Vacuum Tube Listening Comparison

Listening comparison centered on the 12AT7. The amplifier is a Stella HC-1, 300B. The speakers are TANNOY EATON 1976 HPD295A. (Initially used YAMAHA NS-10M STUDIO)

The stock tubes are as follows. (However, the 12AX7 is excluded as it is for guitar amps)

I majored in composition at a music college. I have competed in jazz piano contests. I also play violin, viola, cello, double bass, guitar, and drums. I play a little saxophone and flute as well. I have extensive experience as a 1st violinist and conductor in amateur orchestras. I hold a radio operator's license. I will write from that perspective.

◆Music listened to
John Coltrane, from the album "Ballads", Say it
Sonny Clark, album "Blues in the Night"
Bill Evans, album "Explorations"
The Singers Unlimited, album "A Capella"
Debussy, Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp, Nash Ensemble
Mahler, Symphony No. 6, 1st movement, Bernstein, Vienna Philharmonic, 1988
Mahler, Symphony No. 5, 4th movement, Abbado, Berlin Philharmonic
etc.

◆First, I auditioned with the 6N1P as Svetlana and the 300B as EH (which came with the HC-1). I only swapped the 12AT7s around.

◆Amperex Globe logo + NS-10M. There isn't much detail or reproducibility in the high frequencies. However, the slightly piercing sound of Coltrane's metal mouthpiece is mellowed out. The bass has come to the front. The piano is not about attack at all, but resonance. Well, it's gentle, or rather, mellow. I can't really hear the brushes. In a sense, it doesn't get in the way. It feels like the high frequencies don't come out much. It certainly isn't tiring to listen to... However, as a whole, it's fuzzy. Like an average stereo from the Showa era.

◆Telefunken diamond mark + NS-10M. Cold. The separation is amazing. Each instrument is clearly audible. But it's boring. I own a Voigtländer rangefinder. A Prominent II. The lens captures things like the texture of a stone's surface, the feel, and even the humidity and temperature. With that kind of resolution, it feels cold, unlike the Voigtländer.

◆At this point, I got the TANNOY EATON.

◆Telefunken diamond mark + TANNOY EATON. The separation is amazing. Each instrument is clearly audible. But it's still boring. Mahler 6-1, the oboe is like a razor. This is a surprise. Jazz and jazz chorus have amazing resolution, but it doesn't feel fun. It's not musical. Regarding the jazz chorus, I could hear all the constituent notes of the sound. This part is amazing.
(Here, due to a pin accident, the Telefunken passed away. I'm sorry. May it rest in peace... I ordered a new Telefunken diamond mark)

◆Amperex Globe logo + TANNOY EATON. Evans, the bass comes way to the front. It doesn't sound like LaFaro. It sounds a bit closer to Chambers. The Amperex didn't sound good at all when connected to the NS-10M, but when connected to the EATON, somehow this is good too! I had always thought Evans was cold, but this is a warm sound. A huge change! The sound of the soundboard is very prominent. There is resonance. For the EATON, the Amperex is overwhelmingly better than the Telefunken. I didn't shed tears with the Telefunken last night, but tonight, the sound of Evans makes me cry uncontrollably. I don't think I'd cry with the 4312... This combination seems to suit classical music as well... I listened to The Singers Unlimited album "A Capella". Even though I've listened to it 100 times, it's a different world. There is no hardness. There is no precision, density, or separation in the high frequencies. But it's like a warm swamp, a vocal resonance that wraps around you. As a whole, it's perfectly integrated. It's the first time I've heard it like this. It's like, 'Was this what this album was like!'... The Debussy Fl/Vla/Harp sonata and Mahler's 6th by Bernstein are amazing! Is Tannoy this good? I understand why classical fans like it. I shivered a little at the beginning of Mahler. My body moves naturally. I can't stop it. I think I'll keep the EH 12AT7 as a reference. Well, I'll listen to it once. To get to know the Amperex. Oh, the harp at the beginning of the Adagietto of the 5th is also very good. The floor resonates. From afar. Yes, that's why I hate multi-track recording. One-point is better. I'm in an amateur orchestra, but I've played 1st violin a lot. I've also conducted a lot. So I know the sound on stage. I played 1st violin for Mahler's 5th. I listened to the Sonny Clark album "Blues in the Night". It feels good. The frequency response isn't great, but it's not about that; it has resonance and presence. Does this mean that since it was recorded in the vacuum tube era, it's better to play it back with vacuum tubes and the EATON?
(From here on, all listening is done with TANNOY.)

