[Dominat0r]

Just got my HR Millet Hybrid...so my search for the perfect tube begins.

What brand, model, you guys using?

What do you find the differences are between tubes. Im looking for something to match well with my 650s.

What is considered the top dog of the millet hybrid world?

Ive tested the 12FK6, 12AE6A and the 12FM6..is there ones im missing?

 

[cooperpwc]

I personally use 12FK6. Here are some notes that I put together from the builders site. As you will see, opinions are all over the map.

Quote:

The amp is optimally biased for a pair of Dumont 12FK6 tubes (my personal favorite). ...There are three tubes that can be used in the Millet, 12FK6, 12AE6, 12FM6. The majority of Millet owners prefer the 12FK6 as the tube with the best balance, imaging, and dynamics. Among the 12FK6's, I found the Dumonts to sound the best. ---------------------------------------- The FM6's you use seem to be the least favorite. 12AE6's have the highest gain and test better for distortion (see Amb's tests), and the FK6's are recommended for brightening up the warm sound and giving the most detail. ----- That's good that you also have the 12AE6's and the FK6's. The other differences I've read is that even though the 12AE6 tests well, it's a little laid back. Worse, it's been reported that the bias may vary from sitting to sitting. The FK6's have the least gain but are shy on the bass. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Again, yestereve, I listen for some hours this new MH. I rolled a little bit tubes, and realized maybe something everybody knows now for a long time. Bias setting is not one and for all the same, right, I think I had 13.5v, with 12FM6, and it gave me more than 20v with 12AE6A !! I reset it to 14v. Too late to add some testing poles to the box, panels are on their way From what I heard, so, 12FK6 gives a lot of bass, or maybe rolls off heavily the highs, in comparison with the 12AE6A and 12FM6, which I should listen to more closely ------- The first tubes I used were Sylvania 12AE6s, and my first thoughts were of disappointment. The sound was so laid back and unexciting, I was shocked. Next was a pair of Raytheon 12FK6s which were much more lively, open, and crisp sounding. But, they could be a bit harsh, with some audible high frequency distortion. I then popped in some RCA 12FM6s, and BAM!!, I had found my tubes. So nice, with a huge soundstage, and the kind of detail where you can hear the saliva in Lyle Lovett's mouth. ...I have recently purchased some Westinghouse and GE 12AE6s, Tung Sol 12FK6s, and some GE 12FM6s. First impressions are that the 12AE6s are nothing like the Sylvanias. Both the new versions are very open, clean, and detailed, things my Sylvanias are not. The GE 12FM6s and Tung Sols I haven't listened to enough to comment on fully. I have also begun experimenting with bias settings, and have found my RCA 12FM6s suit my set-up the best at about 13.5V. I have the same bias setting on the Westinghouse 12AE6s, and the sound is VERY impressive. May be my new favorite. There is a definite difference from one brand to another on the same tube, at least in the case of my Sylvania 12AE6, and the others I now have. --------------- VERY interesting post. I have GE 12AU6A's that I like very much and I think they are much more lively than my Tung-Sol 12FM6's and (probably RCA) 12FK6's. Most people describe 12AU6A like you described your Sylvanias- very laid back and uninteresting. I never understood my preference for 12AU6A until I read your post. I also have a set of Sylvania 12AU6A's and I am going to compare them to the GE's to see if I get the same results. -------------- Just to let you know I sourced here in Brussels RCA 12FM6 and 12AE6A, with matching facility, even they have Mullard (not ordered, only RCA). I will test these the next days and will surely give some appreciations. As far as I am: Sylvania 12AE6A: unusable for far too much EMI sensitive, apart from that, very good dynamic and resolution. Sylvania 12FM6: my current choice, good sound, less involving than the 12AE6A, but without any EMI sensitivity, very few radiophonic effect. Sylania 12FK6: too much bass for me, maybe for bassfreek. quite radiophonic if I remember well, not my taste. -------------- Ok, I received the RCA's. I just plugged in the RCA 12FM6, without even adjusting the bias (bias was adjusted for 13.5V with Sylvania 12FM6, I assumed it should not shift too much). The thing is in another league, definitely!! Much more brilliant sound, more refined, the highs are more present, more delineated. Bass is more precise too, and seems to go lower than before. The depth and broad of soundstage is noticeably bigger too, even with crossfeed put, the stereo is wide, and when I say wide, I mean it, being acclimated to crossfeeded sound. I want also to have an ear at the RCA 12AE6A, but I will first listen more to this one. Could 12AE6A Mullard be interesting to try? Any comment welcome.

 

[Dominat0r]

wow, its is all over....lots of different takes on the tubes.

Thanks for the info.

 

[Dominat0r]

Ive noticed the distortion levels myself with the tubes....the FK6 sounds nice, more detail...however more distortion also.

The AE6A doesnt have as much airy detail, but its got more punch in the low end...and it doesnt distort as much.

