Bloodlemons-  Great info even for a STR-104er.  Interesting you like the smaller tubes that can be used in the STR-104.  You got me very curious how the STR-1002 compares in SQ to the STR-104 using the same set of tubes.  I still keep wondering if I made a mistake and should have purchased the 1002 even though I am extremely happy with my 104.  Maybe you could compare them using the same 5v tubes when the 104 arrives if it's not  too much of a hassle.

The 866a are my favorites paired with other tubes  or together but I do like running  2-3B28’s in an adapter with 1 300b.

Other combo’s that I like are: 1 Type 83 and 1 300b, 2-3B22 and 1 type 83, 2-3B22 and 1 300b, 2- 3B22 (stock set)

I haven’t really found that any of my regular 5 volt rectifiers sound  as good as the above combos. I seem to prefer the Mercury and Xeon gas tubes and 300b so far.  Time will tell with more hours of use.  Fun tinker toy!

So this morning I listened again to the 845/211 combo, now with 100+ hours and it continues to improve. Then I put the 805As back in for the first time since my initial listening, and they win. Just a bigger, better and overall nicer sound. And it seems like after a week of almost continuous use some of the extra warmth has cooked out of the STR so they actually sound even better than I remember. I think I'm done rolling for a while and am just going to enjoy the 805As.

After several incidences of forgetting to check tube voltage or turn components on/off in the correct order, I decided to have some more-explicit switchplates made to help curb my general haste and stupity.


how to download a photo on facebook



I am also concerned that a visitor to my home might be intrigued be the hi-fi and start poking around. So I whipped up some safety precaution plates and decals.



download high resolution images from google

I made enough for the imminent STR-104 as well. It might be overkill, but I feel a little better knowing that curious fingers should be on notice that this is not your typical Sony integrated amp. As for the instruction plates, hopefully they'll catch my eye a little more often before I start flipping switches and swapping things around.

I have four extra of the mercury decals if anyone wants one. 6 was the minimum order.

I love the mercury vapor warning! I want one just for the aesthetics, but in California you'd need a Prop 65 warning as well and I don't want to get in trouble with the heat.

I'm familiar with the idea that changing rectifiers can change the "synergy" (best single word I can think of) of the other tubes in your amp. But I wasn't prepared for the way the STR basically turned my tube caddy upside down.

I thought I had settled on the default 805 tubes, but after a couple days was feeling vaguely dissatisfied. So I went back and listened to the 211s and then the 845s. And then I started rolling the other tubes in my (non-Decware) preamp, to which the STR is connected. And ended up in a very different place then where I started. So, for now I'm running the 845s (I'm guessing LinLai DG series) with very different preamp tubes than I started with.

And the sound is glorious. I was listening to a recording (Juilliard Quartet playing the Mozart Dissonance Quartet) that I vividly remember listening to with the STL 300B and thinking it was "beautiful, maybe too beautiful" because the sound was so rich but seemed like it was missing just a little bite that violins should have. And now I'm thinking it is "beautiful, maybe perfect." But we'll see where I am next week...or month. Regardless, the bottom line is I'm still overwhelmed by the improvement the STR has made in my system.

Those tubes look awesome!

Ouch. Sorry for your loss.

Flying close to the sun can be brilliant, until it isn't.

OhhNooo…Sorry for the tough learning experience.  Good attitude!  Just tell Al to add a zero to your Str-104.  Good luck with it all!

"Classic Bobby Hutcherson Blue Note Sessions 1963 to 1970" disc VI

I took a look at the transformers this morning and only one is fried, so that's good. Found out I can still use one of the two sockets without tripping anything, so I took the inoperable socket out of the circuit with the handy switch and am currently rocking just the 866A pair through the double adapter. Things could be a lot worse!

If you look down toward the bottom of the transformer in this pic, you can see the melty goodness:



Replacement transformers are $80 from STL, so not the end of the world. And it looks like the kind of soldering I can handle on my own, which is nice. Just a little bump in the road, guys!

Crazy Bill -- I added the Herbie's dampers around the same time I made a lot of other isolation tweaks, so I can't say exactly if they are the root cause of any significant change in sound. However, I was using the typical rubber o-rings prior, and A/B-ing the o-rings with the Herbie's on  just the KT88s in my ZMA brought a noticeable and welcome improvement in lower-midrange clarity, resulting in increased high-end detail without adding any harshness; you hear the same highs that were always there, just not surrounded by mid-range murk. For obvious reasons, it was much easier for me to A/B the dampers on a single type of tube in that way than try the same for every tube in the system. All in all, things sound very good and I believe the Herbie's are contributing overall.

