I just learnt that Psvane just released a new version of 845 tube. It's the WE845 Plus. They claim it is better than the previous version, the WE845. I just wonder if one has tried the Plus version on the LM 518ia.
Interesting. I'll see what I can learn. But the price of the WE845s was already expensive enough that I may look at cheaper options when it does come time to replace mine.
Does anyone know if EL34 tubes work in the 518? When I bought my amp secondhand, the seller included a quad set of the Psvane EL34PH replicas. He said he used them in the amp, but I'm not sure if they are actually compatible.
Correct. As I understand it, the 518ia can use the following tube types/codes for driver tubes: 63P3, 350B, 6L6/6L6GC, KT66, EL34, 6V6, KT88, and 6CA7. Please note: this is for the Line Magnetic 518ia ONLY. The way these tubes are used in the driver stage of this amp, it allows for a wide variety of tubes to be used and accomplish the same task. But please don't assume the above tube types are drop-in replacements in all circuits. I'd hate for somebody to see this post and assume they can swap between these tube types in a different amp/circuit and run into trouble.
how long are the 845's typically lasting in these units gang? wonder if they are shorter in say a 508 (guessing so?)
Too early for me to know. But I assume it is also dependent on what you are using for a rectifier tube.
The 508 uses 805 tubes. See, it’s opposite! That must have been intentional. The stock 805s and 6sl7 in my amp did not last long. My guess is that the Line Magnetic branded Shuguangs aren’t the cream of the crop that an importer like Grant Fidelity would get.
My stock 845s are five months old and are running fine. I know a couple people running the stock 845 tubes with no problems four years on. I am awaiting a pair of Psvane 845-T II tubes as an upgrade to the stock tubes. I couldn't afford the WE845s, much less WE845 pluses!
Anybody try this amp with Audio Physic speakers? I hope the pairing isn't as bad as it looks like it may be on paper. I managed to scrounge a used pair of Audio Physic Sitara 25s. They will be here next week. I always wanted to try Audio Physics re: dat imaging!
still using my stock 845's in my lm219 which aren't bad 845's at all apparently. Hold bias perfectly and am happy with them. Have swapped the 300B's and 12AX7's but the 845's remain. Have had the amp just under a year. See no reason these can't or won't run for years to come if desired.. I get a slight pretty blue glow in my left one occasionally. Actually a healthy sign.
Your listening sessions are usually two hours at a time, Binh? How long are your listening sessions with your amp usually, Ian (and anybody else)? I usually listen for an hour or so before the room starts to get a little toasty. I have an air purifier nearby gently blowing some air on the transformers. I guess that is not necessary, but I'm a little freaked out by all that heat.
I've only heard 2 300B tubes in this amp. The stock full music tubes and my KR audios. The swapping of the 300B's did make a very clear change. The stock 300's are mesh plates and are very airy and transparent. Voices are very lifelike etc. The KR's brought a lot of sweetness to the sound. The bass and midrange frequencies were more full, and present, in a good way. Not a bloated way what so ever. The bass is more powerful, but it is still natural and clean. It took a tad of the high end bite out. Overall, I prefer my KR's and have thus kept them in. It depends what your ears prefer but to mine, yes, certainly an improvement. Change the stock 12AX7's ASAP, I can tell you that. I have swapped in NOS RCA black plates, Blackburn factory mullards, and tele smooth plates, with the telefunkens getting the permanent spot. Dramatic improvement there. The stock shuguang 310A's are every bit as good as the Western electric 310A's, if anything maybe a hair better honestly. Had a pair, tested them in the amp for a good month or two, and then sold them....
I usually turn my amp and DAC on shortly after I get home from work (my phono preamp is solid state and is always on), and turn it off before I head to bed. So, maybe 5 hours a day. But that is probably September until May or so. In the summer I am busy with other stuff and don't listen as much. The heat from the amp in July and August means shorter listening sessions for me as well. A benefit the rest of the year, but those two months the room can get warm quickly.
The heat is so worth it, ain't it? And in the winter, yes, you can keep the heat down and warm up the room with the big 845's Amp makes a mockery of amps 3x its price.
Yup! It definitely heats my room in the winter. And I agree, it certainly sounds so much better than anything I have heard at its price point. To get in the same ballpark (not the same sound, but comparable quality to my ears) it was about the same amount of money but for USED gear. Pass Labs (their low power stuff) falls in that range used. And then once you carefully roll the tubes, it goes to yet another level.
Yup. Judgement on the amp can be made with stock tubes. Butttt the listener has to keep this is mind bc the increment of improvement available in swapping all but the 310A's is very very large. And to keep this thread relevant, same goes for the 518ia and the 502ca. The DAC went night to day for me.
Thank you for the very helpful responses, guys! jkull - that was really helpful, thank you. I just have some current Tung Sol 12AX7s in there now. The 5751 CBS black plates I ordered from China never arrived. I guess I should have posted first to get an opinion before I splurged on the 845 tubes - should have ordered the 300Bs first. Well at least I'll have a backup pair of tubes. Ian - 5 hours a day, huh? I work in the UK but my system resides in the Caribbean where I live, so..... I'm certain the amp will work better as a space-heater in my UK apartment than the fifty-year-old excuse for heating that they use here. Yeah, Pass Labs prices are downright scary in the UK. I prefer tubes in any case: more exciting to look at in a sort of 'stare into the fireplace' mesmerizing way. Solid-state amps are just there looking boring. I do sometimes wish that the meter remained stationary during playback, like in your 518: I fret about those needles zinging all over the place during musical peaks.
Actually, at least in my auditions, the differences between the 518 and 219 were subtle. The 518 was peppy and zingy with great drive. The 219 was less so. I characterized it as 518 = young me, 219 = current ole me. Oh, and the 219 comes in black.
I actually prefer the gold now. It has grown on me big time, and it reflects and looks wonderful when lit only from tube glow in the dark. Those 845s put out a good amount of light.
Oh your 845 purchase is no mistake. Im curious to hear how you like them compared to the stock 845's. They may make as much impact at the 300B's do. You find people saying that this is the case so. I grabbed my 300B's used. A great, new looking pair of older KR's, for like $225. Hard to find KR's for a deal like that but you can grab some shuguang black treasures for that price easily, which are very highly regarded.