◆Listened to RCA. Compared to the Globe logo below. It's true that the projection is stronger, but it feels like each instrument is asserting itself separately. There is no sense of unity. Also, the high frequencies are gritty, or rather, not clean. It feels rough... The chorus doesn't blend either. I don't feel the breathing. The piano is hard. It's not round, and there's no sound of the soundboard. Coltrane's Say it, Blues in the Night, Unlimited's Both sides now, and Evans' Israel are also not good. Bernstein's Mahler 6-1. Even with Mahler, my body doesn't move at all. The ground and air don't vibrate. In short, it's a tube that produces a 'power' that appeals to everyone, with strong projection.

◆Tung-Sol. First, Coltrane's Say It. I can hear the slightly gritty noise at the tip of the reed. The bass also has a bit of box resonance. The piano also has a bit of soundboard sound. The brushes have also started to show some texture. Clark, the piano has become a little softer. But it still feels like it lacks unity. The soprano has become a little rounder. The sense of unity has increased a little. I can also feel the breathing a little. There is less of a sense of the whole blending together. But it's much better than the RCA. At least it makes me want to keep listening. But it feels a bit noisy. Evans is also separated. The bass has a bit of box resonance. The piano soundboard also resonates a little. But it doesn't make me think, 'Oh, this is good.' It also feels a little cold-blooded (though not as much as the Telefunken). Mahler, there is a bit of hall resonance. There is also air. It feels like the oboe is resonating in the back. The trumpet too. There is depth. But it's still separated. My body doesn't move. It's American culture around the 60s itself. Commercial and flashy. Projection. Appeals to everyone. American cars from that time were exactly like that. It seems to suit pop and rock and roll.

◆Siemens. Coltrane, not just the grit at the tip of the reed, but there is a sense of air. The brushes are also standing out. The backing piano is very audible. It's no longer just background. This is a balance, or sound, that I'm hearing for the first time. The bass behind the piano solo also comes out. I'm a little surprised. In other words, the 'background' is gone, and I can hear everyone. I'm a little surprised. It doesn't make me want to listen forever, but... Clark, the brushes are very audible. The bass doesn't become background, it doesn't get buried. The piano is relatively soft. However, I don't feel much of the soundboard resonance. A clean and slightly plump 'blueprint'. Evans' Israel, the drums are very audible. They don't get buried. The brushes stand out a lot. The piano has a little transparency, a little soundboard. Sometimes it has a good resonance. Unlimited, the soprano is on the softer side. A little round. I can feel a little air. It blends the best so far. I can also feel the breathing a little. The cold-blooded Mahler. German. The snare is very audible. The oboe gives me chills. There is string resonance. Very German. Multi-layered, stratified, structural. In a sense, it might be very Mahler-esque. Much better than jazz. I shed a tear for a moment. My body doesn't move, but the structure is very clear. For the first time, I could hear all the note patterns of the fast violin passages. I want to listen more, in a different sense. The woodwind ensemble is also beautiful. It flows. It's ringing in the back. The strings are just okay. It's similar to the sound of a German-made violin. It doesn't ring much, it's on the harder side. The glockenspiel is soft. The beats of the Tutti don't stand out. It doesn't come with a 'Bang!'. Abbado's Mahler 5-1. The trumpet resonates from afar. But there is no width or thickness in the Tutti. It feels like a crash. The harp at the beginning of the Adagietto is serious. I can feel the air and the floor a little, but... The strings don't resonate. It still feels separated. It is indeed analytical. Not emotional. Debussy's trio... the flute is round. The sense of air is okay. The viola doesn't resonate. I don't feel the sound of wood much. It is indeed precise. It's like a German tube. It doesn't seem to suit French music. Analytical and serious. Until now, I thought Mahler was long and sometimes boring, but this tube overturned that. I thought I wanted to keep listening. In that respect, it's amazing. Why did the Siemens bring out the structural beauty of Mahler more than the Telefunken? Usually, I think it's the opposite... This is amazing. I didn't think it would change this much. I wanted to keep listening to the Siemens Mahler. And, I can tell the difference in attack and gloss depending on the manufacturer of the rosin. Of course, when I play it myself. So, I certainly think I'm different from the average audiophile. If I could add ground vibration, air, and the richness of the strings (box resonance) to this, it would be the best... Is there such a tube? If there is, it would be the best tube for German music.

