will
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Mike, I had a pretty long affair with older, straight 5U4Gs with my Torii III. As I remember them, they tended to sound like they had more power than 5U4G-STs, generally making everything a little stronger, the nicer ones especially, all parts of the signal strengthened in pretty well balanced ways from bass, through the mids and the highs. The ones I really liked had a full rich sound with spaciousness and fine detail across the spectrum, so textured and good with harmonics, and keeping them from being too warm or thick. Even so, in my system they did tend toward bass in the overall balances ... and other tube choices opening and speeding up the sound some helped the 5U4Gs to be sweet and lively.
A few years ago, I tested some old favs in my tuned up Torii MKIV, and really liked them, full, rich and textured. But finally they were too strong in it, lacking some space and speed I have come to love... The more transparent and easy flow the MKIV became with modifications, the less powerful the rectifier needed to be to pull the deep beauty.
But if a system/room is a little on the lean side, the benefits from a more beefed up sound of a well balanced, and often inexpensive 5U4G can be really nice!
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