June 12, 2012

• Tung-Sol 6550 Black Plate

  This is the final installment (at least for now) in the vintage Tung-Sol 6550 series of reviews.  This set is comprised of the top getter only version of the tube.  The subject tubes are the earliest black plates of this type produced.  This was followed chronologically by a single top getter with a single side getter comprised of two D-shaped getter rings and the final version of a top getter plus a side getter on either side of the tube.  In this final version, which was retained by the subsequent solid grey plates and three hole grey plates, the getter rings were O-shaped.

  Three of the tubes in the sample set have the number “5” below the octagonal 6550 stop sign on the tube’s top.  All the other Tung-Sol 6550’s that I own have the number “3” below the stop sign and this may be a distinguishing characteristic of the earlier tubes.

        

   

       

   

  Listening Impressions:

  • The bass character may sound, initially, somewhat lightweight until you realize how accurate and musical it really is.  At sufficient volume, the bass strings vibrate so cleanly you visualize them moving in space.
  • Liquid vocals with the emphasis on the throat and mouth and relatively less on the chest of the singer.
  • Voices during dialogue sound like real people talking with little artifice.
  • Bamboo rods and wooden blocks are excellent but not the best I’ve heard.  The GEC KT88 set the standard, in my opinion, in this regard.
  • Reference quality timbre, decay and dynamics.
  • Extended, but not strident, treble with delicate transients on instruments such as acoustic guitar.
  • Piano keys tinkle (okay, stop sniggering).
  • Wide and deep sound stage populated with solid images.
  • The emotional content of the music is conveyed beautifully with the oboe sounding sad and plaintive in the Concerto for Oboe in C Major from the 7 Concerti for Woodwind and Strings by Antonio Vivaldi.
  • The black plate Tung-Sol’s and the Bugle Boys reinforce each other’s extremely natural and musical sound qualities.

   

  You find yourself listening to the music rather than to your system.  As I found with the other two vintage Tung-Sols, the black plate version may be bettered in certain areas by other power tubes.  However, for an overall consistently excellent sound, nothing surpasses the Tung-Sol 6550.  And within this family, the black plate version is the ne plus ultra for a natural and musical presentation. 

  
  

  • 8:14 pm
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