[HPAholic]

I found these hiding ...

• Amperex 5AR4 / GZ34 | 1966 | F32 B6D3 Blackburn Factory
• Philips Miniwatt GZ34 Metal Base | 1957 | TV2 57A
• Crossor 53KU | 1948-1958 | Brown Base with Yellow Lettering

 

[UntilThen]

Very noice

 

[Monsterzero]

Dumb question:

Is the adaptor for the Raytheon 1641 the same needed for the 596 USAF?

 

[gibosi]

Dumb question:

Is the adaptor for the Raytheon 1641 the same needed for the 596 USAF?

Unfortunately, no.

 

[Monsterzero]

Unfortunately, no.

That blows! Woo wants $150.00 (!!!) for just the adapter.

 

[gibosi]

That blows! Woo wants $150.00 (!!!) for just the adapter.

I use inexpensive Chinese-made adapters for the 596 and the 1641 off of eBay and they work fine.

 

[Monsterzero]

Im not sure the Chinese adapters will fit in my DACs chassis....

 

[les24preludes]

Given that the U52 is one of the most expensive and well received 5U4 types, I'm asking myself what makes it special? They are recognisable by their rounded base, but it's surely the anode structure and the rest of the internals that makes the difference. The Marconi has a long flat smooth plate with serrations and 4 square holes on the inside. That seems common to the other U52 types like Brimar, GEC and Osram.

So what other 5U4 varieties use this anode type? The RCA 5U4 and 5Z3 does for instance, though by all accounts it's a pretty mid-range performer. I have a no-name 5Z3 with this smooth anode and that sounds very nice.

Another anode type is a smooth plate with serrations on both sides - internal and external. I have a GE 5U4 straight bottle which sounds very nice - clean and clear.

The WE 244A is completely different - don't know if there are any clones of that one.

As you can see, I'm trying to crack the code here to see if it's possible to buy a 5U4/5Z3 for £30 that sounds like a £300 one. Well...if it were that easy everyone would be doing it. But I suspect there's some degree of mythology about vintage tubes. Any rectifier with a rounded bottom fetches a tidy sum of money.

 

[gibosi]

Given that the U52 is one of the most expensive and well received 5U4 types, I'm asking myself what makes it special? They are recognisable by their rounded base, but it's surely the anode structure and the rest of the internals that makes the difference. The Marconi has a long flat smooth plate with serrations and 4 square holes on the inside. That seems common to the other U52 types like Brimar, GEC and Osram.

So what other 5U4 varieties use this anode type? The RCA 5U4 and 5Z3 does for instance, though by all accounts it's a pretty mid-range performer. I have a no-name 5Z3 with this smooth anode and that sounds very nice.

Another anode type is a smooth plate with serrations on both sides - internal and external. I have a GE 5U4 straight bottle which sounds very nice - clean and clear.

The WE 244A is completely different - don't know if there are any clones of that one.

As you can see, I'm trying to crack the code here to see if it's possible to buy a 5U4/5Z3 for £30 that sounds like a £300 one. Well...if it were that easy everyone would be doing it. But I suspect there's some degree of mythology about vintage tubes. Any rectifier with a rounded bottom fetches a tidy sum of money.

In my experience the only variable that directly correlates to "sound" is the factory. A great example is the GZ34. Even though GZ34 manufactured at about the same time in Mullard's factory, M.B.L.E. (Mazda) Bruxelles, Belgium factory, Sittard, Holland factory and Eindhoven, Holland factory have substantially identical construction, they all sound different. Further, the GZ32, GZ33, GZ34 and GZ37, all made by Mullard, with different construction, sound very similar. So to my way of thinking there is a "Mullard House Sound", an "RCA House Sound", a "GEC House Sound" and so forth.

So the only way to find another rectifier that sounds like the U52 is to find another one made by GEC. But unfortunately, the only other GEC rectifier I am aware of with similar specifications is the U18. But this is a 4-volt rectifier on a B-4 base, so it is not plug compatible. And as you can see, it is very different than the U52, but it sounds essentially the same.



Oh. the "other U52" you reference, Brimar, GEC and Osram, were all made in the same Hammersmith, London factory, as the Marconi. They are the same exact tubes with different branding.

 

[RobertSM]

Here's an interesting one.

I picked this 5AR4/GZ34 metal base up in June or July this year from a guy in Canada. I paid $200 CAD for it.

The label says "Rogers". I know Rogers is a Canadian communications company. The stamp on the bottom of the metal band reads "TV2 57E". The person I bought it from said he owned it for 30+ years and never used it. He thinks it's a Holland made GZ34 but wasn't sure of the factory. I sort of took a bit of a chance as the seller had no test measurements. That said I know that the metal base GZ34 rectifier are known to have incredibly long lives. Sometimes working for many many decades and still test well.

If anyone has any information that would help me identify what factory produced this tube, I'd be especially thankful.

 

[gibosi]

Here's an interesting one.

I picked this 5AR4/GZ34 metal base up in June or July this year from a guy in Canada. I paid $200 CAD for it.

The label says "Rogers". I know Rogers is a Canadian communications company. The stamp on the bottom of the metal band reads "TV2 57E". The person I bought it from said he owned it for 30+ years and never used it. He thinks it's a Holland made GZ34 but wasn't sure of the factory. I sort of took a bit of a chance as the seller had no test measurements. That said I know that the metal base GZ34 rectifier are known to have incredibly long lives. Sometimes working for many many decades and still test well.

If anyone has any information that would help me identify what factory produced this tube, I'd be especially thankful.

All the metal base GZ34's were manufactured in Eindoven, Holland. The number "5" is the factory symbol for that factory. And I would say you got a pretty good deal. Enjoy!

 

[RobertSM]

All the metal base GZ34's were manufactured in Eindoven, Holland. The number "5" is the factory symbol for that factory. And I would say you got a pretty good deal. Enjoy!

Thanks @gibosi

Yep, this rectifier works great and sounds fantastic. Great depth of soundstage with loads of 3-D realism.

 

[UntilThen]

I picked this 5AR4/GZ34 metal base up in June or July this year from a guy in Canada. I paid $200 CAD for it.

The label says "Rogers". I know Rogers is a Canadian communications company. The stamp on the bottom of the metal band reads "TV2 57E". The person I bought it from said he owned it for 30+ years and never used it. He thinks it's a Holland made GZ34 but wasn't sure of the factory. I sort of took a bit of a chance as the seller had no test measurements. That said I know that the metal base GZ34 rectifier are known to have incredibly long lives. Sometimes working for many many decades and still test well.

If anyone has any information that would help me identify what factory produced this tube, I'd be especially thankful.

Have a look at this. http://www.tube-classics.de/TC/Tubes/Valvo GZ34/GZ34.htm

Mine is TV1 and my good friend sold it to me for $200 That's aussie dollars. You're right that these rectifiers have incredibly long life. There it is sitting in Odyssey.

 

[attmci]

That blows! Woo wants $150.00 (!!!) for just the adapter.

Why not ask Dan to make one for you?

 

[attmci]

There is a WE 274b on sale at the bay. Anyone want it?