I have been preparing for the ultimate output tubes for over a year on this pet project, a 1957 Bell Sound 2300. This mono integrated amp (oddly enough 23 watt push pull cathode bias type.) A modest and affordable amp in its day, acquired from a thrift shop in the 1990s with a cooked power transformer, amateurish powsup mod, open winding on the output transformer and even with original design errors throughout,—- the perfect Cinderella project!
The unique output transformer with cathode winding was repaired, the power transformer replaced with a barely fit under the hood Drake transformer and a 2 Henry choke installed. The phase splitter line amp and phono pre 12AX7s were outfitted with my selected CryoTone tubes. The phono 12AX7 and 12AV6 triode buffer tubes are part of the 26 volt drop for cathode bias, but still selection and matching is critical for low hum.
A matched set of fake (Russian) TunSol’s were in place and passable but not stellar until the Cryo Silver 6L6’s were dropped into the octal sockets ( sadly the Cryo 5881’s won’t fit under the hood) and WOW! Who took the film cover off of the speakers?!
The tweeter and mids faders were adjusted down on both the 1957 University Sound corner cabinet and the 1957 Jensen 4 way kit speaker. Some mellowing and break in has occurred in the last two weeks, a hum/noise virtually non-existent pure musical bliss w/o the ignorance!
Summarily, as you get closer to the mountain top, you just don’t want to sneak behind the garage with a bottle of Boone’s Farm!
I can send photo’s!
Shipping was fast. Plugged in the pair into my Supratek 6SN7 Cabernet, first thing I noticed, the highs brighten up, in a good way. Female vocals gained more life, Definitely keeping them in.