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The Dynaco Tube Audio Forum

Dedicated to the restoration and preservation of all original Dynaco tube audio equipment - Customer support for Tubes4hifi VTA tube amp and preamp kits and all Dynakitparts.com products


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    The Gold Lion KT66....

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    wolverine


    Posts : 59
    Join date : 2010-02-20

    The Gold Lion KT66.... Empty The Gold Lion KT66....

    Post by wolverine Sun Feb 28, 2010 4:10 pm

    I have around 25 hours on the new Gold Lion KT66's now. The sound in my amp is wonderful. The cost of the tubes is high however.

    I listen to music daily for at least two hours a day, I spent 22 years playing guitar as a weekend warrior in so many bands I can't remember them all. In the old days I used to run an Ampeg stack that was tubed. I sold that for 50 bucks and bought a Peavey solid state rig. I hated carrying the Ampeg to gigs and rehearsals, it was so freakin' heavy. I'd give anything now to have that Ampeg back again.

    I have 4 ST-70's in varying configurations, and I truly enjoy the sound from these old ironsides. All my amps have new power transformers, they all run in Triode, and the bias has been expanded. Two units use SDS cap boards and two units use the upgraded quad caps that I bought from Kevin over at Dynaco. I have one unit running 6GH8A's, one unit using a Triodestore.com EF86 based board, and two units running 7199's in updated boards following the original circuits.

    I use a unit in the bedroom, one in the living room, and the other two I rotate into the mix every month or so. All 4 units are functioning perfect with no issues. I have EL34 quads of Winged C's, Mullard reissues, Svetlana's, and some old XF2's and internationals that came in amps when I first bought them. I also have a quad of Sovtec 6550ED's, and that's a good sounding tube also by the way.

    As a side note I read that the Asylum guy named Jim that folks are getting the 6P3S-E's says that a bit over 12% of the tubes fail to meet his critique. He also says "that ain't too bad", but from a manufacturers standpoint that is really not good. I have 35 years in manufacturing and I know that if our failure rate ever went higher then 3% heads would roll. The cost of the tubes however is a fraction of the price of Gold Lion's, a hugh plus for the 6P3S's I think. I have read many good things about the sound of the 6P3S tubes. Certainly seems worth the risk to try them out at 50 bucks a quad.

    I've listened to Zeppelin, Bobby Goldsboro, Little River Band, Steely Dan, Melanie, Janis Joplin, Traffic, The Eagles,Crosby Stills Nash & Young, and some FM from my Pioneer TX-9500 tuner....and I really like these new KT66's. I'll weigh in on the POSITIVE side for these tubes. I won't debate cost vs. benefits, I'll just say that I really like the tubes and I will buy another set of them. Thanks to all here for your hours of testing tubes and equipment, and your personal insight's into what you have tested and learned....}


    wolverine

    The Gold Lion KT66.... P1010012
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    Les Lammers


    Posts : 5
    Join date : 2010-02-02

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    Post by Les Lammers Mon Mar 01, 2010 11:56 am

    Thanks to the guitar guys these new production tubes are available. Adjusted for inflation they are not really expensive and with out new production we would have a lot of 'cars w/o available fuel'. The price of NOS KT66's are off the charts...if you can find any.

    I bought a factory matched quad of the new GL N709's. One ran away red in 6 months. I am only going to get fully tested tubes in the future. Cheap insurance IMHO.
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    Post by Guest Mon Mar 01, 2010 5:19 pm

    wolverine wrote:

    .......I've listened to Zeppelin, Bobby Goldsboro, Little River Band, Steely Dan, Melanie, Janis Joplin, Traffic, The Eagles,Crosby Stills Nash & Young, and some FM from my Pioneer TX-9500 tuner....and I really like these new KT66's. I'll weigh in on the POSITIVE side for these tubes. I won't debate cost vs. benefits, I'll just say that I really like the tubes and I will buy another set of them. Thanks to all here for your hours of testing tubes and equipment, and your personal insight's into what you have tested and learned....}

    wolverine

    The Gold Lion KT66.... P1010012


    This was an interesting read until I got to "Bobby Goldsboro". You're kidding, right? Laughing
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    Les Lammers


    Posts : 5
    Join date : 2010-02-02

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    Post by Les Lammers Mon Mar 01, 2010 5:44 pm

    Captain Coconut wrote:
    wolverine wrote:

    .......I've listened to Zeppelin, Bobby Goldsboro, Little River Band, Steely Dan, Melanie, Janis Joplin, Traffic, The Eagles,Crosby Stills Nash & Young, and some FM from my Pioneer TX-9500 tuner....and I really like these new KT66's. I'll weigh in on the POSITIVE side for these tubes. I won't debate cost vs. benefits, I'll just say that I really like the tubes and I will buy another set of them. Thanks to all here for your hours of testing tubes and equipment, and your personal insight's into what you have tested and learned....}

    wolverine

    The Gold Lion KT66.... P1010012


    This was an interesting read until I got to "Bobby Goldsboro". You're kidding, right? Laughing

    Better than Olivia Newtron Bomb...she has been know to blow...amps. Twisted Evil
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    wolverine


    Posts : 59
    Join date : 2010-02-20

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    Post by wolverine Mon Mar 01, 2010 7:11 pm

    Captain...it gets worse. Since my last visit I spun The Carpenters, some Johnny Cash and some Dusty Springfield LOL. Believe me, growing up and playing music in the 70's, 80's, and 90's with my taste in music wasn't easy lol. Every band I was in banned me from picking break tunes lol. In fact the standing rule was I was never allowed to put music into our mixer unless the cord was connected to my guitar lol.

    On a serious note the KT66's sound very musical. I can't remember what the last quad sounded like. After so many hours of listening to the KT66's I truly have no recollection with which to compare them really, but I'll give a go as best I can. Next weekend I plan to do a lot more comparison of my other amps tubed up differently, but played through the same rig.

    The KT66's are very detailed for me. The lows are tight, the mids are crystal clear, the highs really have it going without that annoying "sizzle" that I've heard from some tubes in the EL34 line up I have. The KT66's are producing very clear and very accurate high end. Dynamics are strong, remember I wire up all my amps triode....these tubes really do sound wonderful.

    MFSL Pink Floyd DSOTM tonight was the best I have ever heard it. It was a great listen. Supertramp Crime Of The Century likewise. Again an MFSL copy, but even my commercial grade vinyl sounds better. I have to wonder however, how much of my appreciation can be attributed to the cost of the tubes LMAO! After spending what is likely a months salary to some third world person for freakin' tubes, I guess you're gonna want to hear something better right LOL.

    wolverine

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