Oh man, sorry about that...for a minute there I thought we’d solved it. All I know to do is swap in new tubes and see if it helps.

Are the tubes well seated in their sockets? You might try cleaning the pins to your tubes with isopropyl alcohol (no scent or additives) and letting them dry. Also, you could gently clean your tube sockets with pipe cleaners. Let everything dry well and check for lint, etc. I’ve found if the...

Just want to say, I would never pay today’s prices for a Tung Sol round plate. Yes, it sounds very nice, but unless you have money to burn you’re way past the point of diminishing returns. I believe patience is they key - go to hamfests and keep an eye on Craigslist and eBay and you will find...

No, this was before everybody got excited by them. Just another tube on the table.

I do have the “Frankentube” - ordered a 7N7 blind off eBay, not knowing anything about this particular tube, and later found out it was highly thought of. And I have two Tung Sol round plates I picked up years ago at a ham fest, for maybe five bucks. Glad I didn’t pay today’s prices! It’s been...

It was my impression that the Frankentube is the only tall 7N7, even though they may be branded differently. If I’m mistaken I stand corrected. I assume a circuit change is required to use a 14N7 instead of a 7N7? JKDJedi, I really appreciate the knowledge you share here; I’ve learned a lot.

it’s hard to say from the angle of the photo, but it sure looks like it could be. There’s only one tall 7N7, and this looks like one. Good find whatever you have. Let us know!

I lucked into a Frankentube recently at a good price. It really is as good as they say. Very clean with just enough richness. I’d say it’s about as good as a Tung Sol round plate.

I stand corrected! Thanks

In general, using a 6080 or 7236 tube for the power tube (the one in the back) will brighten the sound up some, compared to a 6as7g. The Tung Sol 7236 is a really nice tube (I think the Sylvana is a rebranded Tung Sol, but I could be wrong. Happy listening!

Tube designations can make your head spin! Thanks for clearing that up.

How are you suggesting these be used in a DarkVoice? They aren’t equivalent to 6sn7g or 6as7 that I know of.

Thanks for trying that for us! I’ll definitely give it a shot, as I have a few 6SL7s around. I wonder how a 6BX7 would do in in 6AS7G slot?

Are these 6SL7? If so, that’s a different tube than the 6SN7 and not a substitute in the DarkVoice.

Oh, and you can clean the sockets themselves by using a pipe cleaner or toothpick with just a little contact cleaner. Be very careful and poke it into the holes to clean them. I love my DV, but you never know if it’s going to act up on any given day! I’ve had noise one day, none the next, with...