Re: 6550 Winged C

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In Reply to: 6550 Winged C posted by shermanr@prw.net on January 30, 2006 at 05:26:37:

KT88 design maximum values are much higher than a 6550.
As far as sonics between tubes of the same "family", and tubes of entirely unrelated families, well, there's an apparently unending conversation around all of this. I had not been a fan of the SED 6550C and KT88. I'd read threads reporting opposite impressions of these tubes. One side found them resolving/detailed and punchy, the other side claimed mush. ARC has used the 6550C extensively and I don't think that most folks would call ARC gear mush.
The SED 6550Cs and KT88s had always been mush to my ears - until recently. Very curiously, whatever is going on in my current system/setup the SED 6550C is my favorite tube. No mush here. Lots of ambience/air, good extension top to bottom, and punch. While other vintage and current production 6550s and KT88s (and also KT100s, KT90, etc.) also sound good, I like the SEDs better than any of them.
Now I'm not altering any operating parameters of the tubes I use. I just plug and play.
On another, but perhaps related topic, what is it that makes tube sound different? Different among tubes in the same family. Different among tubes of different families? What makes one 12AU7, for example, than another one?? The datasheets say the performance parameters should be the same, but the tubes sound different. I understand that there're differences in construction and chemistry, but aren't we, in fact, hearing "distortions" when we hear differences with tubes? What accounts for these differences?
- SJ

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - 6550 Winged C - shermanr@prw.net 05:26:37 01/30/06 (6)

Re: 6550 Winged C - tvr2500m 11:10:37 01/30/06 (4)

Re: 6550 Winged C - Mark D. 11:38:33 01/30/06 (3)

Re: 6550 Winged C - shermanr@prw.net 12:30:20 01/30/06 (2)

Re: 6550 Winged C - sayntjack 22:31:39 01/30/06 (0)

Re: 6550 Winged C - Mark D. 14:45:09 01/30/06 (0)

Re: 6550 Winged C - Mark D. 08:10:30 01/30/06 (0)

Follow Ups

Re: 6550 Winged C - tvr2500m 11:10:37 01/30/06 (4)

Re: 6550 Winged C - Mark D. 11:38:33 01/30/06 (3)

Re: 6550 Winged C - shermanr@prw.net 12:30:20 01/30/06 (2)

Re: 6550 Winged C - sayntjack 22:31:39 01/30/06 (0)

Re: 6550 Winged C - Mark D. 14:45:09 01/30/06 (0)

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