Also I bought an adapter for the Kenzie for the 12bha to 1626 and the tube pins were a very tight fit fit into the adapter that when I pulled the tube out afterwards the tube glass brought from the stress. It’s kind of pushed me away from the adapter idea. I bought one for the 12sl7/sn7 to 12a_7 also but haven’t tried it yet after the sour taste left over from last night.
I’ll try to muster up trying that one tonight
Completely understand your choice of tube vendors. I have a good tube tester. TV-7 A/U - so I can call BS if they sent me bad tubes. This deal is actually a risk since there is no warranty, but with almost 8K 100 percent feedback on eBay, I thought it was worth the risk. The guys on eBay who sell tubes and state their readings are usually pretty good bets. I’ve had excellent luck. The guy I used to buy a lot of tubes from died this year (erscvacuumtubes). Cheap prices and great stuff. You get a bad tube, he’d replace it no questions asked. I bought about thirty tubes from him and got one flakey one.
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You’re spot on. The adapters (and socket savers) can cause some issues. I don’t roll tubes all that much, once the tube is inserted, I leave it installed for awhile.
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I’ll feed my Crack the eBay tubes. Sure. I go to very reputable places for tubes in the T4/Pendant/Etc.
It’s not about the price of the tube as much as it is the cost of the amp. I test new tubes by listening with my HD650. I can replace the headphone or Crack easily. The expensive amps I’m not going to risk.
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Case in point for having a tube tester (unless you’re buying specifically from tube dealers). Always need to check for shorts during the testing process.
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Yes I agree with that idea. Although I’m sure the crack will change dramatically with different tubes and their quality. However I wouldn’t spend the cost of the amp on tubes for it, id buy a better amp with the money
Luckily he Kenzie works great with a low cost Set of tubes.However I would like to try a Telefunken Ecc801s!
Allegro or rwwss52, where did you get that adapter? It looks nicer than the ones I can find these days. Thanks!!
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eBay is where I purchased mine. If a specific one isn’t listed, message the seller who has other ones listed.
Thank you. A follow up for you guys if you have a sec.
Re: Tung Sol 1626 power tubes with the brown military bottoms for the Kenzie.
Last time I inquired about getting a pair of the Tung Sols to replace my RCAs, a retailer told me they didn’t have any, but they are the same tube and there would be no difference.
They stated they are constructed the same - with the little flat foil sitting on top of the top-mica, that RCA invented the tube and RCA sold the inner parts to Tung-Sol in Newark, NJ.
So my question is, is there really a difference, and if so, where does it come from (ie. parts, construction etc.) ? Thanks!!
You will find varying opinions on tube rolling. In some cases branding matters (comparing Telefunken 12AU7 input tube (with adapter) to a Sylvania 12AU7 for example in the tubes I use).
The RCA 1626 is an excellent tube. The Tung Sol may sound a bit different, but that doesn’t mean it’s better either. It’s (RCA) what I am using as output tubes in both my Kenzie/Kenzie Encore amps. Certain tubes have different characteristics. That’s where I think you would see a bigger difference. (example 1626 output versus 12B4A (adapter required) OR 12SL7 input versus 2C52). If you are going to roll, leave the tube in for a couple of weeks to get a feel for it.
By the way, unless you need more output power, I’d stick to using 1626 output tubes versus 12B4As. I don’t think they sound any better than the 1626. If you want to do the adapter thing, the single input tube has some good options in the 12A_7 series.
Great. Thanks for the info
If you look closely the rca and tung sol have subtle but possibly big quality differences in the inside construction. The main stuff is similar but you can i spy many changes.
As to the question if its better? Who knows buts its cool to have both even on a placebo level! Lol
My Kenzie Ovation ships today!
I’ll take pictures for the Box thread, if I can see through the tears in my eyes.
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To you owners of and experienced listeners to the Kenzie (32/300 most likely)…
Which type of headphones? With what sound signature? Also what specific model do you feel have the best synergy with this amp? What kind of music do you prefer, probably sounds best with that combo? I try to get a general idea, so info on different tubes is confusing at this point to me. Thank you for any attempt of shedding light…
Dynamic driver headphones – not overly warm ones, in my view. In discussions with Justin, he likes the Kenzie and ZMF Eikon pairing in particular. You might want to reach out to him for input from the source - he prefers talking on the phone. Good luck.
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I was talking to Justin yesterday. Super cool guy. Really passionate about this stuff. Loves to talk about it.
I basically bought a pair of Eikons because he’s always talking them up, so I figured they must have a good synergy with his amps.
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That’s awesome. Yes, he is. It’s great that he makes himself accessible and is willing to offer information about audio, his amps, and gear pairings. He loves his Eikons, and so did I. It was a tough parting with them, but I traded mine for Verite Closed. Thus, I’m not able to speak to the Eikon/A&S match directly. It’s gotta be good - subject to thoughtful DAC and tube selections (naturally). Looking forward to following where you’re headed.
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I have two of them, an Encore, and a Kenzie. Don’t get wrapped up on tubes. The stock 1626 output tubes and 12SL7 input tube work fine. If you want an easy improvement, pick up a Raytheon 2C52 input tube in place of the 12SL7.
Focal Clear, Sennheiser HD800S, DCA Ether 2, and ZMF Aeolus all sound good with the Kenzies. The only drawback to the Kenzie line is they are a little shy on output power, so you’ll want to avoid headphones with hi-power demands (like HIFIMan HE-6). You can use adapters and 12B4A output tubes to beef that up, but I think the 1626 tubes sound better myself.
I listen to rock, pop, and jazz.
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I have a Kenzie Ovation so I have a few more options for impedance matching, but these are my experiences.
Beyer DT880 250 Ohm works best on 300 ohm jack
HE650 works best on the 16 ohm
Auteur sounds great on the 32 or 100 ohm. The bass texture differs between the two.
Dan Clark Mad Dog Pro works best on the 16 ohm
These are all my recommendation and YMMV.
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