[Phantaminum]

The Ken Rad’s have pronounced bass and rolled off highs, which just happens to match well with the C3g’s that I own....




Interesting about your rolled off 6922 bass.
Like my ECC88 for the opposite reason...big fat bass

.

Hey JV,

There are two versions of the Amperex PQs. One is made in Holland and the other was made in the good old US. The Holland has very sweet mids and highs but the bottom is rolled off. The USA version of the tube has much more impact, great bottom end, but the mids are not as smooth as the Holland version. All around great tubes.

I received my '52 6H8C Russian Melz today and put them in to test them out. I forgot how great these Russian tubes can be and fit right in with the sound signature I'm looking for. They sound fantastic with the Auteurs and GE 6BX7s. Great extension on both ends, very nice bass, with a wide sound stage. Not as deep as the EL8s and doesn't pull out those little cues but sounds like an RCA and TS BGRP had a baby. Doesn't fatigue me like the Tung-Sols, Hollands, Ken-Rads, or National Union (but this one has really been getting a lot of head time).

Edit: I think I have two of those KRs. I'm going to try them this weekend.

 

[JazzVinyl]

Can you tell me if these Ken-Rad VT-231 are any good? I mean quality and price wise which link is more preferable:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-KEN-RAD-JAN-CKR-6SN7GT-VT-231-Military-tube-SC961A-NIB-/183407226916

https://www.ebay.com/itm/PAIR-HD-MI...233955?hash=item214851b0a3:g:olwAAOSwHMhbpOz3

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Ke...840742&hash=item2abace50f6:g:1sIAAOSwa6ZbumXb

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Ke...884423&hash=item5d82aad0e3:g:D5cAAOSwDrpbq-5r

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1MP-JAN-6S...804938?hash=item2ccde3944a:g:qfsAAOSwLs9bBoLu

Thank goodness you only need one for the GOTL...

If it's a 1940's Ken-Rad VT-231 and not noisey...they should all sound good (deep bass recessed treble). Save a search for them, and be patient, wait for a deal...think I paid more like $49 for one...

Black glass or clear glass are said to sound the same...don't pay more for a black glass one

 

[mordy]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/KEN-RAD-VT...=item3d79a6827b:g:kAsAAOSwlypb2lhP:rk:40:pf:0

What about this pair? I don't have experience with these tubes myself, but maybe somebody can comment?

 

[JazzVinyl]

Hey JV,

There are two versions of the Amperex PQs. One is made in Holland and the other was made in the good old US. The Holland has very sweet mids and highs but the bottom is rolled off. The USA version of the tube has much more impact, great bottom end, but the mids are not as smooth as the Holland version. All around great tubes.

I received my '52 6H8C Russian Melz today and put them in to test them out. I forgot how great these Russian tubes can be and fit right in with the sound signature I'm looking for. They sound fantastic with the Auteurs and GE 6BX7s. Great extension on both ends, very nice bass, with a wide sound stage. Not as deep as the EL8s and doesn't pull out those little cues but sounds like an RCA and TS BGRP had a baby. Doesn't fatigue me like the Tung-Sols, Hollands, Ken-Rads, or National Union (but this one has really been getting a lot of head time).

Edit: I think I have two of those KRs. I'm going to try them this weekend.

Hello PH...

I have two Amperex (Philips) ECC88's and both say "Made in Holland" but I think they have tremendous bass in my system paired with the six pack of 6BL7's. They are really great sounding throughout the range. Maybe a little bit smaller soundstage than some others (like the FDD20) but...they are dead quiet and rock solid dependable. And the right amount of mu to use with the six pack of 6BL7's. They are easy to live with.

Do have a question...several times you have said the EL8's present "cues" - can you elaborate, please, on what you mean by that?

Happy for your Melz' tubes

 

[UntilThen]

Which type is the best one? Metal tube tube? Russian metal tube? Glass tube? Glass with mesh plate?
RCA 5693

I have a pair of relatively new RCA 5693. They are pretty good. The 6s7j mesh plates are supposed to be good.

Other pentodes that I have used in LF339 are the EF80 and EF86 pentodes.

I fear you have open the Pandora's box. The Martians have landed.

 

[UntilThen]

Did you try EL12N instead of EL11?

No I did not... yet. I was too pre-occupied with the Telefunkun EL11s. The last tube change was 2 weeks ago and that was with the 175 British pounds Sylvania 6sn7w metal base, a tube that I admired like it was a golden nugget that fell from the sky but the German Telefunken EL11s smash it. Well musically for me.

I thought I paid a lot for the TFK EL11 but I checked and I only paid $42 aussie dollars each and it was NOS and came with the original TFK box. I am hoping it will last forever because EL11s just lock it in with the 6bx7s. Of course I am happy that I will be able to use these tubes in the OTL's c3g slots.

And I am also very curious at how the incoming TFK EL13s will perform.

 

[whirlwind]

Going through junk looking for something else I found two of these tubes 95397. They look like a 9 pin tube in a Loctal adapter but they are not.
They are Loctal tubes Philips SQ tube special quality. Have no idea what the pin configuration is can't find anything.

I wish that I had a junk pile to go through like that
Small amount of snow on the ground here.

Thank goodness you only need one for the GOTL...

If it's a 1940's Ken-Rad VT-231 and not noisey...they should all sound good (deep bass recessed treble). Save a search for them, and be patient, wait for a deal...think I paid more like $49 for one...

Black glass or clear glass are said to sound the same...don't pay more for a black glass one

So true, as long as they clear glass has the staggered plates, you can save some nice cash.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/kenrad-vt-231-staggered-plates-clear-glass.893375/

 

[mordy]

Unexpected 6” of snow here - chaos on roads. Some kids needed 6 hours to get home with school buses.

 

[JazzVinyl]

We got 7 inches last Sunday...

But no panic...

 

[leftside]

Where are you guys located with snow? I'm still mountain biking here out west. Been an unusually dry November. That's sure to change soon...

 

[lukeap69]

Snow? What is that? LOL

 

[2359glenn]

Unexpected 6” of snow here - chaos on roads. Some kids needed 6 hours to get home with school buses.

Here in NC if there was 6" of snow yesterday every one would still be stuck. 2" will have everything closed couldn't even get McDonalds pitiful.

 

[mordy]

I am in the New York City northern suburbs. What was unusual yesterday was that only a little snow was forecast, and suddenly a lot came down very very quickly, in the middle of rush hour. It was so slippery that cars and busses couldn't get up even small hills. Everything ground to a standstill for hours.

 

[JazzVinyl]

Denver, CO

Snow is our drinking water.
We panic if it does NOT snow.

 

[Phantaminum]

Hello PH...

I have two Amperex (Philips) ECC88's and both say "Made in Holland" but I think they have tremendous bass in my system paired with the six pack of 6BL7's. They are really great sounding throughout the range. Maybe a little bit smaller soundstage than some others (like the FDD20) but...they are dead quiet and rock solid dependable. And the right amount of mu to use with the six pack of 6BL7's. They are easy to live with.

Do have a question...several times you have said the EL8's present "cues" - can you elaborate, please, on what you mean by that?

Happy for your Melz' tubes

Hey JV,

Just small things in the background that I did not know were there. For example, the clicks on a trumpet when any of the valves are depressed or the guitar player sliding his palm across the guitar (not the strings). Small little cues in the background that were not apparent before.

I'm hoping the '52 Melz pair don't turn bright like the '60s Melz I think have a different getter build compared to the '50s.