Darkvoice just released 332 - Page 14

Malos, I think you said you've got RCAs and SVETLANAs on the way. That should be a perfect combination. The "valveiness" of the Svets, open and full of ambience, with the crispness of the RCAs. Heaven.

Banach, I'm the type of guy who has to go for the biggest and best in any given range of audio gear. It's one of my many failings. If I didn't, I'd always be wondering how different, and potentially better, the 332 was over the 336i. At the moment, I wondering how much better the 337 would be over the 332.

Also, for me, there's the "failings" of the 336i to be taken into account - mainly hum during the process of tube rolling. But from what I've read, the 336i is very "valvey" - warm, fluid and open, especially if you get the right tubes onboard. A good introduction to the tube sound.

WorldPhoto1970: are you definitely happy about those depth issues after you replaced valves or you still miss something?

The world of tube rolling with the 332 has now become even more bewildering - if that's possible.

Here's a whole new set of western equivalents for the 6J1s. Firstly, the British Common Valves (CV): CV5216; CV8246; CV5893; CV10442; CV8225; and CV8159. Then there're some others: EF905; 6096; E95F; and 6F32.

This is only a provisional list - I have to check the technical data in more detail. But if they turn out to be true equivalents, then the possibilities have expanded quite a bit.

OO, I like that, I noticed quite a bit of CVs available on e-bay. I have a very hard time finding some Mullards >.<

Take the EF905 off the list - technically different. The rest seem good, and add CV2020, CV0850, 5591, 6096, 6945, DP61 and 6DL5.

Malos, MULLARDS are getting harder to find, but most of the above "CV" prefixed tubes are made by MULLARD.

http://search.ebay.com/search/search...&fsop=1&fsoo=1

O.o

Malos, try these:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2-PHILIPS-M810...QQcmdZViewItem

Also Valves Direct on E-Bay are selling pairs of MULLARD CV4010s for £3.50 (about $7.00). Two pairs left (I bought one) so grab them while you can!!!

The hum I experienced with some tubes have completely disappeared after a few hours of use, I cannot hear any hum even when the volume knob is turned to max. I guess some tubes require break in.

There seems to be a lot of demand for the Mullard tubes lately, and their prices have shot up accordingly, if you go through the posts in this thread you'll find that there are some tubes out there that sound as good, and some that even sound better than the Mullards for a lot less money.

My Hytron tubes seem to have been lost in transit, I am awaiting a new dispatch from the seller.

Meanwhile I've been busy trying to source reasonably priced components to make silver wire interconnects, I will be applying the Eichmann principle of 1.4 ratio between signal and cold, I have managed to source AWG30 and AWG28 fine silver wire, and unbleached cotton tubing (from searching the net this combination seems to be the most favoured), this setup should sound out of this world with the 332

Budgetphile, I bought a pair of MULLARD CV4010 last night for £3.50 (plus delivery). Try these - their direct equivalent is the M8100. Sorry to hear the Hytrons have gone walk-about. Hopefully, they'll turn up soon. Did you buy them off E-Bay?

Would be interested to see if your experiments with the silver cabling turns out well. Sounds very promising. One guy who knows a lot about cables, especially silver cables, is Zanash - he frequently posts on Zerogain. Maybe he could help.

Hi Godkin,

I have four Mullard 8100 black plates, yet I found the Sylvania 6AK5W to sound better in the 332, and they are cheaper.

I bought the Hytrons off ebay, and I have been in touch with the seller, he is sorting it out.

Another thing, loose the rubber feet on the 332, all rubber feet are useless at getting rid of vibrations, all they do is magnify the vibration within whatever you are isolating, I have replaced them with three small wood cubes, I placed two cubes at either end of the back underside, and a single cube under the middle of the front underside of the 332, much better at removing mechanical vibrations than the rubber feet, and way cheaper than buying fancy brass balls

Hrm...I grabbed the CV4010, les see how those are.

Not gonna bid on m8100, people seem to be all over them already xD. I wonder if it is worth it to get a better interconnect between my DAC and DV, right now I am using stock cable that came with Echo Indigo, although tubing first.

As soon as I'd written it, Budgetphile, I remembered you'd already commented on the M8100s and the SYLVANIA 6AK5Ws. Stupid me.

The 332's case seems to be very microphonic, so anything to help isolate it from vibrations is good in my books. I have mine sitting on a home-made isolation "stand" - a heavy granite cutting board from Argos set on three old isolation feet. But further isolation, I'm sure, couldn't do any harm.

Having good quality interconnects, Malos, adds and enhances the sound of any system: but it can't make a bad system good. Personally, I swear by VAN DEN HUL cables, THE WELL Hybrid being one of my favourites. In addition, interconnects tends to degrade over time, so an old interconnect will not sound as good as a well used new one. Or maybe this is just a sales tactic by interconnect manufacturers, to keep us buying their products. Another conspiracy theory is born.

Good to see you got a pair of those CV4010s. Their direct equivalents are the M8100 and CV850. Check the CV list: both were designed and manufactured by MULLARD for the British Ministry of Aviation (MIA).

Has anyone heard of this version of the 6S19P tube - the 6C19P-BP, or its English designation, the 6S19P-VR? Don't know anything about it, apart from the fact that, technically, it's identical to the 6S19P. Obviously, it's an improved version, but how? And is it better than the P-V versions, or just the same tube with fancy new suffixes?

My CV4010s arrived this morning, a batch made in Feburary 1966. Pristine condition, black-plates; I don't think they've seen the light of day since they were made. I'll try them tonight, and post any comments I may have.

Things are better since I replaced the power tubes, a significant, but not earthquaking change. Anyway a serious test is not yet on the table, hope I'll soon find some time for that.

I finally received 10 signal tubes from Russia.
I got some serious humming issue with the first couple I put in.
There has always been a slightly humming sound on my 332 right channel (nothing at all on the left), but very light and absolutely not serious. As soon as I put on replacements it became a real problem. Tried to change one tube and things went quieter than with originals.

I can't really add something else, cause I lately had few available time for listening (and also for reading the forum, sorry for this late reply).