TV tube PCC88 is a drop in replacement for 6922, the Philips are great.
True...i meant pinwise. Dunno about CJ...but they perform well on other gear.
All this talk of CJ amps reminded me that I once had a CJ Premier 140 and found a cryo treated Voskhod 6h23 to beat many highly esteemed nos 6922 type tubes. Since the 6550 output tubes were individually biased, it was possible to slip a single TS6550 black plate tube into each channel amongst the existing svets to get a nice blend of their respective qualities.
Tesla Vrsovice KT88, now the EAT KT88. Amazing sound the best 6550 or KT88 I ever tried. Horrendously unreliable filaments used to break all the time on the Vrsovice version. A real pity - nothing else came close - anywhere near close. Next best the Tung Sol 6550 but still a big gap between that and the Tesla. To counter and earlier post I hated the GE 6550. In my Air Tight ATM2 it just threw sound all over the place in a really imprecise manner. Which just goes to show how opinions can differ in valve land.
If they have solved the filament problem without affecting the sound on the version now marketed as EAT it will be killer.
Interesting, I would not have thought that mixing and matching tubes in that manner would result in a good outcome.
How do people store their inventory of tubes?
Are there special plastic or padded cases with many little sections where tubes are stored in their boxes?
Or do people just keep them in the original boxes in a row on a shelf?
I have not gone all out with power tubes, I use mainly 6550s type in all power amps that I ever had. And my first roll was into the winged C Svetlana (SED) KT88s and I loved the overall balance and presentation over the stock EH 6550s of the ARC VS110. It is for me a very musical tube, whereas the 6550 is a bit dry by comparison. When I moved to the ARC VS115 amp, again I rolled from its stock 6550 to this time the reissue of Golden Dragon which was quite a disappointment in that it has a dryer tonal balance and I was left thinking I should have gone back to the SED winged C KT88s. My next roll was into the PsVane Hifi Series KT88 which I am presently using now and it is a musical sounding tube, almost comparable to the winged C, and has a smooth balance with excellent dynamics and soundstaging properties. My next roll would be the Treasury T2 series KT88s, if I don't get to sell my amp first.![]()
How do people store their inventory of tubes?
Are there special plastic or padded cases with many little sections where tubes are stored in their boxes?
Or do people just keep them in the original boxes in a row on a shelf?
Phil, generally when I owned amps that could use KT88's instead of 6550's I have preferred the KT88's. Not so much with the GE 6550's. On my previous ARC D70Mk2, I was using winged C 6550's. A very nice sounding tube. Nonetheless, i do think the king of the 6550's is the GE 6550A.
BTW, i don't think any of these power tubes compete with the new KT150's..or for that matter even the new KT120's. This new designs are a game changer IMO.
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