◆Fuefuki Doji. Ballads. The grit of the reed is quite audible. The diminuendo is beautiful. The piano doesn't come out as much as the Siemens. The overall sense of unity is so-so. I don't feel the piano soundboard much. The bass rings, but it's not box resonance. It's thumping. The brushes are normal. The saxophone has a little bit of an edge, but it's better than before. After all, the diminuendo is beautiful and easy to hear. Clark is a 'night' feeling. Calm resonance. Round. The brushes are very audible. The bass is calm. The piano is round. Calm. The drums are well forward. Do you feel it's in the way, or do you feel it's good... The left-hand backing of the piano is very audible. Better than the Siemens. Israel, the piano feels like an old recording. The frequency response isn't wide. The brushes are also calm. The bass has a bottom resonance, but it's not a box. The soundboard sound is a little there. Oh, it's quite there. It became a slightly gentler Evans. Unlimited, the soprano has presence. But there isn't much breathing or sense of air. The overall harmony is... there is a little transparency. The way it blends is so-so. Is the sense of unity not great... 6th beginning, it feels like an old orchestra recording. There is only a little ground vibration. It's not structural at all. The whole thing is mixed. The oboe doesn't give me chills. A rather boring Mahler. I don't really feel like listening to the rest. Debussy, the harp at the beginning is sensual. A sweet feeling. It's indescribable. The viola is also sexy. Completely different from the Siemens. The breathing of the flute is amazing. The open C of the viola is beautiful. It resonates well. Is it this different... I'll try going back to the Globe logo.

◆Globe logo. Ballads, the reed is harder than I thought. But the bass resonates. As a whole, it's round. The piano is between background and assertion. Somewhat soundboard sound. The sound of bass and piano is from the 50s. The high range of the tenor is beautiful. The diminuendo is also relatively beautiful. Overall, it's comfortable. It makes me want to keep listening. Suits the night. The brushes don't come out much. Clark, soft. Overall sense of unity. It's definitely the 50s. Round. Peace of mind. The frequency response isn't good. It probably feels the narrowest of the 5. It might suit EATON's jazz the best. I want to keep listening to this too. It might be good to raise the attenuator by one step. I did that last night. Evans also feels like an old recording. Round. Less stimulation. Evans' harmony doesn't separate and is integrated. To put it badly, it's a lump. So, conversely, it's not cold. The brushes don't come out much. The bass has quite a bit of box resonance. The resonance of the soundboard is the best. It resonates a lot. It might be comfortable. Unlimited. Soprano is round, and has a lot of density. The harmony blends very well. I can also feel the breathing a little. The blended feeling is good. The bass resonates well. I can hear it. There are no thorns overall. Fast parts are also beautiful. 6th, the double bass is amazing. The oboe isn't like a blade, but it has a good resonance from a little further away. Different from the Siemens. Not structural. It has a sense of drive. If it's like this, this part isn't boring. It depends on where you find the fun in Mahler. But I want to keep listening. It's not tiring because it's not structural. The woodwinds blend, and this is beautiful in its own way. Round. Resonance. The dissonance of the strings is beautiful. The Vn of the second theme is round and beautiful. Adagietto, the harp is sad. Overall, it's a sad beauty from the beginning. The strings have the resonance of a mute. The harp, round and resonates well with the floor and soundboard. Round reverberation of the entire hall. The crescendo of the strings is beautiful. The viola is good. Overall, emotional. Fantastic and a world of dreams. It's also sensual. Debussy, the harp is very round. Resonates. The floor rings. The viola has less sexiness than the Fuefuki Doji. Overall, it became a little foggy. It's a matter of how you perceive this trio. This is the first time I've heard this piece as sexy as the Fuefuki, but this might actually be more French.

Siemens might have the potential to bring out both precision and power in Mahler. However, for Debussy and Sonny Clark... the Globe logo might win...

If you want resolution for Mahler, it's Siemens, Svetlana, and Psvane. If it's Sonny Clark or Coltrane's Ballads, it's Amperex Globe logo, Novosibirsk, and EH.

By the way, I also have drums in my home studio, and for the cymbals, at first they were Constantinople Bounce Ride Light and Agop Traditional Light. But they were noisy and I was concerned about the high frequencies, so now I use Big Apple Traditional Dark Ride and Byzance Sand Hats. This might also be related to my preference in sound.

◆Here, the Psvane 300B arrived.

◆I tried listening with the Globe logo + Psvane 300B. This is... I was a little surprised. First, there is expansion. I think it's because it reproduces the reverberation of the studio walls. Anyway, the reverberation is beautiful. Also, I can hear fine sounds. The grit of the reed in Ballads, the feeling of the tip of the brush catching on the pinstripe. In Debussy, the resonance of the strings that aren't in the chord that rang because there is no damper in the harp's reverberation (I noticed it for the first time this time. Or rather, I could hear it. Amazing)... For Sonny Clark and Evans, the drums come out better than the EH. I can tell the tension of the snare head. Unlimited also has amazing reverb resonance. However, the overall sense of unity and the feeling of blending together is just okay. There is a lot of information, and it tries to reproduce everything. There is not much exaggeration. I haven't tried the Siemens yet.

