[gibosi]

Here, back on earth, I continue to sample the 2C51. lol

Next up is a Western Electric 396A. Given their sky-high prices, it is likely that I will never own a pair of WE 421A output tubes or a WE 422A rectifier, so I can't help but wonder if this little 396A might provide a hint of the fabled Western Electric sound. Unfortunately, since I have no experience with the 421A and 422A, I really don't know, but I can say that this 396A sounds mighty good.

 

[2359glenn]

Maybe a good deal.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-X-6336A-...307176?hash=item48b3ed1fe8:g:WicAAOSwhN5bt7di

 

[gibosi]

The GEC (RCA) tube sounds a tad bit more refined but I've given the tube minimum of 40 hours so it's opened up compared to the RCA 12SX7 which still sounds a bit flabby. Personally I think they sound the same but it's a sad day for me (I over payed for a tube and need to educate myself more on construction types) and a good day being as the RCA 12SN7s are very cheap. I just purchased 3 of them for $30 and still have the 1633 smoked glass and the 12SX7. This should hold me over as day to day listening tubes and switch over to the more refined tubes on the weekend.

I had not seen RCA 6SN7/12SN7 relabeled as GEC before now, but I have seen Fivre, so one should be careful when purchasing this tube. While I believe the gray-glass metal-based tubes are definitely GEC, the clear glass versions are trickier. Personally, I won't buy a clear-glass GEC B36 or B65 unless I see these "umbrella" spokes hanging down from the top round mica. I think there might be a later GEC version without the spokes, but I am not sure. So again, I always go for the spokes.

 

[Oskari]

I had not seen RCA 6SN7/12SN7 relabeled as GEC before now, but I have seen Fivre, …

I also had Italian thoughts.

One possibility, especially if a tube is very RCA-like, is ATES "RCA license".

 

[UntilThen]

I don't know what the problem was? Maybe the tubes were oscillating don't know why.
What do you mean fire sound??

It goes 'thud thud thud thud' like machine gun That was using quad EL12 spez as power tubes.

Running dual EL11 as drivers now with 2 x EL11 + 2 x EL12 as power tubes. Beautiful sound. Mid range sounds full and opens up. Reminds me of the 300b tubes in WA5le that I heard.

 

[UntilThen]

You could use 3 of these dual EL3N adapters and run 6 EL3N tubes, similar to the above setup. That will work too. EL3N sounds warmer. EL11 and EL12 sounds clearer and airier. Less warm.

 

[mordy]

You could use 3 of these dual EL3N adapters and run 6 EL3N tubes, similar to the above setup. That will work too. EL3N sounds warmer. EL11 and EL12 sounds clearer and airier. Less warm.
Is there room for 6 EL12 tubes as power tubes?

 

[mordy]

IMHO the GOTL has enormous potential and I think that there are more tube possibilities that are worthy of exploring in addition to the great EL11/12 tubes, such as the EL32 which gets very high praise on the Euforia thread.
Just wish that the adapters were less expensive....

 

[UntilThen]

You wouldn't be using 6 EL12 as power tubes. It's either 4 or 8. Each power row of GOTL takes 4. There is room for 8 but just.

 

[UntilThen]

IMHO the GOTL has enormous potential and I think that there are more tube possibilities that are worthy of exploring in addition to the great EL11/12 tubes, such as the EL32 which gets very high praise on the Euforia thread.
Just wish that the adapters were less expensive....

That looks amazing and scary at the same time. Looks like it's a winner right off the bat from your description and the tubes haven't even been burned in.

It is amazing and scary. EL tube sound is a shift away from 6sn7 which sounds smaller and more precise. EL tube sounds bigger and more flesh out. I am trying to provide a very simplistic description of what I hear. It is not easy to describe tube sound.

 

[2359glenn]

It goes 'thud thud thud thud' like machine gun That was using quad EL12 spez as power tubes.

Running dual EL11 as drivers now with 2 x EL11 + 2 x EL12 as power tubes. Beautiful sound. Mid range sounds full and opens up. Reminds me of the 300b tubes in WA5le that I heard.

When using the 2 tube to 6AS7 adapter you should have both the tubes the same.
It is not like putting different tubes in the row like a 6080 and a 6BL7 those the two sides are identical. Here it is single tubes put together like a dual tube.

 

[UntilThen]

When using the 2 tube to 6AS7 adapter you should have both the tubes the same.
It is not like putting different tubes in the row like a 6080 and a 6BL7 those the two sides are identical. Here it is single tubes put together like a dual tube.

Yes I am using one EL11 and one EL12 in the dual adapter at the moment but I don't hear any anomalies.

As I don't have 4 EL12, I'll switch to running quad EL11s as power tubes. Using EL11s as drivers. So using 6 EL11s.

 

[UntilThen]

Here I have quad EL11 aligned in the 2nd row power slots. 2 x Philips Miniwatts EL11 and 2 x RFT EL11

 

[UntilThen]

Now I have 6 EL11s running and it's just as powerful. Don't need 10 tubes. 6 tubes more than enough. Strange running 6 EL11 is louder than a mixture of EL11 and EL12. Now my volume is only at 9am. Previously it was at 11 am.

I've aligned the power tubes straight for a more streamlined look.

The front 2 EL11 are Telefunkens.

 

[mordy]

You have all eyes on you:
How does it sound? And how does it compare to your best previous setup?

1. mordy
2. m17xr2b
3. Phantaminum
4. Xcalibur255
5. UntilThen
6. Oskari
7. 2359glenn
8. pippen99