I can't thank everybody enough who has taken time to contribute to this part of the thread. What I'm finding with my Zu-Hovland combination is a great synergy, but the 4s are so revealing that I believe I'm hearing the sonic fingerprint of my Radia SS power amp as a slight steeliness/edginess where the leading edge of notes is at the expense of the full bloom of notes. It's just a hint, but I suspect that all tubes will take me in a better direction. In all other respects I love the combination. Interestingly my cd player sounds better than ever, but I can really "hear" the mechanical nature in digital clearly not present in analogue reproduction.
It's getting harder and harder to audition all types of equipment, esp. if like me you don't have a relationship with a single dealer.
So I'm going to spend plenty of time (and perhaps not a little cash) investigating SET 845 v OTL, in the form of Audion Black Shadow v Atma Sphere/Dave Berning. Luckily all three brands have good representation in the UK, and all three have the thumbs up from those who've heard them with the 4s (Phil re Audion, UK Zu distributor Simon Matanle re Atma Sphere, and Roy Gregory who reviewed the 4s for Audio Beat re Berning).
A lot of other repected choices don't have UK distribution, so it's down to these three.
Loathe to replace my Hovland HP200 tube pre, this I really do believe to be liquid and revealing, and has benefit of remote control.
I'm really craving even handedness and neutrality, so I want to make certain that any extra tonality that might be present in SET over OTL isn't a colouration taking me away from this goal.
It's getting harder and harder to audition all types of equipment, esp. if like me you don't have a relationship with a single dealer.
So I'm going to spend plenty of time (and perhaps not a little cash) investigating SET 845 v OTL, in the form of Audion Black Shadow v Atma Sphere/Dave Berning. Luckily all three brands have good representation in the UK, and all three have the thumbs up from those who've heard them with the 4s (Phil re Audion, UK Zu distributor Simon Matanle re Atma Sphere, and Roy Gregory who reviewed the 4s for Audio Beat re Berning).
A lot of other repected choices don't have UK distribution, so it's down to these three.
Loathe to replace my Hovland HP200 tube pre, this I really do believe to be liquid and revealing, and has benefit of remote control.
I'm really craving even handedness and neutrality, so I want to make certain that any extra tonality that might be present in SET over OTL isn't a colouration taking me away from this goal.