◆ I switched to the Globe-brand and EH 300Bs. Say it, this is it. This is modern jazz. I feel happy. The EATON has become a different speaker.

◆ Now, the NEVZ 6N1P-VI, Same Date, '78, OTK, NOS has arrived!

◆ I replaced only the 6N1P with the NEVZ 6N1P-VI. Say it. The harshness in the lead has disappeared. It's dense. And what's different is that I can feel the tension of the bass strings. I use JAZZER strings on my own Oriente bass, and I can feel this tension, the deflection of the strings when plucked, and the release! This was not present with other driver tubes. The piano is relatively normal. It comes together in the mid-range, a sound from the 50s. The brushes are in the back and don't come forward, which is elegant in a way. I didn't realize it would change this much as a driver tube, let alone as an initial stage tube. Blues in the Night is quite superb. It gives me chills. The attack is different. Both the piano and the brushes. But there is no harshness, and the mid-range is cohesive. The deflection of the bass strings and the resonance of the body. The attack of the brushes. The scraping sound also comes out well. It's not just a sound with the high frequencies suppressed. The piano swells!! Perhaps this is the sound I was hearing in the mix room? A sound that resonates through the night. The piano has a nice 'clinking' quality in a good way. Bluesy! This is good. Explorations. Not that good. Maybe Evans' intellectual feel and coldness are too lost... The brushes come out very well. The bass also has body resonance. Everything is cohesive. But the brushes are floating. Not suited for Evans. Can it be this different even with the same trio? Singers Unlimited's Both sides now. It's strangely cramped. There is no sense of scale. The way they blend is also not great. I don't feel the breath much. It doesn't give me chills. Maybe it's not suited for Jazz Chorus? Regarding Jazz Chorus, the Telefunken allowed me to hear all the constituent notes of the chords. But they don't blend. It lacks charm. It's precise and detailed, but lacks a sense of unity. I feel like the Globe-brand and Svetlana were better (I've tried so many I've forgotten, but that's probably it). Hank Mobley Dig Dis, nice—this is it. The presence of the saxophone might be the best part. The piano and bass are also good. Debussy's Trio, it lacks sexiness... No particular charm. Mahler 6-1, Bernstein, the volume and attack of the initial cello and bass are amazing. It's not a hard, square attack, but it hits you. 'Oh,' I thought. But the rest is a cohesion like an old AM radio. I wondered what it would be like to listen to this with the Siemens and this NEVZ, so I listened to Mahler, but it's still muddy. The left-right spread and sense of scale have increased, though... It seems Svetlana is good for the Siemens. There is no razor-sharpness of the oboe. It's a question of whether the 300B should be EH or Psvane...

Coltrane, no harshness. Brushes come out. Bass string tension. Sonny Clark, brushes come out. Texture of the hammer felt. Unlimited, they blend. Breathing. This is the best so far. In other words, this is for mainstream modern jazz and Unlimited. Evans, Mahler, and Debussy are probably not good.

Mahler has both explosive power and precision. Honestly, you have to hear it live, haha. But Bernstein isn't alive. I want both. So, Siemens + EV or VI + 300B, maybe EH.

◆ My evaluation of the 300B, EH and Psvane, is the exact opposite of the general consensus. EH has a thicker, rounder mid-range, the high frequencies don't pierce, it resonates richly, and it was good for modern jazz. Jazz Chorus also blends well, and the sense of unity in the sound is good. Conversely, with Mahler, the rise, position, and sharpness of individual instruments are lacking. The attack and thickness of the cello and bass, and the feeling of the ground vibrating are good! My body moves naturally and won't stop.

Psvane was amazing in terms of the transparency, separation, position, rise, and lateral spread (this is especially amazing) of each instrument, the overwhelming beauty of the reverberation and reverb, the reflected sound from the walls (this is also especially amazing), and the ability to hear minute chord constituent notes (which cannot be heard with EH). Conversely, it does not reach EH in terms of the warmth and roundness of modern jazz. The mid-low range is not thick. The presence and attack of the cello and bass are also insufficient. However, on the contrary, the entire range has good visibility.

This might be because it is a TANNOY EATON.

I am still in the middle of this, so I plan to update it.