Lampizator Valve / Tube Rolling Review Thread

[Zero000]

Well as you guys are the top level experts I thought I'd share my GG2 review... only my second YouTube video but hope you enjoy it!

Great video. Fair evaluation I'd say. What is this, though? The start of honest hifi reviewing?

 

[sbnx]

Question for my fellow tube rollers. I purchased a GZ480 rectifier several months ago to try in the Pacific. Finally plugged it in today and… Well the base of the tube didnt make it all the way through the hole in the top. Is it ok to use thus way??

thanks

 

[jriggy]

Hello to all the Lampi gang here!

I’m trying to find out some information and opinions about Best300B.com and figured this may be as good a place as any to ask, since Lampi owners are purchasers of lots of KR Audio Richard Kron Limited tubes.

Does anyone know anything about Best300B.com?
I ordered a pair of KR PX-4 RK Limited Edition tubes almost two months ago and now my emails are not being responded too… This is not the first time this has happened; I once ordered a couple pairs of 4P1L tubes for my Atlantic and it took two weeks for them to ship —they didn’t ship until I emailed to ask, then they shipped the following day.
This time, after a week or so I did get an email from Frank Fikus, the owner, and he said he was ordering another batch from the factory and it would take 7 days for them to ship to me, and he asked if that was ok with me. But now I get no responses to email inquiries about my order that was placed almost two months back.

Is this Frank Fikus related to Lukasz Fikus?

Is there another place to order RK Limited tubes?

Has anyone else had issues like this with this company?

Thanks so much and I hope someone my have some insights for me.

 

[Tim F]

A quick google search suggests it’s legit but they are slow at shipping.

 

[dminches]

I have purchased from them before. They are very poor with responding to emails. I got so frustrated that I asked Fred @LampiNA to intervene.

 

[Golum]

Hello to all the Lampi gang here!

I’m trying to find out some information and opinions about Best300B.com and figured this may be as good a place as any to ask, since Lampi owners are purchasers of lots of KR Audio Richard Kron Limited tubes.

Does anyone know anything about Best300B.com?
I ordered a pair of KR PX-4 RK Limited Edition tubes almost two months ago and now my emails are not being responded too… This is not the first time this has happened; I once ordered a couple pairs of 4P1L tubes for my Atlantic and it took two weeks for them to ship —they didn’t ship until I emailed to ask, then they shipped the following day.
This time, after a week or so I did get an email from Frank Fikus, the owner, and he said he was ordering another batch from the factory and it would take 7 days for them to ship to me, and he asked if that was ok with me. But now I get no responses to email inquiries about my order that was placed almost two months back.

Is this Frank Fikus related to Lukasz Fikus?

Is there another place to order RK Limited tubes?

Has anyone else had issues like this with this company?

Thanks so much and I hope someone my have some insights for me before I am forced to file a claim with PayPal against this company.

Let me try to help with some info and later if needed directly with Franek.

"Is this Frank Fikus related to Lukasz Fikus?" - His son

"Is there another place to order RK Limited tubes?" - No only via Best300b or in case buying DAC directly from Lampi

"Has anyone else had issues like this with this company?" - Few guys that I know of had same situation but was resolved.

So just for understanding - I don't have anything with them as such, except that I know Lukasz and Franek personally and I like to provide help to this nice community of people if I can.

Send me a PP and I'll see where the things are stuck. One way or another you'll get your tubes or money back as they are fair people above all (and slow as well )

Cheers;
G

P.S. Seems like Franek is already on it after a small push

 

[jriggy]

Let me try to help with some info and later if needed directly with Franek.

"Is this Frank Fikus related to Lukasz Fikus?" - His son

"Is there another place to order RK Limited tubes?" - No only via Best300b or in case buying DAC directly from Lampi

"Has anyone else had issues like this with this company?" - Few guys that I know of had same situation but was resolved.

So just for understanding - I don't have anything with them as such, except that I know Lukasz and Franek personally and I like to provide help to this nice community of people if I can.

Send me a PP and I'll see where the things are stuck. One way or another you'll get your tubes or money back as they are fair people above all (and slow as well )

Cheers;
G

P.S. Seems like Franek is already on it after a small push

Thanks so much for the info Golum! And indeed, I just receive an email response from him! He seems kind (just slow )

It’s good to know my money didn’t fall into a void and they’re waiting on the manufacturer to fill their order of a bunch of tubes.
I suppose this slowness in manufacturing and fulfillment of deliveries is going around all over the world, so not surprising. But as mentioned, its good to know this, instead of wondering whats up.

