About the 6AS7G:
I can only speak for the Euforia, taking into account the Mundorf standard cap.
(For those who know, this is the white one with the red writing).
My experience was based on the fact that this tube family was very masking with the cap.
That’s why the owners of the Elise and Euforia’s are kicked right out and replaced with a 6080 tube.
Further to the 6AS7G, with the Odam cap the tube is clearly better, nothing masks anymore and plays more freely out of itself and especially the Svetlana can go really far into the low end that it can be perverse. And the overall sound is warmer, which is due to the cap.
Unfortunately I don’t know the 6AS7G Tungsol, I know that Tungsol made them as 6AS7G, there is also the 5998 but unfortunately quite expensive and both hard to find.
If you remember when you built the bottlehead what cap did you use standard or something else?
As I said, there is definitely room for improvement with the standard cap and it would also have the most effect.
About the 6080:
I once had the Jan 6080 Wb in a test amplifier and found it very listener-fatiguing and overall bright. didn’t suit the amplifier.
The 6080 Mullard is a warm tube in the typical British style, soft, gentle in the details and deep, so it plays very deep.
(I also have to mention the cap comparison,with the Mundorf the bass was missing,with the Odam there was much more punch and the details also seemed to sparkle more than with the Mundorf). Price a bit expensive but worth it.
6080 Sylvania similar to the Mullard, it has a bit more bite in the bass but doesn’t play down as low as the Mullard, so rather the opposite.
I have not tested it with the Vcap Mod. The price is good to get.
6080 Gec I have never had but it is supposed to be good, but also expensive and hard to find even as 6AS7G.
6080 General Electric can be worthwhile and worth a try. warm sound, somewhat thick due to the analogue. good forward direction, great bass response.
Can also be had at a reasonable price.
It worked very well with my Ebony Fostex before I sold it, because the tube is a bit slow, the wood obviously had more time to recover.
I still have a 6080 in my peto, but I won’t mention it because the price would rise too much. it is a Sleeper.
And a mix of Mullard and Slyvania, which I will only announce under Pn, :-).
Unfortunately I can’t say anything about the 12Au, but there are also very good ones.
To return briefly to the cap and then I won’t bring up the subject again.
The one from Bottlehead is adapted to it but not the end. (At that time it was the best) It is a construction kit that can be improved as needed. And it was also prioritised to be cheap.
There are caps made for tube amps as well as for SS amps, and there are also caps that are cheap and close to the high end.
It doesn’t have to be Vcaps or Audionote.Milfex or Duelund are also good caps as well as cheap and close.
The caps are definitely better than what is standard from manufacturers or included in the set. They keep the costs down.
My suggestion would be to check out the Crack Forum to see where all the cracks are located to help, even if it’s not an option, but help with the tubes.
And on Hifiguide there is also someone who builds them cleanly and offers mods for a surcharge.unfortunately I don’t remember the name.
I reckon that the Zmf amplifier as well as the Auteur will come at the end of summer or even at the beginning of autumn, because we are still suffering from the crisis.
It’s probably worth waiting to maybe make a decision by then.
In the end, it is your decision how to proceed.
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