One more thing about the Herbie's: They were out of a couple of the sizes I wanted. Some of the dampers I was able to get looked like they would fit slightly larger tubes, so I gave that a shot and the answer is NO. I don't know why it makes so much difference, but the too-tight dampers immediately made things sound overly bright, brittle and generally unpleasant. Removing just those few dampers immediately restored the previous sound quality. I was impressed that just a slightly-too-tight piece of wire could make such a difference, but it was very apparent, as if I has swapped in a set of bad tubes. Sometjhing to keep in mind.

I'm new to this forum - my interest in the Super Tube Rectifier brought me here. Much thanks to Groovysauce for chasing the rabbit and bringing me/us along in the process.

I've recently placed an order for an STR-1002, and I'm here to keep my soul fed in the meantime. Thanks to all who are sharing tube matching experiences. Condolences to the casualties of war as well. Please keep it coming.

My system is digital, and as follows: Taiko Audio Extreme server --> Lampizator Pacific DAC --> Misho Myronov Wooden Preamp --> Wyetech Labs Ruby XR 300b Monoblock Amps --> Lii Audio F-15 speakers (temporary, while I build Altec VOTT 817 speakers). My system is fully battery powered and off the grid.

My goal is to use the STR-1002 with both my DAC (5U4G family rectifier) and preamp (EZ80/EZ81 rectifier). Albert will be building me an extra cable for EZ80/81 rectifier connection. Once I determine where the STR has the most impact between the DAC and preamp, that's where it shall remain. At that point, who knows, I might be tempted to purchase another STR.

Welcome Adamley!

Al and I have been exchanging emails and we've come to the conclusion that he should upgrade my 1002 to an 1004 so I will stop breaking things. I'm going to wait until I get my imminent 104 and then send the 1002 back to merry olde Canadia. It's so funny to think that I didn't even know what an STR was three or four months ago. Now I don't know how anyone can live without one...

Thanks for the welcome guys.

IMO anywhere you put the STR is going to have a significant impact on your sound. I wouldn't hesitate to add it to your UFO25. But, my experience is the difference between 5V tubes (300B, various "heritage" 5V rectifiers but no mercury rectifiers) in the STR and my favorite rectifiers directly in my preamp is much less than the 10V transmitting triodes. But, again, that is my (non-Decware) preamp in my system so FWIW/YMMV and all that.

Adamaley, Welcome and I hope to hear about your success with the STR. You have put together an amazing system.🤯👍👍 My jaw is sore from hitting my ipad!

Groovysauce-  Blending the 300b with the 3b22 is one of my preferred combo’s.  Definitely worth a go.  My combo preference with my Str-104 in my Torii Jr so far has been 866a(2)/300b, 83/300b, 3b22(2)/300b. Two of the same tube preference has been 866a’s, 3b22’s, 83’s.  Jury still out on my pair of 3b28’s I need more listening time with them.  Just my take on my system so far.

Quote:


Very nice. And I notice the stack of CDs is still there .

For me, I'm well over 150 hours on the 845 tubes and I think I've zeroed in on the right tubes for my (non-Decware) preamp, to which my 1002 is connected. I continue to be blown away by the amazing sound I'm getting. Can't live without it for sure!

Quote:


I listened with the choke on a little, and didn't like it. To me, is sounded kinda like turning on reverb. I'm not inclined to ever turn it on again, but JMO/YMMV and all that.

GrooveySauce and CAJames-  Thanks for validating my choice on not getting the choke upgrade.  Once again Al steered me right👍. I just love the way my little Str-104 sounds and has improved the SQ.  Really like the fact I don’t have to buy the big tube pairs and can use tubes I already owned. Great flexibly between my amp and preamp rectifier tubes. No regrets with the Str-104 “Today”

Bloodlemons-Wow a Str-1004 you are going in “Deep” enjoy it!

Quote:


Interesting. I guess I'll put some hours on it and give it another try.

GS. The TAs were resolving here, but definitely, by comparison, leaning "warm," for which dark is clearly a part, though I can see how they might play differently depending on all else.

I wonder if you logged the difference between the DGs unpainted compared to painted other than smell.

They had basically no hours on them. I put the coating on to block the light, which didn't work very well. I'm using two pieces of charge pipe to block the light now.

I enjoy the TAs. I do want to get more time on the 211s and 805s too. Tube burnin is a real bummer.

GS,

One reason I asked about the paint is that I tried it years ago on a tube, a Russian rectifier... can't recall the numbers, but some saying it was a GZ34/5AR4 replacement that sounded more like a GZ32 replacement to me. I can't find it now, but I recall it not being an improvement to me whatever it did...enough so, I did not pursue more experiments at the time and forgot about it, so not a complete test. I may have gently scratched the paint off. Can't remember details, but why I was hoping you had logged what happened sonically, especially that being a lot of paint on a lot of tube. Sorry for being so vague, but it makes me wonder how close your DGs, painted pretty new, are to DGs without paint?