Hi all

[dewi]

Hi everyone I am new to the tube loving members - my setup - I have a mitchell focus 1 deck with a modified SME tone arm for my vinyl (opera) - Sonus Faber Signum speakers on their stands - a new Audio Note M-zero pre-amp - Lumley M120 monoblocks - Sony reel to reel tape - Marantz KJ signature CD player (all Black Gate caps) - and a couple of Marantz tape decks

I only started with the tube stuff when one of my neighbours asked me to bid on Ebay for the pair of Lumley monoblocks for him - I got them for just over £1300 but the seller would not post them so my neighbour told him where he could shove them - so being as I had paid for them I drove up and collected them from somewhere in London (a long way from Pembroke) and they have been sat on the shelf doing nothing for the past three years :) - that's until the wife having a clearout said you might as well sell them when I said no chance I want to use them - use them or loose them she cried -

now I was quite content using all the Marantz kit she bought me over the years until I heard a setup using tubes so I just bought the Audio note preamp

now the advert on Ebay said the Lumley's had just been serviced by the crowd that made them - yet when I plugged them in only one worked so I have had to take them down to my local fixit place where the bloke there served his time on valve kit so I am now waiting and hoping they can find time to do them today for me otherwise it will be after xmas - they wont service them for me just fault find but at least they will work

they did have Sovtec 6550WE valves in them when I bought them but I managed to buy a matched quad of Svetlana KT88's which I will now try


On Ebay they have lots of KT88's now all saying they are the best - ones I have 'saved searches' on

GOLD LION NEW KT88 Amplifier Valves Matched PAIR (2) £70.99

Pair Golden Dragon KT88 retro audio tetrode valve tube pair at £110

KT88 RETRO MATCHED PAIR NOS £88.50

Item picture

4pcs Matched Premium ShuGuang TREASURE Tubes KT88-Z £232


4pcs Matched ShuGuang 50years TREASURE Tubes KT88-Z £162

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Genalex Gold Lion KT88 Matched QUAD Tubes Valves KT-88 £125

anyone advise me on which are the best for the money ??

and can anyone help with the paperwork for the Lumney M120 monoblocks please - circuit diagrams etc

[John]

Anthony TD is your man around Valves email him he is very helpful
Welcome The Lumley should be nice amps when you get them working not suprised if you lrt thrm standing for so long that you got issues I remember being tempted for some Lumley monos a few years back I wonder if they were the same pair

[Mr Pig]

Hello and welcome.

[Ali Tait]

Hi, welcome. Not sure about those particular amps, but I've read that Lumley run their valves hard, shortening their life, so it may be worth having the dissipation lowered before using any pricey valves.

[Jonboy]

Hello and welcome, i've got a Lumley st 70 running Russian 6550's, the bias has been knocked back a bit to 45-50 mv and not 60 as stated in the manual

[Spectral Morn]

I would give Ian Large at Alium Audio a ring as he deals in all of those valves you list. He is also a top bloke ime:)

Welcome to AOS


Regards D S D L