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“I soon discovered how much the bias changed, depending on the time of day. Between 5 and 10:15pm, tubes biased for 190mV would drop to as low as 183mV. Conversely, tubes rebiased to 190mV at dinnertime would later rise to 196 or 197mV. Because each tube seemed to respond differently to voltage fluctuations, vigilance was essential to determine the correspondence of bias to sound. Ultimately, I contacted our locally owned utility company, which is considering installing a more powerful transformer that will provide more stable voltage during times of peak demand.
I wanted to discover a setting at which the tube-like warmth and sweetness I’d heard during Nick Doshi’s visit and at audio shows could be toned down a bit. With the bias centered at around 180mV, I was blown away by the air around Jamie Barton’s mezzo-soprano in the Sibelius song “Var det en dröm?” (Was It a Dream?), from All Who Wander (24-bit/96kHz WAV, Delos DE 3494). The way Brian Zeger’s piano hung in space on a three-dimensional soundstage was very special. Captivated, I continued. With Mahler’s Rückert-Lieder, the Doshis communicated Barton’s willingness to venture into the depths of emotional emptiness. I sat mesmerized by her instrument and artistry, hanging on every note.

R

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