PaulStewart
27-10-2013, 23:30
.... When I have a big stack of albums and CDs to review, something is going to go pop. Turned the Quintet on yesterday morning and one of the EL34s had gone O/C on the heater. Tried to get valves on a Saturday in London lately? So I phoned Chandlers in Kew, possibly one of the best guitar shops on the planet and asked if they had anything. Yes a matched quad of Harmas, which is of course Watford Vales own brand. Picked them up and on checking found them to be very close toleranced, so having plugged them in and given the about an hour to bed in, I played something I knew well to see what they were like. started of with Maria Callas singing Habenera from Carmen, the HMV recording and it blew my socks off. Very rich and detailed with te complex layering of the orchestra as good as i have heard it on anything. Swopped over to Pink Floyd, "Wish You Were Here" and the track Welcome to the Machine as it has some interesting bass effects and these things had lots of grip, lesser valves have slipped up on this track in the past. Finally went to Peterson and Basie "Satch and Josh" and I'm really impressed with these tubes at under a ton for a matched quad.
I've since been told they are Winged Cs rebadged and they certainly look like them. but theu are really well matched, tested and burnt in and I'm thinking of another set for the cupboard, though I usually go for NOS. Anyone else used these?
Paul S
I've since been told they are Winged Cs rebadged and they certainly look like them. but theu are really well matched, tested and burnt in and I'm thinking of another set for the cupboard, though I usually go for NOS. Anyone else used these?
Paul S