Darkvoice 336 + 336i Tuberolling [ tubes ] - Page 20

Anyone have any luck with the RCA 6SN7GTB Coin Base tubes? Searched revealed nothing, and this is a very lightly used tube, close to NOS according to seller, and retails for $25 on tubedepot.






Thanks,


-Nick

Nick,
Haven't tried the RCA 6SN7GTB coin base. I think it was RCA's lastest production GTB. The older silver- or orange-labeled GTBs might be better, and can be found cheaper on eBay.

Overall, I like the RCA 6SN7GTs better; maybe not quite as tight and controlled as the GTBs, but (IMHO) a bit more liquidy and musical.

Patrick

x2. I tried a coin-base and wasn't impressed. The orange-labeled RCA "Radiotron" ones sound the best of the RCAs to me. But my favorite is the CBS Hytron.

Like one of these:


http://cgi.ebay.com/1-JAN-MILITARY-C...QQcmdZViewItem



And anyone have experience with the Sylvania 6SN7GTB's (Black Plates)? They go for about $30 on eBay, and from what I'm reading, these are excellent tubes.



Thanks,

-Nick

Nick,
That CBS-Hytron that you queued up is a nice tube, too! Very nimble.

The Sylvania 6SN7GTB is also an excellent tube. I just ran one w/the RCA 6AS7G gray plate on my 336i and the synergy was top-notch. Sylvanias as a rule bring detail, speed and extension to the sound. : )

Right now, I am running a JAN-CRC (RCA) 6AS7G black plate w/the GE 6SN7GTB. Very tight, with nice speed and dynamics.

Patrick

Thanks. I also have the same RCA 6AS7G running in the back right now. Hopefully I will win the Slyvania, with only 2 hours left, I'm always double checking. I'll post a link when the auction is over (sorry guys, I really want this, and hopefully it "slips" by, and into my hands for extremely cheap [because I'm a cheap college student ]).

I ALSO found this.. pretty cool read/review of tons of 6SN7 tubes, with lots of pictures too! Not sure if you guys have come upon this, but "I" thought it was pretty cool. Now, I will use this as a "reference point" for future tubes.


https://www.tubeworld.com/6sn7.htm


I REALLY want one of those Mullard CV181's.. it's like having TWO 6AS7's (except for the Mullard sounding much better [from what I've read]).. and I do enjoy the look of these.. tubedepot has them $50 cheaper (single tube) than tubeworld (above link), but I'm not ready to drop that kind of money..




Thanks for the advice fellas..


-Nick

Here's the new addition:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA:IT&ih=011


I'm also watching a few other tubes, but not sure if I'll hold onto them, at their current price.

Price on the box says $20; seller was trying to sell for double that with a BIN price of $40, which is understandable especially for rarer tubes (which I'm not sure how rare, or sought after these are), and I picked this up for $15. Let's hope the tube arrives in perfect condition.




-Nick

Just rolled the Mullard 6080. With the GE 6SN7GTB, the sound is wonderfully full, rich and textured.

Of all the 6080s I've tried (in lieu of the 6AS7G), the Mullard definitely sounds the best. Haven't tried the Bendix 6080, though; it's allegedly the "cream of the"--6080--"crop".

If you're interested, I'll give you the e-mail of someone to find them. It's from a vendor here, and he makes amps.


They start at about $100 for 70-80% tested, and around $200 NOS. There's also a member here who has two Bendix 6080's, one slightly used, one NOS, both for $200 shipped.. These have also caught my attention, however they aren't as physically nice as the 6AS7's.

Sorry for all the posts, and I hope you guys don't mind, but I have another question about a tube I own.


It's a RCA 6SN7GT silver(smoke) glass, and when I first tired it, it had a pretty bad "hum" or "buzz" noise, noticeable in both ears. I have read letting it burn in can fix this, however I wasn't sure this was going to work, but I gave it a shot.


Come to it, a day later, the "noise" is now completely gone out of the left ear, and isn't very audible in the right side when playing music, however you can/will notice it when you put on the headphones, and after each song. None of the other clear glass RCA's have this problem. Only the silver(smoke) glass RCA.


Will further burn-in get rid of this, or is this the best I'm going to get with this tube? If I should keep burning it in, how much longer should I keep it on? A few more days (24/7)?

I don't like to listen to music with this tube, because of the noise. It annoys me.. however, I can't discover what this tube has to offer because I refuse to sit down and give this tube a solid listen. So essentially, I'm asking is it possible to completely rid this "noise" from tubes (in general), or can you only improve it to a certain extent?




Thanks for your help..



-Nick

What you describe might be symptomatic of a NOS tube ("ya pays your money and ya takes your chance"), and the residual noise may not completely dissipate. I have some Russian tubes that have never stopped humming. Fitz has recommended and documented a mod which entails swapping out the stock output capacitors w/beefier ones which, based on many testimonials, successfully vanquishes any and all hum.

I've noticed, too, but never formally tested the hypothesis, that hum from the front tube may be dependent on the rear tube. Others have addressed this phenomenon on this thread.

However, you are advised not/never to leave the 336i (or any other tube amp, for that matter) powered up 24/7.

Thanks. I will get in contact with Fitz, and see what other mods he does.


I would conclude what you said in your second paragraph. I swapped out the RCA 6AS7 for the stock Chinese tube, and the noise is non-existent. (Also using stock power cord)

I just recently (late yesterday, my Mom "hid" my package and didn't tell me until later last night) received a VH Audio Flavor 1 power-cord. This cord is MUCH beefier, and actually "zapped" the "noise" (if that makes sense) from the two RCA tubes I was using. I'm not sure exactly how, or what could do this, but I can say this PC has helped tremendously. I'm not sure if it's AC noise, or what, but so far, I am impressed early on..


I now understand not power the amp on all-day. Is there a reasoning behind this? I'm completely curious.. Is it something in the amp, or the tubes that shouldn't be on 24/7? No longer will I run it all day/night..




Thanks for your advice.. it's greatly appreciated.




-Nick

Tubes do have a limited life-span, although many will go 10,000 hours or more. So if you leave it on 24/7, you will burn up that life-span faster. However, for many of us, this is a non-issue - we'll probably change tubes faster than that anyway

Tube amps do produce heat, and tubes have the possibility of blowing, so best not to leave the amp on if you leave the house.

As for the hum, some NOS tubes can take up to a WEEK to become as quiet as they ultimately can be. That's how long it took my NOS 6SJ7GTB's to become silent, but silent they now are.

Tube rolling in 336i for MS2

Hi all, I've just ordered the Darkvoice 336i but couldn't wait to tube roll, after reading this thread. Can anyone recommend any good tubes, both front and back, to pair well with MS2? Sonic preference: deep, detail bass without loss of clarity, warm sounding, etc.

I understand that the Ken Rad is great for bass, but this is expensive. Is there any alternative, and matching rear tube?

Thanks all.
Malcolm

Go with the Tung-sol reissue 6SN7GTB and any brand USA JAN military 6080.