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I recently changed the tubes of my ARC PH7 from NOS TESLA 6922 - Gold Pins to NOS Phillips Miniwatt SQ 6922, made in Heeren Holland in 1969 and am sharing the listening experience for those interested. The 4 TESLA costed me $200 and the 4 Phillips $600.
First of all, it is importante to note that the diference between tne stock Sovtek and the TESLA is bigger than between the TESLA and Phillips.
After 10 hours burning I started listening.
The Phillips do have a better overall sound qualitity. A better tighter bass - with the TESLA some guitar bass notes seemed like an acoustic bass guitar, overwhelmed, slghtly exagerated. With the Phillips, the bass is tighter, more natural and with a better tone, at least in my room and system. Some boomy records become right with the phillips on the phono stage and I think the better bass control is perhaps the most diferenciated aspect of these tubes.The Phillips allowed a better distiction between the standing bass notes and a guitar bass note when played ensemble.
The highs were airier and sweeter with a lush tone on strings. Not that the Tesla were britle or hard, but the SQ 6922 was on na upper scale. Detail is also better.
One thing which is better is the height of singers in the soundstage. Before replacing my B&W 803 for the Wilson Sophia 3 I thought the singers were to high on the soundstage. My head had to look up to listen to the central voice. With the Wilson this point got excelent with more natural soundstage and height coerrect soudstage. I was surprised to hear this with the tube change on the PH7, but the voice height became on a realist eye-level.
Is there a field where the Tesla bettered the Phillips? Perhaps on male voices, with the Tesla the voice had more chest and less throat, but on a marginal way. And, of course, on price!
Does the 3 times more expensive phillips justify the price diference. By all means I do think so, but depending on system quality. On a lesser system the TESLA will be on par. With better system, the Phillips are on na upper league.
However, I must say the TESLA are an excelente price/benefict for the entering the NOS tubes sound.
pfmaudio
Follow Ups:
Sometime down the road, maybe switchback to the Tesla's. Would be interesting to get your thoughts on the differences after having listened to the Phillips for awhile.
Cheers!
Jonesy
"I know just enough to get into trouble. But not enough to get out of it."
Yes, I Will do it! We hear a bigger difference by suppressing than by adding. Just letting the tubes roll more hours!
pfmaudio
i am afraid you can give small tubes hours & hours & hours in work without any further change in performance. the first moments, perhaps a few hours of a brandnew burning premap tube show where the journey will lead - this is my experience over years, gears and brands. any else expectation is like waiting for a miracle IMO.
N.
"Science only illustrates the current state of errors"
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