williams]

c3g and lampi at 63 overdrives my Stern pre-amp, so reducing it to 57 solves the problem

Keep it at 63 and turn your preamp down

 

[Moladiego]

Keep it at 63 and turn your preamp down

It must be personal experience or preference in this area too. I used to have Horizon bypass at 63 all the time. Change to c3gs (then 437a with probably a bit more gain) and P17C (before SRS551) tubes in Horizon outputting to a 320W SS integrated amp driving 95db speakers did not result in any overdrive for me; I just lowered the amp's volume (the sound this way was way better than the previous Mullard ECC 32/KT170 configuration). However, my recent experiments show that lowering Horizon's vc to a range of 55-59 (varying with specific albums) results in more blended and balanced sound, reducing a bit of the topend glare (in my system, reducing Horizon's vc below 50 results in loss of sparkle and brilliance and in increase of bass lumpiness). It seems to me that there is an optimal balance between the vc of a preamp and Horizon, which may vary from album to album.

 

[Steve Williams]

I find anything below 63, I lose dynamics, sparkle and brilliance.Its the entire sigmal. I find even at 62 I can hear a difference in dynamics

 

[heihei]

Keep it at 63 and turn your preamp down

Overdrive = distortion

 

[Steve Williams]

Overdrive = distortion

turn your preamp down

 

[Moladiego]

turn your preamp down

If I understand Heihei correctly, turning down the VC of the preamp would not solve his distortion problem because the distortion is caused by Horizon's 63 bypass. I experience the 63 bypass with the new tubes outputting to my Audionet Humboldt's integrated amp as a loss of optimal blend or balance; perhaps it is a kind of distortion. I am otherwise fine with the 63 bypass and have lived with it for a long time until recently.

 

[Golum]

turn your preamp down

It can’t solve the problem as big input signal is overdriving the pre from the get go…

 

[Steve Williams]

It can’t solve the problem as big input signal is overdriving the pre from the get go…

It's not over driving my preamp