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Tube rolling suggestions for Unison Unico

Hi folks,

I have a new Unico, which is wonderful, and I'd like to hear about your experiences rolling tubes. The stock Phillips JAN 12au7s are very dynamic and compelling, but I'd like a little bit less energy up top. I tried a pair of Siemens "Rohre" ECC82s, but while they do remove a bit of the top end brightness, they dull the dynamics and collapse the soundstage.

Is there anything out there that will give me the best of both worlds (a bit of shading on top, but with excellent dynamics and a good sense of air)? I'm looking to spend $100 absolute max for a matched pair, and I'd love to get away with much less.

The rest of my system:
Silverline SR15 monitors
Audio Refinement CD Alpha
Analysis Plus cabling
Kenwood KD-500 TT with Rega 300 arm

Many thanks!
lousyreeds1
lousyreeds1 OP
281 posts
 
Hi Arni,

I left the Siemens pair in overnight, with the amp on, and listened the next day. So far, they've been very lifeless.

Is there something to be set for letting tubes settle in a piece of equipment for extended periods before passing judgement?
tvad
9,467 posts
 
Lousyreeds, when you say lifeless, are you talking about lack of body and midrange jump? If so, Mullards will be a better choice than Siemens. You might also try Raytheon 5814A Windmill Getter or RCA 5814A Blackplates. Both have more body than Siemens, and they are relatively inexpensive at around $50/pair.
lousyreeds1 OP
281 posts
 
Hi Tvad,

By lifeless I mean one-dimensional, kind of flat, and "slow" sounding. I wouldn't say there's a lack of body, but perhaps we're describing the same characteristic in different words. The bass is also not as strong as with the stock Phillips.

My impression is that Mullards would be even more laid back in the mids than the Siemens. No?

Thanks for your input! I'll check those out.
tvad
9,467 posts
 
My experience with Siemens E188CC is that the bass is not as strong as with Siemens E88CC, however they are anything but slow, and the image they produce is sensational. Slow is an adjective I'd never ascribe to Siemens tubes. Frankly, something seems off with your tubes if this is what you are hearing.

The Mullards are slightly, and I emphasize slightly, softer in the upper mids and highs than the Siemens, but they are not more laid back in the mids. In fact, the Mullards have more pronounced mids than Siemens or Phillips tubes, IMO. If Siemens are Eva Langoria, then Mullards are Eva Mendez. A little rounder, but equally as sexy.

Don't overlook the Raytheon and RCA tubes simply because there is little buzz on Audiogon about them. They are both excellent tubes, and screaming values. They can certainly hold their own with Amperex, Phillips, Mullard and Siemens.
arni
313 posts
 
Well, warming up overnight sounds appropriate, I think Tvad may have a point-maybe something is off with these particular tubes... although I would be hard to believe given that they are tested and all from Uscale Audio. But I think what you are looking for is probably the Mullards... given the description above...
Keep us posted on how this goes...
Good Luck
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