2359glenn | studio - Page 13

Quote:

Originally Posted by john57 

I currently still using the double halo getter in my current 3DG4 tube as my primary. If you look carefully on my night picture you can just make out the double halo hovering over the filaments. Having any  getter on the top makes the tube a bit taller. It makes a small difference in the tautness of the sound far smaller than changing to the 5v rectifier tube. Having extra getters may help with the manufacture to have a better vacuum in the tube.  Also I noticed that some 3DG4 tubes seems to have a bit less fatigue over longer periods of time in operation. I noticed that effect a bit more in the 5V3A tube. I do not have a tube test socket to see if I can point what I am observing out on paper. I noticed that Glenn has his "member of the trade" badge approved.

"MOT?!" Fantastique!!! I was silently pushing for such a thing...

From last Saturday night through the early mornings hours today, the USAF Mighty 596 has left me a bit perplexed. I was just fixin' to share my thoughts on the matter, but focus on business affairs won't allow me proper time to wrap my head around what's happening. Later this afterrnoon/evening without a doubt!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xcalibur255 

5V3 tubes behave a little weird in the amp if you ask me.  Normally a tube stabilizes and sounds its best after being on a while, but after 2 or 3 hours the 5V3 just starts to sound odd somehow especially if it has been running all day.  I think the tube is just too stressed in the amp, much in the same way a 5U4G would be.

 

Love the Chief BTW, that is a great name for any tube.  I've actually enjoyed NOT rolling rectifiers in my amp, just one less thing to fuss over and spend money on.  My short bottle side getter Raytheon (Sylvania) serves me faithfully.  I might try an RCA made 3DG4 so I have a reference for comparison though.

NOT rolling recs is a thought I shared in... until last night! I'm going to have to share my experience with the USAF-596 rectifier. It was by no means perfect, especially since the caps are still undergoing changes. But of the few attributes that got my attention,  it completely shattered the sonics of the GE 3DG4 rectifier. Of course, source, cables and music player software played a major role in what I heard. I changed a few of those things and any perceived gains vanished, leaving the 3DG4 preferred.

Just a friendly reminder , these changes may not be night & day, but I am human and these changes are sometimes exciting. It will be interesting to me to see how things play out with changes to the amp and its platform still to come.

I believe he did and every amp after that. John's amp was new frontier, as well as yours with the "X" mod. Once Glenn likes the changes made, in they go for the rest of the amps. This is my belief based on our conversations anyway. I'm almost certain he'll return to these pages and add clarity.

I inquired last week about him prepping my amp to host the 12SN7 adapter... already done! Also, I'm just returning to the house - will report my findings after dinner on the USAF-596 in the OTL amp... Round 2.

Round 2, United Electronics Company 1957 USAF-596.

Re-installing the '596' Saturday for two hours was fun. But, compared to the 3DG4, the presentation appeared a bit darker in tone. I'm tempted to use the word veiled, but that wouldn't tell the whole story. Because while the '596' was darker in tone, all the details were there without struggle. Thinly veiled? Perhaps... but not my take. I'll stay with darker or just a bit so for now.

Sunday night, pretty much the same with the '596' as it got more play-in. I needed to shake its time in transit off and added a few more hours. Swapped the GE 3DG4 rec back in and things were back to normal - what I've become use to with the rectifier being complimented by the 5998's.

Then I decided to shake things up! I rolled OS'es and music software versions and stuck the USAF-596 back in. First, a quick highlight on what this means. My go-to setup had been the previous version of Amarra (Full) on Snow Leopard with solid state drive. With both rectifiers, this configuration returned a smaller more intimate sound stage (still wide, though). And the 3DG4 rec definitely sounded better with more clarity, balance and a bit more Bass control. 

So, the changes I made at this point was to switch to the current & updated version of Amarra (Full) on Lion with solid state drive. And stuck the Mighty 596 back in and...  mercy! This rectifier is walkin' around with the heavy set!  Even King Kong would look down and then stand down! The presentation packed a wallop! BIG Bass, BIG sound - the presentation was HUGE... Bigger-Wider-Taller-Deeper. Even more telling, I was immersed in the sound (more 3D like; detail; spaciousness), more depth than the 3DG4 with this version of playback.

I had favored the previous config because I don't particularly like the extra processing Apple allowed Lion; Snow Leopard does few background processing and thus lower overhead. But the newer version of Amarra was written for Lion not Snow Leopard. And when I placed the 3DG4 back in with the latest of everything, it was far more pedestrian. It was as if the '596' took advantage of what the config had to offer. Was it perfect? No. The amp is still under going changes. But I'm hearing great potential now having experimented.

Equally exciting is the latest OS for Mac is coming in a few months - Mountain Lion. Developers are reporting it will surpass Lion for audio. Snow Leopard also was better than Lion for audio but simply there were trade-offs. Apple giveth then taketh away something else.

All in all, I'm glad experimenting inside the listening room never gets old even when revisiting tweaks and configurations. Early on, I tried the '596' vs 3DG4 but with the older config. Had I stayed the course with simply the previous version, the '596' might have stayed inside the drawer. This is a serious rectifier! Will continue to evaluate it...

Quote:

Originally Posted by john57 

Amp with my 14N7 Marconi tube. The Marconi is the most powerful driver tube I ever tried to date in my amp. The Marconi can easily overdrive the 7236 power tubes and more attention is needed on gain levels. On the left is a backup Zenith 14N7 tube still in its factory sealed container and it is my “long distance tube.”  By the way the 7N7 adapter came from Glenn since my other Chinese 7N7 adapter will not fit in the 12SN7 adapter.

 

 

That thing is huge! And is alright with me... 

Quote:

Originally Posted by grokit 

 

Quote:Originally Posted by Silent One 
 

Round 2, United Electronics Company 1957 USAF-596.

 

This tube is no jokin', baby! It has me eating 'Haagen-Dazs Dulce de Leche' with a Tablespoon! Yup, good manners out the window...   I really need to hear this tube (two) inside the WA5/LE.

If you or grokit should find a source in passing, I hope you share the info.  After you stock up, of course.