Darkvoice 336 + 336i Tuberolling [ tubes ] - Page 12

Not really..

meanie !

Da Burnnnnnnn!

I really want to hear a 336i. Hopefully I'll actually spend some time with one at the next NY meet.

Hey Fitz,

Just for the record, if it's not too much trouble, can you go ahead and post the anti-hum mod for any of us Darkvoicers who may be experiencing hum?

I've posted it a few times already. I'm too lazy to go find it again.

Incidently, I've been searching for the 336i no hum mod for about 30 minutes to no avail. If somebody could point us slow kids in the right direction that would be nice.

It's not too hard to find if you've seen it before.

If you searched for 336i, you won't find much, since I've never owned a 336i.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showth...=Darkvoice+336

post #215 I believe.

He keeps spares in the third drawer of his chest of drawers. Under the thongs. I don't even think he knows how many he has, he won't miss three or four.

in regards to tube rolling, i have a few questions

is it bad to touch the bulbs while their hot? bad to switch them while they're hot? How fragile are the tubes?

p.s. i am a total newbie

thanks pataburd your recommendation was spot on. I ordered the RCA 6AS7G gray plate from Tubeworld and got them yesterday. I already loved the synergy between the darkvoice 336i and the K340 but now I love it even more, the darkvoice rocks.

In the front I got both the RCA 6SN7GT and the RCA 6SN7GTB, the 6SN7GT makes it even warmer but loses some detail from what I could tell, it also has a noticeable hum that I can hear while the music is playing at low volumes. The 6SN7GTB has no hum and has better resolution/detail I will probably use this most of the time since the 6AS7G gray plate adds plenty of warmth/body already.

I don't think they are supposed to be any less durable than a typical light bulb, but waiting till they cool down a little probably isn't a bad idea. I make sure never to touch the glass part with my hands (I use a cloth) but I don't know if that's necessary either I just do it as a precaution.

KG21 offers sound advice. Instead of a cloth, though, I use a rubber glove when exchanging tubes. I've read that residual oils from the skin may get onto the glass surface of the tube and cause "hot spots" once the tube heats up again. Normally, I try to do most of the grabbing around the tube's base, where it's more sturdy and less apt to (literally) slip through my fingers.

I've switched tubes, impatiently, while they were still hot to the touch, but I think it's better to wait until the tube equilibrates to ambient temperature to possibly avoid "thermal shock" when cold fingers make contact with hot glass (think of suddenly plunging a cold drinking glass into very hot wash water)--although I think this might be less of an issue than handling the glass with uncovered hands.

With hybrid amps (like the G&W T2.6F, FEEL ??? and Bada-PH12) that use tubes and MosETs, it is critical to wait a while (some manufacturers recommend 12-24 hours) before switching tubes due to potential damage to the MosFETs.

Options for the Front Tube

KG21,

You're quite welcome. If you like the detail and added control of the RCA 6SN7GTB up front, you might want to try a Sylvania 6SN7GTA or even a GE 6SN7GTB up there, as well. Sylvanias tend to be very balanced, neutral and extended: the perfect compliment, I think, to the RCA 6AS7G gray plate. The GE 6SN7GTA/GTB is great, too, but less so than Sylvania (at least to my ears).

Right now, I am running the Sylvania 6AS7G in the back with the RCA 6SN7GT up front, with nice synergy.

Boy, I really like the DarkVoice. I've owned the SinglePower premium-modded MPX3, but for me the DarkVoice has been a much more fun amp that responds more distinctly to tube changes than the MPX3. And at 1/4 the price, the 336i is even more fun!

PatABurd

I've found that most of the tubes used with the Darkvoice (6SN7, 6AS7) have a pretty long base part so you don't have to touch the glass when handling the tubes, just the base. Only a few rather uncommon tubes, such as some older Sylvanias and RCAs, don't have a base, but most tubes you will find or be purchasing can be handled quite easily.

Also, I always wait for the tubes to cool down before switching them. I don't know why, just a precaution.