 

[n_maher]

You'll have another pair of RCA FK6's to try soon along with a pair of Sylvania FM6's.

 

[Dominat0r]

You're the bomb nate...let me know your paypal...ill shoot you some cash for them and shipping.

Did you test them in your millet? i know you had one for that your built...which looks awesome btw.

BTW you should get your badboy back soon =)

 

[cooperpwc]

Nate's Milletts are indeed awesome. How is this for an uber-cool picture of Ray Samuels listening to the Millett built by Nate that is now owned by me.

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[Dominat0r]

hey it looks like my setup =)

All you need is a Zhaolu....

What tubes are you using in yours?

 

[cooperpwc]

That's not actually my setup - the pic well predates my buying the Millet.

I use Dumont 12FK6. The first paragraph in the summary I posted above is from an email from DizzieOrange to me when he sold me the Millet. I have setlled on the same tubes.

 

[n_maher]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HighLife /img/forum/go_quote.gif You're the bomb nate...let me know your paypal...ill shoot you some cash for them and shipping.

Ha, nice try, better luck next time. Just PM me your address.

Quote:

Did you test them in your millet? i know you had one for that your built...which looks awesome btw.

I didn't, but I can. My Hybrid hasn't been fired up for a while but it could stand some use.

Quote:

BTW you should get your badboy back soon =)

Woot!

 

[Dominat0r]

i sent you my addy nate, thanks man...please let me at least get the shipping.

 

[ionomolo2]

I added a trimpot for the current to my millet max and i wonder what would happen if i used the ECC86/6GM8 at say 1-3 mA's.

I know it uses a different heather voltage so it may be a bit messy to get it working, but it's straightworward enough to make me wonder why there are no comments about the sound of this tube in the millet amp.

Has somebody actually tried it?

 

[tomb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ionomolo2 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I added a trimpot for the current to my millet max and i wonder what would happen if i used the ECC86/6GM8 at say 1-3 mA's. I know it uses a different heather voltage so it may be a bit messy to get it working, but it's straightworward enough to make me wonder why there are no comments about the sound of this tube in the millet amp. Has somebody actually tried it?

Well, first of all - the 6GM8 is a 9-pin, dual triode, 6.3V heater design. The Millett Hybrid/MAX/MiniMAX uses 7-pin, single triode tubes with 12.6V heaters. The problem becomes even greater when you realize that the Millett tubes' heaters are in series. So essentially, the heater circuit in the Millett/MAX/MiniMAX is designed for ~24-27V at 150ma. The 6GM8 wants 6V at 300ma. You'd have to heat sink the power in the heater circuit to burn off ~18V at 300ma. That's almost 5-1/2Watts, a bigger heat load than the rest of the amp put together. Then figure the 9 pins vs. the 7 pins of the Millett tubes and different pin designations all, it becomes a bit daunting.

You'd basically have to re-design the entire amp to use the 6GM8. We're not going to do that, either, despite the fact that the 6GM8 is a good tube - because it's also an unobtanium tube. John Broskie can't even buy enough to support his 24V Aikido. Tube vendors here and there have a handful of them - but that's all there is.


P.S. I don't know what they're talking about up there when mentioning the 12AU6 - someone is mixed up and was trying to say "12AE6." The 12AU6 is even farther away parameter-wise than the 6GM8 - it won't work in a Millett Hybrid/MAX/MiniMAX.

Also, a lot of talk about tube brands - particularly DuMont. DuMont didn't make Millett tubes: GE, RCA, Tung Sol, Slyvania - that's it. All the rest were re-branded. I've had over 100 DuMonts at one point and they were all a mix of RCA, Tung Sol, and some Sylvania (later versions when DuMont became DuMont-Emerson).

 

[Gradofan2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HighLife /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just got my HR Millet Hybrid...so my search for the perfect tube begins. What brand, model, you guys using? What do you find the differences are between tubes. Im looking for something to match well with my 650s. What is considered the top dog of the millet hybrid world? Ive tested the 12FK6, 12AE6A and the 12FM6..is there ones im missing?

Well... so far... I've tried the RCA 12FM6, RCA 12AE6, and the Matsush(i)ta 12AE6. And... I really don't think I need to go any further.

All of these sound superb in all respects - both types of RCAs sound very, very similar - the 12AE6 has just a bit more gain, and maybe a "hair" more drive. I'm not really sure its worth trying both... they're so similar. Pick one and go with it.

The Matsush(i)ta's sound similar to the RCAs, with maybe just a bit more detail, clarity and air... but, only a bit. You can get the Matsush(i)tas from Whiplash Audio - I think they've got quite a few available.

Oh yes... and I've set the tube bias to about 16v, rather than the standard 13.5v. I saw an article by P. Millett suggesting the higher bias sounds better - has less distortion, so long as you don't overdrive your phones into clipping the tops off the sine wave... which... is pretty hard to do, at 16v. But... anything between 15v and 16v seems to work fine. Gives a bit smoother sound.