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Just curious what 45 triode tube members of this forum prefer? How does the 45 Sophia rank with the NOS 45 tubes. Thanks for any opinions in advance.
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I had a Korneff 45 amp and the EML solid plates were, IMHO, way better than NOS. YMMV as usual.
NOS can be very good - I liked National Union, but best was EML solid plate - EML had better everything - except price.
Interesting. I have both Cunningham/RCAs and NUs for my 45 amp and find the latter to be a little cold and etched-sounding. The one time I used a borrowed pair of EMLs they seemed like NUs with stronger bass but still kinda emphasized treble.
Seems like the old story about 'ears of the beholder'.
Seems plausible. Since I liked the NUs, maybe the EMLs could be considered more of the same characteristics - definitely better low end and I think better all the way across, but there was nothing wrong with the NUs. I also have some RCAs but they are not marked Cunningham; Cunninghams might be better than non-Cunninghams, I don't know; I'd like to try some Cunningham 245s and 345s some day. I preferred the NUs to the RCAs; the NUs had more definition, but the RCAs weren't bad either - maybe just a bit more "rounded". (And although the NUs and the RCAs supposedly had some good life left on them, it's possible tht my samples were not fully representative of the models - although I'm somewhat cautious in how I buy tubes and gear and I'm betting my samples are decent). But beyond the tubes, the sonics I hear could be a result of whatever synergy happens to occur with my speakers (Cornwall IIs) or my amp (Welborne DRD) or whatever pre-amp and source I might have been using; and finally, every room is different. I am convinced that a room might contribute 50% or more to the overall sound of a system. My room (size/shape/relative dimensions) isn't that easy to work with. After trying various combinations I decided that after the room the 2nd biggest variable was the speakers, so I played with speakers until I settled on the Cornwalls - their characteristics seem to work with my room. From there I worked further backward to the amp and decided on the Welborne 45. With the NUs I dialed in a preamp (changes around a bit); turned out it all worked pretty well with both my CD player and turntable. The last thing I tried was the EMLs, and it just brought out more of everything including top and bottom extension and open midrange to definition and detail but without being "too much" of anything. It's a hassle buidling a hifi system because it's all hardware and physically (room and acoustics) dependent and there is no good way to adjust without swapping in and out and ABing. Once you get it right you have to hope the stuff keeps working. In any event, I'm sure that 45s are delightful tubes if you have high efficiency speakers - and after that it's nice to have some choices among tubes. For me the EMLs were a gamble (kind of pricey) that paid off, YMMV.
In my Korneff the EML's had more of 'everything' and I am not sure the ELM is 'really' a 45 but I did not care.
All tubes are circuit dependent.
No to be argumentative, but...
if you put different tubes in the same circuit and they exhibit differing tonal character, you can't assume at least some of that character might carryover to another circuit?
Yes, to a degree but much can depend on the driver tube too. In the end, personal preference is what you end up with in the world of tubes. Being dogmatic is a mistake.
Same circuit different speakers...different results. ;-)
"No to be argumentative, but...
if you put different tubes in the same circuit and they exhibit differing tonal character, you can't assume at least some of that character might carryover to another circuit?"
yes, I think can and you probably should make such an assumption - but to confirm the character transfers you might have to continue testing/listening to hear the degree to which the character transfers due to synergistic or non-synergistic effects. By the time you try several combinations you will invested in several minus 1 units of whatever you are testing; these units are become the 2nd, 3rd, 4th placers, etc. This can get slightly expensive, or you can sell the runner ups to someone else who happens to find the units to be synergistic in their system. Now instead of $ you have invested time. Nothing like a decades long addiction that costs time and $. :)
Been there done that and I agree 100%.
Yes, the EML are not inexpensive but in the Korneff they were outstanding.
I have only tried NOS, but search the archives. What I noticed is that those who had tried new production actually seemed to like them better by and large, which I found surprising. I may have, but I don't remember reading one post where someone who had gone new production had gone back. I don't want to say that is the rule by ANY stretch of the imagination, like I said, I have only used NOS. But I do want to say that searching through the archives here and on the SET asylum is worth your while as there are old posts on this topic that are enlightening.
I use all NOS RCA, Sylvania, National Union and others. I have heard very good things about the EML solid plates. I might try those.
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