Hey guys, I haven't posted on this site in quite a while now, and I may have resurrected an old thread (did a search), but I'm now looking for a new set of EL84s for my original MG Head OTL. I have JJ EL84s in there and one of them is starting to get staticky - I confirmed this by swapping the...

Tube amp (MG Head OTL) right now, who knows what the future holds. As for tubes vs. solid state, hey whatever amp sounds best with my cans, that's the amp I will stick with. KJP

The belt: I have an old 486 I built years ago running an old copy of Mandrake Linux acting as a firewall (ipchains) and NAT router. The suspenders: Norton Internet Security 2003 on the computers inside my network. Actually this approach works well--the Linux box (or router if you're using...

Quote: Originally posted by pbirkett Would I be correct in assuming therefore that if it doesnt sound musical, lacks bass, and has harsh treble, then perhaps the headphone socket is struggling? Correct. When I first got my DT831s they sounded anywhere from awful to mediocre when...

I haven't heard the Sylvanias yet but my current favorite tube is the Raytheon black plate 5751 with the windmill getter. It's been a while since I've tube rolled so I'm not sure offhand if it's more or less detailed than the GE but I think you'll like it.

So Merc is in the MG Head saddle again! I have the Raytheon windmill getter 5751 in the center slot in my Head. Even crappy sounding CDs are listenable on this rig, and well-recorded CDs really sing! Maybe someday I'll try rolling other tubes like the often-talked-about Sylvanias, when I...

Did you get your Head yet Merc? I'm still enjoying the one you sold me. Works great, sounds great, and it's neat having a "low-tech" tube amp next to a "high-tech" computer. KJP

'98 Saturn SL2 5 speed. Which is, sad to say, the sportiest car I have ever owned. Happy to say, the most reliable.

From what I've read, it's a phase switch. If you experience hum due to a ground loop, you should be able to reduce/eliminate it by flipping that switch. Otherwise, it can be ignored. KJP

If the MG Head sockets were so tight as to cause tubes to crack, there would be a lot more posts about cracked tubes in MG Heads on this forum. I'm thinking more likely that the Mullard in question was defective, or maybe weakened due to stress, shock or damage. If you've had multiple tubes...

Definitely turn the amp off before changing tubes. Otherwise you could fry something. Unplugging the power is a good idea too, just to minimize the shock hazard. It doesn't hurt to give the tubes a few minutes to cool off too, before handling them. You wouldn't swap out a card in your PC...

Quote: Which one of these two choices would sound best? A: New MG Head OTL MkII amp OR B: New MG Head OTL Amp(last version) plus two JJ EL84 tubes and a nice 5751(Sylvania JHS) How about C: New MG Head OTL MkII amp plus two JJ EL84 tubes and a nice 5751! You might as well go all...

Definitely post your impressions on the MkII when you get it Merc. I'm listening to the OTL you sold me as we speak, it still sounds wonderful! Weren't you going to get a Twin Head at one point? If I were in a better financial situation I might consider upgrading to the OTL32. It sounds...

The tube cage doesn't really keep dust out, as it has large openings in it. It does help protect the tubes from accidental damage, or theft--my MG Head is in my cubicle at work, so the cage makes it a bit harder to commit a uh, tube-napping. I wonder if the cage also helps with RFI/EMI...

I cracked up during the Reebok commercial when Terry Tate did the "TPS report" thing. Of course only Office Space fanatics would get the joke, but it made my night. There were a lot of good movie ads too, Matrix, Charlie's Angels, T3, it's going to be a fun summer. KJP