The Tuba is great amp and pretty much everyone will tell you the same. You’re not sacrificing things like detail if you get it. Just be aware it doesn’t have a “tubey” sound. It’s very dry.
Personally I really enjoy it with my Sendy Aiva. So it can work well with some planars
I recently obtained a set of Aeon 2 Opens 13 ohm planars that require a bunch of ooomph to make them sing…and the TUBA even though its not a high powered amp does work well with them, you have to crank up to volume pot, remember its a logrithmic pot…needs to be turned more than amps with audio taper pots…to get the same volume. Some people think the amp is underpowered due to this…its not.
Alex
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It sounds like a tube, it’s just not in your face about it.
Yup thats a good way to put it!!
Listening with Aeon 2 Opens and the Tuba…excellent pairing.
Alex
With the tuba I would say it doesn’t change the frequency response severely compared to the rnhp. So it likely wouldn’t do much to change overly bright headphones into being not bright. But it will definitely change the presentation, adding soundstage and depth, even creating more of an airy presentation compared to the rnhp. I tend to notice more separation as well.
And while the frequency response doesn’t change much, the brightness will still be there in the highs but almost like it slightly smoothed out or less grain and tad bit more fluid.
I would say that the tuba is great if you want a tube amp that has kinda little change to the frequency response while adding a different presentation to them. Youd could almost be fooled into thinking it’s not a tube amp if you didn’t see it since it doesn’t really add the warmth you’d expect.
It does different things depending on the headphones as well. My 650s change more dramatically with the soundstage and sounding a bit fuller and smooth. However my Aeolus actually became a little bit britgher, to the point that I prefer the lamb skin on the tuba and suede on the rnhp.
I personally wouldn’t expect much from planars on it though, my aeon 2 opens sound good on it, but I can max out the volume in some songs and still want more, whereas on my rnhp, I never get above 10-11 o’clock. And changing from the lo to high input changes the presentation on the aeon 2s but the volume stays the same. This is with 3 different sets of tubes.
Overall I love the tuba. So much that I’ve basically decided that I’ll listen to it over the rnhp any day of the week, minus the planars. I don’t think that it cuts it for those. Even the aeons which are relatively easy to drive.
I’ve only had it about 2 weeks and I’ve already rolled in Soviet 6p14p tubes that are an improvement over stock. And now I’m running the RCA 7189 NOS tubes that are just amazing! Again not super big change in frequency that I notice but more so with dynamics and presentation.
But if you are looking for a warm sounding tube amp or a “tubey” kinda warmth. Then you may be surprised. And I would argue that you shouldn’t bother with planars on it. They will sound pretty decent but I don’t think this one puts out enough power to get them to good volumes personally.
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Moving on over to the right thread here…
It sounds like NOS RCA 7189 tubes are one of the best options for the Tuba with at least 3 people praising them. Unfortunately availability is rather limited.
I will probably go with the EI EL84 tubes since they seem to be in stock here.
https://upscaleaudio.com/products/ei-6bq5-el84
The psvane are fantastic new production tubes, you might wish to check them out as well.
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I went with NOS Tungsram El84s. Though it paid off, I felt I took a risk by sourcing it from an eBay seller from the Ukraine. It took about a month for it to arrive, but for a ~$50 matched pair, I’m very pleased with its results. I reread Hazi’s description of the RCA 7189 and can I almost think that he is talking about the Tungsram.
I know PolygonHell will soon receive his Tungsram, but what he does with them is up to him, so I don’t know if he’ll ever try them out on a Tuba for comparison’s sake. I certainly don’t have plans to invest in any other tubes.
I do think that the stock tubes are adequate, but upgrading is definitely worth it.
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I have them, arrived yesterday, haven’t put a ton of time on them, they are similar to the EI’s both in construction and sound, but I need to spend some real time with the Tuba setup to give them an honest review.
I’ve been pretty much exclusively listening to my new DAC through the Pendant into the Verite C’s, and it’s just a very different experience, need to readjust to give a reasonable impression.
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This is kind of what I think about the psvane lol. It’s almost as if getting rid of the stock tubes is what is key here.
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Imo most of the tubes I have tried (not many) and most of what I hear from others essentially is that getting some nice nos or new production will balance out the sound and give a nice slightly quality bump
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I can honestly say that the 1957 Sylvania 6BQ5 tubes that I bought sounded like ass on the Tuba. It sounded bass anemic, dull mids with no depth or girth…and then sudden and aggressive treble in your face. I actually prefer the stock reissue Mullards over them.
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How can honest to goodness NOS tubes ever sound bad???
This is the 1st time for me experiencing NOS tubes sounding worse that new/reissued tubes.
Some tubes just don’t sound all that great in some amps from my experience
Its just funny IMO. There is a wide perception that NOS tubes are far superior to new tubes. People spend mega bucks for them and claim orders of magnitude improvements using them.
I could go on an on.
The one important thing is the circuit the tube is in that counts the most.
Life goes on!
:>)
Alex
I just stick with stock if they are good, and if not I just grab a solid nos, throw it in there, and then forget about swapping tubes lol, it’s just not worth it to get a ton of tubes that all sound good and keep swapping them
It helps break wires and loosen up socket pins!! Causes intermittents and other issues as well…tubes going in and out many times is not a good thing!!
Alex
:>)
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But if your going to do this, look at a tube amp that has sockets soldered in well to a PCB, like the TUBA and ECP Audio T4…at least you wont be wiggling the pins and stressing the connections and solder joints below…
Tungsram are in the Tuba, they are similar to the EI’s which were my previous preference, they have better top end extension than the EI’s, a bigger stage (wider and taller), they also have noticeable higher gain.
The EI’s are still very good, and availability through a retailer I’ve had good experiences with at a good price is a plus, I’m not sure for most people the additional cost of the Tungsram from the same retailer is justified.
I picked mine up off Ebay for a very good price, but my experience with Ebay tubes has been hit and miss.
But the Tungram are one of my favorite EL84’s in the Tuba, and I think I’m done with rolling on the Tuba at this point.
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