I can confirm that I will in fact be taking custody of the “Starlett prototype demo.” Not in hand yet, but soon.
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That is exciting, can’t wait for you to start listening to it. Hope it’s not too long of a wait.
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When I snuggle with DNA products in bed, I find the square corners and broken glass to be too penetrating. My preferred sexy snuggle objects are softer and curvier.
The color blue is optional.
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That rectifier is really nice. I think tubes look best with one big rectifier in there.
Which is that? Is this one of the ones you talked about above? Even if it’s the same level sonically might need to still grab it cause it’s so nice aesthetically
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Oh. AKA Smurfette Blue.
This looks like it got the clay bar and wax treatment.
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The price of pleasure.
The blue is kind of what makes it. Most amp design is boring to look at. Boxy. Knobby. Silver or black. This is like … Yowzah! It’s Pop Art.
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Donald mentioned this to me also:
It sounds like the 6N6P and GE 6CG7 are the two recommended preamp/input tubes in play. Please advise if any others or updated impressions. Thanks.
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Most 5U4G rectifiers look like that so you’re in luck!
The one pictured should be RCA or Westinghouse. I can’t remember for sure since I took that picture a while ago when I was selling the Sonett 2 haha
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I still enjoy the RCA 5U4G + GE6CG7 combo very much with my Sennheisers. I like them so much I bought an extra pair. Just remember that synergy is very important: what works for my rig may not necessarily sound good with yours. Also I would say difference in tube rolling is minor shift in tonal balance and dynamics, at least with the Starlett.
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The general preamp tubes are the 6N6P and the 6CG7.
I wouldnt be quick to jump and say the GE 6CG7 is the preamp tube for the Starlett, if that is what you are wondering.
I had an RCA clear top with a BL as DAC and had to change to the stock Zenith labelled 6CG7 when the BF2 came along.
Regarding tube complement Tommy is running fully non stock and I am running full stock. Different systems, different cans, different music, different ears. Neither is wrong. It is just what works for what we want. Tommy is happy with what he has and Im pretty close (about 95%) and mostly looking for a strong back up set of tubes. Im trying different things out of curiosity and because the tubes are cheap it’s easy. Things may evolve with new headphones or DACs or what have you but I dont think there is one tube to rule them all. If this is all stuff that is obvious than my apologies, I just dont want people to have an impression that certain tubes are the must haves.
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I find that very interesting as I have found the tonal shifts and balance to change quite a bit with tubes. However, this is my first tube amp and my relativism is more likely a reflection of that. But I will say out of the 3 preamps I have, only one is acceptable long term for me with the BF2. Maybe that says more about the BF2 or my cans than anything.
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My 2c on tube rolling in general.
There are tubes I would consider better than others in some amps.
I don’t like the stock new Mullards in the Haggerman Tuba at all for example.
But a lot of the time there isn’t really a better. When I first got into tube amps 20+ years ago and spent a lot of time rolling pre-amp tubes in my speaker system. I would get into a mode where i would literally rotate through the same 3 or 4 tubes on a weekly basis and almost always prefer the newest one I put in there when it was freshly inserted.
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we may differ in how we quantify “big vs small changes.” No doubt there’s differences in sound, but at the end of the day, it still sounds like a Starlett. I hope this clarified my point above.
I’m no tube aficionado either so I’m speaking from limited experiences as well. I also haven’t forked out hundreds/thousands on obtaining rare, unobtainium tubes that may possibly result in a bigger change in sound so I guess there’s a lot of factors in play like you mentioned.
(My friend did recommend a super expensive rectifier tube that was “better” than the RCA 5U4Gs, but tbh I wasn’t really interested in spending that much because I’m happy with the RCAs haha)
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I get ya. I think part of my surprise with tube rolling is that I got as much of a change as I did. A lot of the reviews I read had stated subtle this and subtle that, so I was almost expecting solid state like behaviour, turn it on, there you go, thats it.
The Starlett is the Starlett, I still love it.
And my RCA 5U4G rectifier made it in to Canada, maybe I’ll have it this week!
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Oh wow, an extra pair @tommytakis. ISO jk.
Good to hear that @perogie is pretty close at 95%.
Understood about synergy and one’s own rig/preference/ears. I was trying to be thoughtful in how I worded my question as “recommended” versus “best/better” where one man’s statement of best is just that, one man’s. Unless you’re Torq, half kidding. No disclaimers/qualifiers needed among the DNA/Starlett sub-committee/crew/fam.
Donald mentioned that the 6N6P offers the most variety, which is what I want to experience.
I tend to agree that there likely isn’t a singular best tube. I value all of your input and don’t mean to put anyone on the spot, but hope to leverage your findings in narrowing the universe and getting the lay of the land. Thank you.
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Maybe, I havent looked in to how many options there are for them. The sig that Donald gave them isnt overly appealing to me but Im gonna try one anyway as maybe I’ll like it and it’ll play well with what I got. Just bought what tested balanced and NOS from one of my usual vendors.
The main aim I was getting at is not to be overly reliant on what we tell you is “good”. We can give general impressions in comparison to what we have heard but cant tell you for sure if you will like it.
Keep in mind that seemingly identical tubes can have significant variation - part of the game, so thats an X factor too.
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I should clarify, by variety I/he meant “sound most different compared to the stock tubes.”
Noted on your main aim and not a concern. I seek to not overly rely and to make independent and informed decisions, trusting my ears and own judgment/instincts.
Agreed on the X factor of seemingly identical tubes. Thanks.
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