Cherry 180's to Cherry 260's (cross posted on CarverAudio)

[BrianT]

As a few of you guys know, I am a luck guy and own a set of Bob’s Cherry 180’s, now Cherry 260’s

Well I thought it was about time for a tube change, and I had heard a lot of good things about the new KT-120 tube’s I thought I would try them.

So at Carverfest 10 I asked Bob if the tube would work OK in the Cherry’s He said “O” yes, the transforms are powerful to run them at 80% capacity.
So that would bring the power output to 260 watts.
To get the most out of the tubes the Power and Output Transformer’s would have to be redesigned and I am working on that at the moment hence the new set of Black Beauties he just sold on Ebay.

So thanks to a forum member, I was able to get a fair price on a set of 12 KT-120 tubes. So in early January I ordered 12, guess what they where on back order. Well finally on Friday 25 March I received the Tubes.
I installed the tubes on Saturday 26th and never turned the amps off for 14 days, to burn the new tubes in, so after the tubes had over 300 hrs on them
I thought it was time to give them a listen. So I spent a day playing.

1st album (vinyl) Pink Floyd Dark Side of The Moon. Well it sounded like shit.

No bass, all vocals very muddy, no sparkle in the highs. The sound stage was very minimal.

Time to change the controller tubes. So I removed a Telefunken 12AT7 and a Siemens 12AX7 both 1960 vintage tubes, supplied by Bob, and replaced them with Pvane Reference Tubes from Grant Fidelity. (I ordered grade A).

Guess what, the bass showed up it was deep and not boomey, and the highs started to sparkle. The low vocals where still a bit muddy buy very improved the mid vocals where crisp and clear and the sound stage opened up.

Now time to try some female focal, Diana Krall. So out came
The Look Of Love (vinyl)

Diana’s voice was open, airy, crisp and clear with just the right amount of sibilance on S’Wonderful. No hint of sibilance on the other tracks.
Piano and other instrument’s sounded very good, fast, precise and that live felling was back in my living room.

Dire Straits (vinyl)

Romeo & Juliet, Telegraph Road and Private Investigation.

All sounded great to me, crisp vocals, airy guitar with room filling sound, sound stage, placement and depth sounded very good to me.

I reinstalled the Telefunken 12AT7 and Siemens 12AX7 controller tubes and played Romeo & Juliet what a bad move, sound stage had collapsed
everything a little muddy like covering my head with a paper bag.
Removed the Telefunken 12AT7 and Siemens 12AX7 and went back to the Psvane Tubes the room was alive again. It looks like the Psvane Tubes
are a better match to the KT-120’s

If anybody is in the Ottawa, Canada area please drop by I would love to try this again with somebody who has a better set of ears.
I say SET of ears as I am 100% deaf in my right ear, and that messes up sound stage and depth for me.

What tube was better in my system, that’s hard to say? The KT-120’s
Have a lot more power, but have a little less bass.
The KT-88z where a little more musical, better bass but less power, for me I think it’s the KT-88z

I am going to give myself a couple of months with this setup and switch back to my Shuguang Treasure KT-88z tubes with the
Psvane controller tubes, that could be interesting.

Comment. The KT-120's are a good sounding tube, considering that they cost me exactly 1/3 the cost of the Shuguang Treasure KT-88z tubes

Test Equipment:

Sunfire Classic Vacuum Tube Control Centre
Set of Cherry 180/260 amp’s
VPI Classic Turntable
Shelter 901 Cartridge
B&W 802d Speakers

Brian

[Kingman]

for me I think it’s the KT-88z

...thanks for the review on your super set up Brian. All that matters is what YOU hear, not someone else. They are not the ones enjoying your system!

[thuffman03]

Nice review Brian.

[Zoot Horn]

Brian,, if I understand you correctly-- you have the KT 120's in the amps now--but in order to get more power,you will have to ____________ the outoput transformers?

[BrianT]

Brian,, if I understand you correctly-- you have the KT 120's in the amps now--but in order to get more power,you will have to ____________ the outoput transformers?

George.

Yes I do have the KT-120 in at the moment. With the transformers that are in it now (original transformers), I am getting approx. 260 per mono block.

If I wanted to bring the power up to the 305 + of the Black Beauties that Bob has just sold, I would have to change the transformers.
The cost to change the transformers, for the few extra watts of power is not worth it.

Brian.

[Zoot Horn]

Brian,,I know it's tough to have just 260 watts of tube power--hang in there man,, it'll get better. 

see you in September

[Falcon]

Beautiful amps.   
and a great review!

[TNRabbit]

Brian,,I know it's tough to have just 260 watts of tube power--hang in there man,, it'll get better. 

see you in September

LOL~

[Zoot Horn]

Gary-- I hope that I know Brian well enough so that he does not take offense to my little jab,,I heard them last year @ CF,,and they were very sweet--but I thought that the "modded" phono board that was tweaked by Bob was just out of this world good.Brian certainly has a very good rig and I have not heard it with his new speakers,,I can only imagine,,btw--it just hit me--he has 6.5 times the power of my little tuber that I push my SDA's with.

[BrianT]

Gary-- I hope that I know Brian well enough so that he does not take offense to my little jab,,I heard them last year @ CF,,and they were very sweet--but I thought that the "modded" phono board that was tweaked by Bob was just out of this world good.Brian certainly has a very good rig and I have not heard it with his new speakers,,I can only imagine,,btw--it just hit me--he has 6.5 times the power of my little tuber that I push my SDA's with.

George.

You know theres no way I would take any offence to your little jab (or little amps  ). And yes I am looking forward to meeting Gary for the 1st time, and then once he has met me
he will know that I take a ribbing with a LARGE grain of salt.

See you both in September.

Brian.

[Zoot Horn]

The first time I met Gary he was hauling some AL III's into the cabin at my first CF,,08 IIRC--anyhow--he proceeds to unpack and bring in all this gear from a small automobile without damaging any of it,,, then,,last year,,the two Toms' unpack a pickup truck for seemingly hours,,,dunno how they did it,,then you truck your gear all the way from Canada,,,I only have a three hour drive,,and what was my point,,, oh yeah--something about my little amps.

See ya'll soon.

[TNRabbit]

Yep, George; it WAS 2008.  Looked something like this if I'm not mistaken:

[Zoot Horn]

Yep-- thats it-- you were like a man possessed unloading and setting up that gear,,and yes--I still remember those "cannon shots",,I won't likely ever forget that fest.Glad to hear you'll be there this year.You and Jesse were missed last year.