Vtl 7.5 Mk II to III upgrade

[KeithR]

version IV i'm sure will put in 6H30s---so all these top flight preamps are pretty much identical

interesting discussion guys---didn't realize so may guys are using fewer tubes and more SS to get "more detail" or whatever. i wonder if this trend will reverse in the future (ie. why buy tubes if they sound SS). fwiw, i just had an ARC LS25 older linestage in my system and the FET based power seemed flat and non-organic. i wonder if this gets better at the Ref level, which used to use tube rectifiers (not sure about 3, 5 or Ann).

Miles- how big was the ART difference from series 2 to 3? Maybe the 2 is what i need to wait for used. the build quality on those pieces just seems hands down better than what is out today.

 

[microstrip]

version IV i'm sure will put in 6H30s---so all these top flight preamps are pretty much identical

interesting discussion guys---didn't realize so may guys are using fewer tubes and more SS to get "more detail" or whatever. i wonder if this trend will reverse in the future (ie. why buy tubes if they sound SS). fwiw, i just had an ARC LS25 older linestage in my system and the FET based power seemed flat and non-organic. i wonder if this gets better at the Ref level, which used to use tube rectifiers (not sure about 3, 5 or Ann).

Miles- how big was the ART difference from series 2 to 3? Maybe the 2 is what i need to wait for used. the build quality on those pieces just seems hands down better than what is out today.

Keith,

I would not be so sure. Just because you found two top preamplifiers using SS cathode followers you can not generalize. IMHO, they are the exception, not the rule in tube preamplifiers.

ARC, Lamm, Allnic Audio, Atmasphere, Audio Inovations, BAT, Reimyo, just to nominate a few very expensive tube preamplifiers still use tubes in their output stages.

BTW, also IMHO, such thing as the 6h30 sound does not exist - I have owned cj's with 6h30 (ACT2 s1 and s2) and they sound quite different from ARC implementations, such as the REF3, REF5 and Anniversary REF40.

 

[MylesBAstor]

Keith,

I would not be so sure. Just because you found two top preamplifiers using SS cathode followers you can not generalize. IMHO, they are the exception, not the rule in tube preamplifiers.

ARC, Lamm, Allnic Audio, Atmasphere, Audio Inovations, BAT, Reimyo, just to nominate a few very expensive tube preamplifiers still use tubes in their output stages.

BTW, also IMHO, such thing as the 6h30 sound does not exist - I have owned cj's with 6h30 (ACT2 s1 and s2) and they sound quite different from ARC implementations, such as the REF3, REF5 and Anniversary REF40.

I think the Allnic is transformer coupled. And think there's a few others too. Here's from the Hammertone Audio site:

Me Kang su Park does not rest on his laurels. He has built an upgraded L3000 (formerly L4000) This unit possesses the new output transformers. The end result is a more refined presentation with masculinity. Wider bandwidth resulting a larger sound stage, smoother top end, greater sense of dynamic ease with increased low low level resolution. This easy to install upgrade is available if you already possess L4000 or L3000. Price is $1000.

 

[mep]

Now that's a reasonably priced upgrade.

 

[JackD201]

$500 per channel for quality transformers? Yeah. Not bad at all.

 

[MylesBAstor]

$500 per channel for quality transformers? Yeah. Not bad at all.

I assume they're the nickel permalloy transformers though Albert may know more.

 

[microstrip]

Now that's a reasonably priced upgrade.

Mep,
We should consider that this upgrade is not comparable to the ones we were discussing in previous posts - it involves just adding a part.

FIY consider that Jensen high quality tube line output transformers cost 137.10 each in single quantity.

http://www.jensen-transformers.com/datashts/10k611m.pdf