[Penchum]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beta-Vidoh /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi, I purchased some driver tubes from Yen Audio (Quick delivery !), checked them, work fine. So I changed back to the stock tubes. It was then I noticed that the right power tube was a duller orange than the left one. I only just got the amp last week and have only been burning it in for a total of 17 hours (not continuous). It does not seem to degrade the sound, but as this is my first tube amp, I was just wondering if I should be concerned about this? Oh yes, I swapped the tubes from left to right and it is the tube and not the amp. Thanks for any advise.

Quote:

Originally Posted by easycure /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have the same symptom, no degradation in the sound quality noticed.

Hey Guys,

The brightness difference is normal. It only means that one is glowing less, nothing else.

Have a good one!

 

[Trapper32]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penchum /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hey Guys, The brightness difference is normal. It only means that one is glowing less, nothing else. Have a good one!

It also means that they obviously weren't matched to lumen intensity...

 

[Beta-Vidoh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penchum /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hey Guys, The brightness difference is normal. It only means that one is glowing less, nothing else. Have a good one!

Ok thanks, good to know.

 

[raekwonse]

I think I'm maybe halfway through burning in my Little Dot MKIII and it sounds great so far. However, I was looking for some new driver tubes that would work the best with female vocals.

Also, I already have a set of M8100s on the way. Are those good enough or can I do better? Thanks!

 

[sinisterm]

Quote:

Originally Posted by raekwonse /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think I'm maybe halfway through burning in my Little Dot MKIII and it sounds great so far. However, I was looking for some new driver tubes that would work the best with female vocals. Also, I already have a set of M8100s on the way. Are those good enough or can I do better? Thanks!

I suggest you try the EF92 family of Mullard, M8161 CV4015 with large shield logo. They are very musical and sure like female vocals.

Other tubes worth mention would be Tung-Sol 6AK5W 5654 (my main tubes), they give unbeliavable detail while retaining musicality to a point where it doesn't go worse in either way. Only defect on them is that they recess mids a bit. But I actually use them with my GS1K's which are known to have recessed mids, so I'd say it's not a problem.

Grats on your purchase! And have fun with tube rolling!

 

[SemiAudiophile]

on ebay theres a listing of two types of mullards m8161 cv4015. one is 6cqc the other is 9d6. are they the same?? i don't see a large shield on them either. and ef92 tubes look longer than ef95 ones. is that true?

i just ordered some RCA 5654s to start off my tube rolling journey...hopefully i won't regret it.

 

[Henmyr]

I've been getting severe channel imbalance lately if I use my EF92 Mullard CV131 (with the jumpers on). The channel imbalance does not change if I switch the places of the driver tubes. However, if I swich places of the power tubes the channel imbalance changes to the other ear.

When I use EF95 without the jumpers there is no channel imbalance I can hear.

So, what seems to be the problem?

 

[Penchum]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Henmyr /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've been getting severe channel imbalance lately if I use my EF92 Mullard CV131 (with the jumpers on). The channel imbalance does not change if I switch the places of the driver tubes. However, if I swich places of the power tubes the channel imbalance changes to the other ear. When I use EF95 without the jumpers there is no channel imbalance I can hear. So, what seems to be the problem?

Hey Henmyr!

Without enough coffee this morning, and not thinking too deeply, I'd say you have dirty power tube pins, or a flaky power tube. Try cleaning both of them and see if the problem is gone. If not, I'd be thinking about replacing the power tubes, because something is up with one of them.

As a matter of course, I always clean ALL pins on ALL the tubes, if I get one tube that doesn't behave. Usually, they all need the cleaning anyway, so it is time well spent.

Deoxit 5 for cleaning (with small softer, wire brush), and Deoxit Gold to treat the pins, should do the trick.

Now, where did I sit my coffee mug! Glug glug glug....

 

[Penchum]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beta-Vidoh /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ok thanks, good to know.

You're welcome!

I should have commented further on this. The confusion I once had with the "tube glow", was all created by myself. I thought that a matched pair, would glow the same brightness. It somehow, made sense to my brain. However, I was wrong.

Two tubes can measure exactly the same on a tester, and glow with different intensity.

Now, if I buy a pair of matched tubes, I ask the seller if they wouldn't mind finding me a pair that measure the same AND glow with the same intensity. Most sellers (who have quantity), don't mind doing this for you, if you tell them that you are going to use them in a tube headphone amplifier, that is highly visible.

If you are buying tubes that are not matched, you never know what to expect in glow intensity. This is why I like to buy driver tubes in a 5 pack, when I can find them this way. I can generally get close to matching them up by glow, and have a few spares "just in case".

Have a good one!!!

 

[Henmyr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penchum /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hey Henmyr! Without enough coffee this morning, and not thinking too deeply, I'd say you have dirty power tube pins, or a flaky power tube. Try cleaning both of them and see if the problem is gone. If not, I'd be thinking about replacing the power tubes, because something is up with one of them. As a matter of course, I always clean ALL pins on ALL the tubes, if I get one tube that doesn't behave. Usually, they all need the cleaning anyway, so it is time well spent. Deoxit 5 for cleaning (with small softer, wire brush), and Deoxit Gold to treat the pins, should do the trick. Now, where did I sit my coffee mug! Glug glug glug....

Hi and thanks for the answer (a bit late with the thanks). I will try to get some kind of deox and will see if that helps

 

[NikZ]

The deoxit and deoxit gold really do wonder. At first when I got the M8161 , I didn't understand why everyone here like the M8161 so much. They were very dull sounding and lack detail. Later I noticed that the tube pins were very dirty. After cleaning with caig deoxit and applying some deoxit gold, I was very surprised by the sound quality of the clean M8161. They became a different beast. Better clarity , separation and detail. A lot better! The differences were very noticeble. Now I apply deoxit to every connection point in my system.

 

[SemiAudiophile]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DropAtorryKar /img/forum/go_quote.gif Wow, i've bought some pills it this pharmacy store, prices are really low, delivered everything in one day, very very good pharmacy! And here are some more pills that i and my friends purchased there: lisinopril 20mg side effects of creatine Zoloft Versus Prozac Side Effects Zoloft Zoloft In Pregnancy Lexapro Reviews buy legitimate propecia Prednisone Taper canine glucosamine side effects of cymbalta Lexapro Effexor Zocor 20 Mg seroquel withdrawal Wellbutrin Sr Clomid And Metformin For Pcos ginkgo biloba tree shape

awesome.

my RCAs came in today. could already tell a difference once i plugged them in. more detail, slightly bigger soundstage. no more of that bloated feeling that i got with the stock tubes. also have some m8161s on the way, can't wait!

 

[raekwonse]

Where are you getting the M8161s? I can't find any expect for the ones with the small shields. Are the small shield ones even worth getting or should I hold out for the large shields?

 

[ScottieB]

Quote:

Originally Posted by raekwonse /img/forum/go_quote.gif Where are you getting the M8161s? I can't find any expect for the ones with the small shields. Are the small shield ones even worth getting or should I hold out for the large shields?

I'd hold out - keep checking eBay - the current lack of them is kinda surprising actually. You could even email YenAudio (yen1233 on ebay) and see if he has any. I've bought several pairs of tubes from him (including my M8161s) and they've all been great (if not the cheapest).

 

[SemiAudiophile]

Quote:

Originally Posted by raekwonse /img/forum/go_quote.gif Where are you getting the M8161s? I can't find any expect for the ones with the small shields. Are the small shield ones even worth getting or should I hold out for the large shields?

oh..i got the ones with the small shields. is there a difference? damn! no wonder they were so cheap...