Just ordered Herbie’s tube damper ultrasonic RX, 2 for BHK Preamp and 2 for M1200s. In both cases for Gold Lion tubes.
Curious to hear differences in sound quality. What remarkable improvements may I expect?
Hope on M1200s I will be able to easily insert RX dampers model, (I am not really happy to face again this tube pain maneuver) any thoughts or suggestions about compatibility and better way to insert/positioning dampers RX in this particular case?
Hi Luca!
I have everything you mention here. From GLs to several Herbie’s TDs…and of course the M1200s. While I haven’t used that particular combination (I.e. the Herbie’s are on phono tubes at present), keep the expectations pretty low, unless there is quite some particular issue that somehow gets solved in the process.
Honestly, I love tubes, but haven’t found a tube that really drops my jaw and is worth many hundreds, or thousands these days - NOS. Dampers and such belong with expectations for a fuse change, new isolation, etc. It might sound subtly different, but this and other small changes are so tiny…hard to say that most would pass a blind test.
I love tweaks, and think that several, together, can add up to something bigger than one tweak. The best know which few will do the most. Tough calls sometimes, which makes it interesting and potentially expensive. The Herbie’s will be easy to sell if you don’t get much out of the change. Always worth a shot with Herbie’s stuff.
It should be pretty easy to pop them in, but that’s never been much of an issue for me….tube rolling experience has helped.
Herbies back in the day. First shot shows small signal and larger size for output tubes. The ones with the brown outer Teflon coating were made for high temperature tubes. Second shot is one in action on the input tube of a Premier 140 amp. Their effect was subtle, at best.
Herbies dampers had more impact aesthetically than sonically in my tube gears. The damper will have zero aesthetic impact on M1200.
This is another approach used by both Conrad Johnson and Audio Research for small signal tubes. If you had NOS tubes you had to be careful not to mar the silk screen print on the tubes if you cared about that sort of thing.
Whoa…2 for 1 tube!
Thank you all for your kind answers very much appreciate.
As soon as I receive from Herbie’s TDs RX I will share my thoughts both for use in M1200s (really not happy to manage again but at the end of feb it’s exactly a year since last rolling) and in BHK Preamp.
Paper Japanese Matt, Orea IsoAcoustics isolators, SR Purple fuses, CAD Ground Controls from CAD, shelves SolidSteel and last external PSU mod for TT offered me the opportunity to tweak learnings. I know it’s a sort of balance, subtle and expensive or a fine tuning jobs with no end, at all.
Dragon HDMI from PST to DAC and Dragon HC from wall to P12s were the most remarkable improvements I experienced at the moment. Not to mention the Stellar Phono Preamp into the chain, maybe the top of all the upgrades I had after years.
Awaiting new PS Audio gear on the market would be so expensive if I go down the tweak rabbit hole!
But we all love this hobby and we can keep the mind far away from pandemic issues, do you agree?!
Enjoy music!
That’s the way the preamp came stock with those O-rings. The recommendation in the User’s Guide was to place the bottom one at the bottom of the plates and you guessed it, to place the top O-ring at the top of the plate. There was a slightly discernable difference for the better.
Edit: Most times I ran the tubes au naturel.
When considering my new amp upgrade…in consideration
were future tube availability, amp topology, ease of tube
rolling (in the case of the M1200 deal breaker for me).
Mike Mathews’ New Sensor may have an agreement to
keep tubes from the Saratov factory flowing here to the
USA…but the likelihood of the survivability is very questionable.
Particularly given the current problems of Russia’s war in
Ukraine
China is another trouble point…how reliable will Chinese
tube supply chain remain in future terms…to be determined…
The notion that the BHK line of amps is regarded as sweeter
by Paul, jamesh et all gives a clue that there is indeed a delta
between the M1200 and the BHK amps.
Since my income is very limited, careful consideration is a must.
Amp long term freedom from tube dependency…plus my
my desire for a touch of Class A with AB in a high quality power amp
led me to the purchase of my Parasound JC5. Currently am
extremely pleased and happy with my JC5.
Each audiophile’s ears and preferences should be the deciding
factor in purchasing their amps regardless of class of operation,
as well as whether tubes are employed or not…
Best wishes everyone
How many tubes in each 1200?
1 per.
I recently purchased a pair of NOS Telefunken 12AU7 with “Mazda” brand to try on M1200, and I have to say I finally found a pair of tubes that sound so great that I can highly recommend to anyone who owns the amps.
Besides the stock tubes, I have tried Gold Lion (warmer), new Russia Telefunken (neutral), NOS Radiotechnoque WAH (lean), and Telefunken NOS with white diamond mark (also nice but 2nd to Mazda). They all have their strengths and weaknesses, but the Telefunken “Mazda” is the only one that excels in all areas. The treble and high-mid sound so lush that it is addictive, and the bass is fuller and deeper too. They also excel in soundstage and in detail. well, they are just that good! I ordered two more pairs for spare.
I also found if you own BHK Pre, the best combination is GL in pre and “Mazda” in M1200, not the other way around. The overall sound is warm, detailed, and fuller than any other tubes I have tried. I would rate it as high an upgrade as my AQ Dragon, of course, YMMV.
You are tempting me! May you post a link of a worldwide seller I can order to? Thank you.
I got mine from Brent Jessee of audiotubes.com. They are located in US, and I do not know if they ship international. You can email him at brentjes@audiotubes.com
Thank you so much dchang05, I’ll give him an email for sure. What’s the correct model you are suggesting?
12AU7 Mazda greyplate, 1960s, made in France 199,00 US$
I really want to follow you because I know we have very similar systems and tube tastes…
The Mazda made in France is not made by Telefunken, and they sound very 3d, and more aggressive in treble and uppers-mid as I was told (didn’t try them myself). I got the Telefunken smooth plate that they made for Mazda brand (Telefunken is the favorite of Brent I believe). They are selling at $250 a pair, and you can ask Brent to get the same ones that Donald Chang ordered.
These tubes will sound closed-in for the first day, and it will take at least 48 hours to break in. They will not reach the magic level until 100 hours.
Thank you so much.
I’m running these in my CF-80 at the moment, lots of vintage tube “magic” with these
Smooth, easy to listen to, very seductive midrange
