Designsfx
100+ Head-Fier
First impressions- Zenith 76 quad in the Lampizator TRP3 dac.
So I’m into my 3rd listening session with a recently acquired quad of NOS Zenith 76 tubes and so far so good! These had an eight hour period with just power on to settle in but so far I’ve had only about 6-7 hours of listening time with them. While they sound better with every listen they still have a ways to go before they’re hitting their stride!
As others have said (and as the cheat sheets state) these are definitely not as high output as other triodes but it’s not like they are really lacking either- a small increase in volume is all that is required to bring them up to the level of the other triodes I love so much.
At first listen I noticed a strange curve between the upper mids and treble frequencies that really drew my attention to the hi-hats and cymbals in the recording I was listening to (Conception of Thought). I noticed the usual ring was not as present and had been replaced with a more forward splashy sound. It was actually interesting to have more focus drawn to these details but I did find that the treble that is normally present seems slightly cut off. Not totally- but enough to be noticeably different. I also found that playing at higher levels seemed to reduce this effect somewhat and of course the effect is really recording dependent.
What I like about the midrange reproduction is that vocals, horns, keys and guitars seem to have a really nice separation within the space of the recording. The midrange presentation is not as forward as say that of the 6F6G- a fairly mid forward pentode, so I find it to be in a comfortable place. It allows for more appreciation of the textures within the music without seeming clinical or overly detailed.
Back to the treble end of the spectrum I find it to be comfortable. Not overly detailed but definitely not cavernous either. Don’t get me wrong- I like cavernous when it fits into the scheme of the things and this quad reproduces this when it’s there but it does so with a little more smoothing as opposed to just putting it out there. Airy reverb decays and delay effects are still perceivable but without the glare that can sometime accompany these effects, definitely a warmer approach to these traits but not what I would call “rounded”.
On the lower end of the spectrum I find the lower mids and bass reproduction to be pretty good. Definitely not as fast as some tubes allow for and definitely not as deep but for the most part in a good place. Again, in this situation some of this can be improved upon with increased output/listening levels.
Overall I like this quad of tubes! The presentation is very present while at the same time allowing for a slight lushness overall that fits really well with a wide variety of music/recordings. I’d like to get my hands on a couple different makes of these as I could see these getting a lot of play! Now I need to hunt down a quad of 37’s to experience more within this vein of tubes.
So I’m into my 3rd listening session with a recently acquired quad of NOS Zenith 76 tubes and so far so good! These had an eight hour period with just power on to settle in but so far I’ve had only about 6-7 hours of listening time with them. While they sound better with every listen they still have a ways to go before they’re hitting their stride!
As others have said (and as the cheat sheets state) these are definitely not as high output as other triodes but it’s not like they are really lacking either- a small increase in volume is all that is required to bring them up to the level of the other triodes I love so much.
At first listen I noticed a strange curve between the upper mids and treble frequencies that really drew my attention to the hi-hats and cymbals in the recording I was listening to (Conception of Thought). I noticed the usual ring was not as present and had been replaced with a more forward splashy sound. It was actually interesting to have more focus drawn to these details but I did find that the treble that is normally present seems slightly cut off. Not totally- but enough to be noticeably different. I also found that playing at higher levels seemed to reduce this effect somewhat and of course the effect is really recording dependent.
What I like about the midrange reproduction is that vocals, horns, keys and guitars seem to have a really nice separation within the space of the recording. The midrange presentation is not as forward as say that of the 6F6G- a fairly mid forward pentode, so I find it to be in a comfortable place. It allows for more appreciation of the textures within the music without seeming clinical or overly detailed.
Back to the treble end of the spectrum I find it to be comfortable. Not overly detailed but definitely not cavernous either. Don’t get me wrong- I like cavernous when it fits into the scheme of the things and this quad reproduces this when it’s there but it does so with a little more smoothing as opposed to just putting it out there. Airy reverb decays and delay effects are still perceivable but without the glare that can sometime accompany these effects, definitely a warmer approach to these traits but not what I would call “rounded”.
On the lower end of the spectrum I find the lower mids and bass reproduction to be pretty good. Definitely not as fast as some tubes allow for and definitely not as deep but for the most part in a good place. Again, in this situation some of this can be improved upon with increased output/listening levels.
Overall I like this quad of tubes! The presentation is very present while at the same time allowing for a slight lushness overall that fits really well with a wide variety of music/recordings. I’d like to get my hands on a couple different makes of these as I could see these getting a lot of play! Now I need to hunt down a quad of 37’s to experience more within this vein of tubes.
