HK《THE TUBE WORLD MONTHLY》Oct. 2013—PSVANE’s“little gourd”—CV181-TⅡ offers great cost performance
“….if you want to buy a pair of antique ECC32 to enjoy, unless making sure that it has high quality, it is going to be surpassed by PSVANE CV181 TⅡ with price only a fraction of it.
In the era of“peanut tube sons”, 6SN7 was absolutely a great tube which has no recognized quality, now we cannot find it in pre-amplifiers and post-amplifiers. Times past, things have changed a lot, people all have found 6SN7 is a good tube in recent years, and it finally has the chance to be the major, and to be the usual matcher of the joint, pre and post-amplifiers. Of course, without a 6SN7 cannot make a good job, while PSVANE CV-181 TⅡ is a promising and powerful strength.
CV181 TⅡ follows suit of origin
If MULLARD didn’t launch ECC32, 6SN7 might have not been so wonderful. Its rich and music-tasting sound represents the highest achievements of 6SN7, which is also the point that it surpassed RCA 5692 with the same size. Also because of this, the appreciation degree of MULLARD ECC32 is really large, setting an example for a group of new tubes. In the body of CV181 TⅡ,we can easily find this great inherited points.
Tube fanciers all know that if tubes have the same size while different in glass shell shapes, it will influence the sound performance. Usually, the bigger the outer cover, the richer, more fluent the sound, which is another reason why MULLARD ECC has become so popular. Because it adopted the size and shape of “little gourd”, as to the sound’s satiation and fluency, it surpassed all antique 6SN7s. This kind of feature can also be found in PSVANE CV181 TⅡ, even the glass shell shape is a little better than antique ECC32, which has forestalled its opponents.
Original design Remarkable fair sound
Another point that let me have a new impression is the grey coating inside the outer cover. Is it another special design of MULLARD ECC32?! Even with the similar method on design and coating skill of plate, which gives people a sense of being loyal to origin. Of course, the striking orange pedestal impressed people a lot. As to let the top of the glass shield full of hydrargyrum, all are the original and special marks of CV181 TⅡ,makes people know it is from PSVANE at the first sight.
CV181 TⅡ has greater cost performance
Many 211 or 845 tube amplifiers all use 6SN7 in output, while I am better fond of inserting fair-sounding 6SN7 tubes into these tube amplifiers, because it is an upgrade way to ask for the greatest “low price, high profits”. People all know that the price of fair-sounding 211, 845 are all high. And before the input and output aspects having had not reached to higher level, to change it to 211, 845, which will improve the effect but far from the ideal situation, on the contrary, if let 6SN7 be the basis, even continue to use 211, 845 tube later, the effect always is immediate. In today’s listening test of PSVANE CV181 TⅡ, it will also appears the same situation.
I use the pre-amplifier of AODIXUN WE2688 matcher BEWITCH《Tian jin》L845 post amplifier, which has used 6SN7, 2A3 and 845 as tubes, the price of the later two are not cheap at all, if wants to set the “great cost performance” as upgrade object, then to change 6SN7 is the best way. So I use PSVANE CV181 TⅡ to replace the former 6SN7, and are ready to see that TAD 300 deluxe version will make what kind of change.
When the STUDER A730 replaying Diana krall《From This Moment On》,the solemn music background has attracted me already, what’s more, the height, width and depth of sound all have improved. When the singer opened her month, the depth and fluency of voice all have considerable improvement. With the disappearing of impurities, this makes the magnetic sound ray of this queen becomes more charming. This kind of sound extends to the medium and low frequency all the time, the strong string of Double Bass not only becomes more dynamic, but also more fluent, coherent and never off-and-on at all. Even the trap drum is rich and powerful. As to the high frequency, it makes the sound become more natural and relaxed when replaying violin.
Conclusion
Today, the bravery and ambitious MULLARD ECC32 has high price and powerful potential, but it is not every one can bear to buy. If you are right to want to have a pair of antique ECC32 for a enjoy, unless make sure that it is powerful and ambitious, it is going to be surpassed by PSVANE CV181 TⅡ with price only a fraction of it. Delicate tube enthusiasts should know how to choose.
PSVANE CV181 TⅡ pricing: RMB 1,180/ per pair