[gibosi]

Very Nice! Are you attempting an actual build or just trying to corner the market on rare tubes? I won't hazard a guess as to protect its anonymity.

Neither. As Glenn notes, I buy only those tubes that I can use in the OTL. And in this case, the mystery tube is pin-compatible with the 76. So in order to test it, I put a 76 in one side of the adapter and this tube in the other. In the OTL, it has less gain than the 76, but otherwise, it works fine. But obviously, in order to evaluate this tube, I need a pair.

 

[ru4music]

Neither. As Glenn notes, I buy only those tubes that I can use in the OTL. And in this case, the mystery tube is pin-compatible with the 76. So in order to test it, I put a 76 in one side of the adapter and this tube in the other. In the OTL, it has less gain than the 76, but otherwise, it works fine. But obviously, in order to evaluate this tube, I need a pair.

Damn, good for you! That's casting your hook/ bait as opposed to standing on the shoreline and just cutting bait.

 

[ru4music]

He uses them in his OTL amp with a adapter.

Wow that's great! I wonder (not really... ) if he (@gibosi) is missing there true potential compared to a single ended high efficiency design ( i.e. new Glenn amp needed!). The 76 tube (as I've auditioned) is very very good if you can source a low noise/ low microphonic example.

 

[whirlwind]

Those 26 triodes do look pretty nice. But I am currently having lots of fun with the early 6.3V triodes, such as the 76.

For example, here is a sweet looking early triode, probably manufactured in the late 1920's, with mesh plates. Since I am searching for a mate to this one, I choose not to reveal exactly what it is.

Great looking tube Ken, good luck finding another one....I know you will, you always do.
Are you still listening with Senn HD700 ?

After listening to the HD800 and my OTL amp last night and this morning, it is just hard to beat the OTL with this headphone, especially for blues music.
Going through my Stevie Ray Vaughan collection.

 

[gibosi]

Wow that's great! I wonder (not really... ) if he (@gibosi) is missing there true potential compared to a single ended high efficiency design ( i.e. new Glenn amp needed!). The 76 tube (as I've auditioned) is very very good if you can source a low noise/ monophonic example.

There are some here who are on a quest for the ultimate amp, ultimate tubes, ultimate capacitors, ultimate transformers and so forth. But not me. I am much more of a tube roller and collector than an audiophile. That is, discovering and trying out new tubes is my quest.

Moreover, it just so happens that I already have the ultimate tube rolling amp. And it just so happens that the 76 sounds terrific in this amp. Thanks Glenn!

So no, I have no interest in or desire for an ultimate amp designed around the 76, or any other tube....

 

[gibosi]

Great looking tube Ken, good luck finding another one....I know you will, you always do.
Are you still listening with Senn HD700 ?

After listening to the HD800 and my OTL amp last night and this morning, it is just hard to beat the OTL with this headphone, especially for blues music.
Going through my Stevie Ray Vaughan collection.

Yes. I still have my slightly modded HD700. In fact, it is the only headphone I use...

And I am hopeful I can find a match for my early mesh-plate triode. However, it appears to be exceedingly rare, so it may take months... or even years... On the other hand, most vendors have no idea what it is, so it is usually goes for cheap.

 

[Xcalibur255]

@whirlwind
Thanks Glenn, I hear they come highly recommended! It will be interesting to see how Duelund stacks up, although, I predict they will not be taking a back seat in the SQ department.

I did the Duelund Alexander. Seemed like a more sanely priced alternative to their high end stuff. Without "cap rolling" you can't really know, but I've definitely been able to "hear" cheap or bad caps in the past and I can't hear the Alexanders.

 

[ru4music]

I did the Duelund Alexander. Seemed like a more sanely priced alternative to their high end stuff. Without "cap rolling" you can't really know, but I've definitely been able to "hear" cheap or bad caps in the past and I can't hear the Alexanders.

That's good to know. My build will include the RS series which is a step above the VSF series and one step below the top-of-the-line Duelund CAST series, so I'm anticipating good things!

 

[lukeap69]

Great looking tube Ken, good luck finding another one....I know you will, you always do.
Are you still listening with Senn HD700 ?

After listening to the HD800 and my OTL amp last night and this morning, it is just hard to beat the OTL with this headphone, especially for blues music.
Going through my Stevie Ray Vaughan collection.

Joe, for the HD800, GOTL or GEL3N? You are on the hot seat now.

 

[whirlwind]

Joe, for the HD800, GOTL or GEL3N? You are on the hot seat now.

Hi Arnold, both amps do great with the HD800.

For just the HD800, I personally like the warmer sound of the OTL and especially with the new dac. Of course YMMV

I have been listening to HD800 with the OTL the last couple of days.....Chatham 6AS7 & NU 12SN7

I have been working my way through my Stevie Ray Vaughan collection, i am still on vacation and quite enjoying my music.

 

[gibosi]

Hi Arnold, both amps do great with the HD800.

For just the HD800, I personally like the warmer sound of the OTL and especially with the new dac. Of course YMMV

I have been listening to HD800 with the OTL the last couple of days.....Chatham 6AS7 & NU 12SN7

And IMHO this illustrates one of the true strengths of the OTL - tube rolling!

To the best of my knowledge, the vast majority, and perhaps all Philips EL3N were manufactured in Vienna, Austria at their WIRAG factory. In my experience, WIRAG tubes tend to be fairly cool with considerable treble presence and air. And Hungarian Tungsram tubes tend to have a similar sound signature. But of course, in the OTL, with so many choices available for driver and output tubes, is is possible to finely tune the sound signature to suit any headphone and set of ears.

 

[whirlwind]

And IMHO this illustrates one of the true strengths of the OTL - tube rolling!

To the best of my knowledge, the vast majority, and perhaps all Philips EL3N were manufactured in Vienna, Austria at their WIRAG factory. In my experience, WIRAG tubes tend to be fairly cool with considerable treble presence and air. And Hungarian Tungsram tubes tend to have a similar sound signature. But of course, in the OTL, with so many choices available for driver and output tubes, is is possible to finely tune the sound signature to suit any headphone and set of ears.

Yeah, if you like to roll tubes and are mainly using high impedance cans and while it does do pretty good with my planars....that is where it lacks to the GEL3N amp ....authority definitely favors GEL3N

 

[gibosi]

The OTL running a pair of Sylvania 37, manufactured in the month of September, 1932. The type 37 is essentially a type 27 outfitted with a 6.3V heater in response to the growing demand for radios in motor vehicles beginning around 1930. And therefore, it is one of the earliest single triodes that can be used in the OTL without a custom heater power supply.

However, as others have observed, these early triodes are often unacceptably noisy and getting good ones is a bit of a crap shoot. I have four type 37 and of these, two are too noisy. Fortunately, the two that are keepers were made by the same company and I have a date-matched pair. Still, I am bummed that both the RCA's are too noisy...
Incidentally, they sound terrific.

 

[whirlwind]

Very nice Ken, those are some old ass tubes!

 

[Neogeo333]

Miss the OTL so much. If I'd known it would work with those old ass tubes I would still probably keep it.