Jason

 

[Golum]

Thanks so much for the info Golum! And indeed, I just receive an email response from him! He seems kind (just slow )

It’s good to know my money didn’t fall into a void and they’re waiting on the manufacturer to fill their order of a bunch of tubes.
I suppose this slowness in manufacturing and fulfillment of deliveries is going around all over the world, so not surprising. But as mentioned, its good to know this, instead of wondering whats up.

Jason

Glad I could help to clear the "fog"
And Franek is really a very very kind and nice guy.

Let me know how it goes.

Cheers;
G

 

[timztunz]

Wow, that was all a big surprise to me. I've ordered from Best300B on three different occasions and every time got fast reliable service. Glad it all worked out though.

 

[Zero000]

Why is it called Best 300B?

Need I say anymore?

Anyway, I wouldn't worry about the Hytron VT-62. Interesting bright glowing tube. But a quick swap to my Dario R86 and tonally it's far better. Achedemically though the VT-62 screws the Dario into the ground. But it tries to control the sound far too much. Like a transistor in a sense. But not the best transistor. There are some brilliant transistors around.

 

[Zero000]

To try and add some value to the above here's a quote about the Hytrons from the World Tube Company:

•Hytron (1930’s): transparent, extremely detailed, involving, musical, sweet and seductive; best among the few tubes tested. The way to identify this tube is it has small round mica with a semi circle metal plate to support the mica plate.

•Hytron (1940’s): truthful, rich in harmonics, slightly recessed imaging, highly involving; resolution and detail are exceptional, very musical tube.

I definitely think mine are 1940s Hytrons, mainly because of the comment on the recessed imaging. There's definitely a great sense of clarity and separation inside that mildly size restricted soundstage, though. And they do give a strong sense of accuracy I feel, which aligns with the truthful comment.

Natural isn't a word that springs to mind, though. And in my book that's pretty important. There's a lack of an organic feel, held back by a feeling that the tube can't let go of a grip it appears to impose.

That said, I am slightly under-running them. And as always this is just one example of a VT-62 / 801a. I might like other examples of the type way more.

 

[mourip]

Have any of you tried an 83 mercury vapor rectifier in your DAC? I have one that has been gathering dust for a while. I used it briefly in a 371A(my favorite tube) headphone amp that I once built. My only reservation is that I do not think that it likes much capacitance after it. I have a Baltic 3...

 

[Zero000]

Post #2,411 appears to have been premature.

I had some work done on my vintage Accuphase M-60s a while back and plugged them in for the first time on Friday.

After a while with the Darios, I went back to the VT-62. And the results where obviously outstandingly better than the Darios. Give me a couple of weeks more for another post on them.

 

[Zero000]

VT-25 also used thoriated tungsten filaments. But at 7V 1.2A, not 7.5V 1.25A of the VT-62.

So I'll definitely get a pair.

You can't beat a thoriated tube a night. Stunning in the flesh I think.

 

[cpcat]

Going to ask Santa for a matched quad. I reread this thread again over the past week - a lot of good info here. I currently use a matched quad of TJ 300b mesh globes and RK 5u4G rectifier.

I have a new balanced B7MKII with VC and 5-position heater dial.

I am pretty happy with the TJ 300b mesh globes/RK 5u4G combo and enjoy a lush “tubey” midrange. I don’t mind a little flab in the bass as long as it is articulate. I would say I value ease/non fatiguing aspects over dynamics and explosiveness -especially if it means any sense of etch/hardness.

I am looking at RK PX25, new issue WE 300b, and RK 242 probably in that order.

Thoughts?

 

[dminches]

Just my opinion but in my system WE 300B >>>>>>>>>> RK PX25.

 

[Golum]

I did not hear WE300b so i can’t comment but I trust David. Still i would go with RK242 and if so would skip RK25 as those two are very similar on one side of the spectrum vs lets say 300b as such…

 

[Willgolf]

I have the new issue WE 300B arriving any day now to go along with the 25's and 242's. I will be interested to hear the difference. I do have 16 WE 300B tubes in my mono amps. The sound improvement in the amps was major.

 

[cpcat]

I have the new issue WE 300B arriving any day now to go along with the 25's and 242's. I will be interested to hear the difference. I do have 16 WE 300B tubes in my mono amps. The sound improvement in the amps was major.

Wow- 16.
Any QC issues with any of those?
Did you order direct?
I live <200 mi from the factory in Rossville GA.

 

[Willgolf]

Wow- 16.
Any QC issues with any of those?
Did you order direct?
I live <200 mi from the factory in Rossville GA.

No issues at all. I have slowly biased them in my system. I started at 25, then 35 and then 45 on the amp meter. One more biasing to 50. I think you need to break them in slowly and that is what I have done.