I want opinions

Thanks.... they look like a very nice speaker. As far as a monitor speaker at this point I am very happy with my Music Culture speakers. They are something pretty special.

I am thinking down the road in that maybe I will want to move to a speaker like the KEF Reference series (I have always been a huge KEF fan), and I want to make sure that my amplifier(s) can drive a speaker such as that. With my MC's the amps are driving them just fine, but the KEF's are 8 ohm so I am concerned they may not be able to.

The Golden Lion KT-88 tubes should be arriving today. Anxiously to listen to them in the Audio Research. I am hoping that this makes the ARC just that much better and will suffice for the time being. If not the tubes will work in whatever amplifier I eventually decide on (except something like the JOB moo's :))...
 
Randy Myers said:
edit ....If not the tubes will work in whatever amplifier I eventually decide on (except something like the JOB mono's :))...
Click to expand...

You could always duct tape them to the top and I am sure they will make them sound better. Looking forward to your thoughts on the new tubes ;)
 
The Gold Lion KT88's have arrived. I re-biased the amp after installing them. The reading was about 53-55 for the two channels so I adjusted them up to as close to 65 as I could get. Finiky little suckers... of course me being my paranoid self I was VERY careful doing this. Not so hard if you take your time. Then again it would be crazy to hurry when inside your amp.

First listen they sound pretty good. Hard to compare to the tubes from ARC. Maybe a bit smoother, a bit warmer. Very quite, great definition, and a bit of an ambience that I don't recall hearing before. But I cannot say a huge difference. I also assume the tubes require some hours break in before they come in to their own.

After an hour or so I can definitely hear more clarity and definition. Depth of image is noticeably better as is the air between instruments. I would also say a bit more of the tube warmth then the tubes provided by ARC. So far I am liking it!
 
Sounds good Randy, let them cook a while and they should open up a bit more. I found the Kt-88's smoother and warmer than 6550's in my amp with a bit more definition at the frequency extremes.
 
Yes Jack, that is definitely what I am hearing. I am listening to the new Lyn Stanley SACD... one of the best recordings I have ever heard. That tube smoothness, warmness is definitely more present then the 6550 tubes.

Have you noticed, do they run a little hotter?

By the way, the Gold Lions look pretty cool also, although you don't really see them inside the Audio Research...
 
I just put on Amused By Death... I have not compared the ARC with these tubes against the First Watt, yet.... however I have a sneaking suspicion that the differences have been obliterated...
 
Randy

Never noticed a heat difference, but you might want to quick check the bias again after about 10hrs and see if it has drifted higher as they break in. When I put the 6550's in my amp it reminded me of going from a home audio amp to the sound of a guitar amp. Some prefer the sound of the 6550 but I wasn't one.

On another note before you get to far down the road thinking about KEF Reference speakers they are not the same sound as the ones you loved back in the day and you need to talk to CD/Chris about how inefficient and difficult they are to drive and his problems finding the right amp for the Ref. 1's before he sold them. There are a lot of great standmount and small floor standing speakers out there that your amps will drive comfortably if you get the itch.

This is one or the Focal Sopra 1.

https://www.canton.us/reference-k/reference-9-k
 
Thanks Jack... at this point I really like my MC's (they are one of those unknown diamonds in the roof)... been trying to convince EJ to let me borrow his Ref 3's :D... unsuccessfully so far...
 
I think you would find out pretty quickly that you would need the Ampzilla back to drive them. Sometimes the best thing to do is nothing. I am really curious about the Canton's big brother the K3, but by the time I find a place to actually hear them and contemplate driving hours to do it I will probably decide my Nola's are just fine for now. Actually one of the few advantages of living in an audio dealer dead zone like we do. Then we just wait for one of the "gear flippers" to sell a mint pair at a great price if the itch persists.
 
Can't agree more... btw- thank you so much Jack for prodding me into trying the KT88's... I have a huge smile on my face with every new albums I listen to. Holly Cole, now Rumors... best these speakers have ever sounded, which is saying a lot :)...
 
Randy

The VT-50 is an ARC classic and only bettered by the new models in features and convenience not sound. It should easily with maintenance outlast both of us.
 
Thank you my friend. The VT50 with the Gold Lion KT88 is pretty amazing. Still got VT80 on the brain, but I am confident that my ARC will give me what I need in amplifier moving forward. Still thinking stage 2 on my STP-SE... God I wish I could afford it all :D...
 
Randy

At this point in time the Stage 2 upgrade might make the most difference. Only way to find out is to see if you can borrow the shop sample over a weekend and compare. If what you are hearing with the Gold Lions makes you smile then just sit back and enjoy for a while. Hard to do I know while a part of this group but safer in the long run.
 
So Jack, I rechecked the bias and both channels had dropped to about 60. I adjusted them up to 65.
 
Sounds good Randy. Drift in one direction or the other is not uncommon in new power tubes. Check again in another couple of weeks and then let it run for a while before you have to check again. I assume they are still opening up a bit. Only other change you could make if you want to go through the trouble would be swapping out the 6922's for the Gold Lions, but I don't know what brand ARC uses to start with so may not make much of a difference. They would be about $145 using the same sale you did on the KT-88's.
 
Hey Jack, so the question/concern is do the little tubes require biasing. There is some crazy process that I got from somewhere. If that process is required then no way. The power tubes are ok to do, but not the crazy process....

Also I noticed on other amps it appears only the output tubes have bias adjustments.... maybe I am wrong...
 
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