How two 6550 tubes compare

For quite a few years, I had no problems affording NOS power tubes, from the 50's and 60's. I had been using eight Phillips ECG 6550s in my current Cary amps. About 4 years ago, when they got weak, I was looking for either more Phillips or some GE 6550A's. A matched NOS octet?: Forget about it!! I was greatly pleased to find that the St Petersburg plant Winged 'C' 6550s provided an equivalence in sound staging and the mids ands highs, but ever better(faster, more solid) mid-bass performance. I got the matched octet from Kevin Deal(Upscale Audio). If you were to contact him: He would be able to advise you of any sonic differences between the TS and Winged 'C' iterations of the 6550: (http://www.upscaleaudio.com/view_category.asp?cat=85)

I have used both the Winged C and TS in my VTL ST-150. In my system I found that the TS had a more robust bass response and the Winged C has a more extended top end. The midrange in both was about equal. It seemed that I got more hours out of the TS before a tube failed. With the Winged C my B+ fuses would blow every now and then. That being said I could live with either happily.

Cheers,
Jim

In my system the SED winged C 6650 was much smoother, perhaps almost too smooth and subdued sounding compared to the SED KT88 which was much more open and dynamic. Havent heard the TS. However, if you have been using a 6650 and are ready to really open things up in comparison, switch to the SED KT88.

I j u s t p u r c h a s e d a n a m p l i f i e r V T L S T - 1 5 0 ( l a t e s t v e r s i o n ) i n t h e u s e d m a r k e t . I h a v e t o r e t u b e t h e a m p a n d I w o n d e r i f I s h o u l d i n s t a l l t u b e s 6 5 5 0 C , a s a d v i s e d b y t h e o w n e r ' s m a n u a l o f t h e c o m p a n y V T L , o r i f p e r h a p s I s h o u l d i n s t a l l K T 8 8 t u b e s . R e a d i n g t h i s t h r e a d , I l e a r n e d t h a t y o u a l s o h a d a n S T - 1 5 0 a n d y o u h a v e d e c i d e d t o " i n s t a l l K T 8 8 t u b e s . I k n o w w h a t v a l u e s o f b i a s i n g d i d y o u d o t h e t u n i n g . I s w h a t i s t h e s a m e a s t h a t a d v i s e d t h e c o m p a n y V T L i n t h e o w n e r ' s m a n u a l f o r t h e 6 5 5 0 C t u b e s ?

T h a n k y o u i n a d v a n c e f o r t a k i n g t h e t i m e t o a n s w e r m e .

R e g a r d s ,

C a m e r i o