[Xcalibur255]

Wow man,sorry to hear about that. Hope it goes away eventually. I know my ears were ringing for over a week after I boldly stupidly ventured into the blast radius(front and center. So loud,it was devoid of people. Only time in my life I saw that) of a Motorhead show at the Hollywood Palladium. Eventually it went away. Hope you have the same fortune.

15 months now and counting I think. My brain has gained some ability to tune it out when I'm focusing on a task, but if my thoughts slow down or the room is quiet that piercing high pitch shrieking noise is always there inside my head. The worst part is it didn't have to happen. I did something stupid and now I have to live with it. I'd tell the whole story but to be honest I don't really want to. I just get mad at myself remembering it all over again.

 

[Xcalibur255]

Here is a question that I am sure can be answered by experienced forum members:
What happens when a tube dies?
Is it a gradual process?
Is it sudden?
Is it explosive (arcing)?
Except for dropping a couple of tubes and having a couple lose their vacuum while lying around, I have not lost any tubes in use.
Sometimes a tube just doesn't turn on, after functioning, but that's it, in my experience.

I'll chime in here since you didn't draw a lot of other responses. Unless something is wrong (a short, or being run way harder than normal, or in the case of a rectifier being in a circuit that allows too much inrush current on startup) you should not have tubes die suddenly even at the end of their life. They very slowly lose their emission strength over their lifespan until they drop below the values needed to operate within design spec. In the case of amplifying tubes they just keep on working after this point as well, they just begin to sound worse and worse until you get the urge to pull it out and toss it. If the bass sounds super flabby and loose and everything is just soft and out of focus then your tube is running on an empty tank. This should be the end result 99% of the time over the course of thousands of hours of use.

FWIW I have been into tube amps for about 12 years now and I have yet to put enough hours on a tube to make it start sounding bad. I suspect the Sylvania 6SN7GT chrome top I'm constantly using as a driver in the OTL might be the first, but right now she still sounds great.

 

[Xcalibur255]

I was in the mood for headphones last night so I crawled under the desk and unplugged the Luxman for a distortion free listening session with the Glenn 45 that turned out to be quite nice. I don't tube roll anywhere near as often as most of you guys, but I decided to pop something different into the 45 last night. I realized there were a few combinations I haven't tried with the Lorenz flat black C3g and the LCD-2s yet. These Tung Sol ST 45s are interesting tubes as they're the only ones I own that exhibit the fluorescence effect that some old DHTs can have. It makes them quite fun to look at. I've never used these particular tubes much because the tone wasn't working for me, but this particular combination is interesting and quite nice. Almost like it is vintage and modern hi-fi at the same time. The Lorenz make the high end quite mellow and the Tung Sols have an audible midrange suckout, but somehow there is good clarity in spite of all of this and it results in absolutely ZERO sibilance or nasalness even with music that is problematic in those areas.

 

[mordy]

I'll chime in here since you didn't draw a lot of other responses. Unless something is wrong (a short, or being run way harder than normal, or in the case of a rectifier being in a circuit that allows too much inrush current on startup) you should not have tubes die suddenly even at the end of their life. They very slowly lose their emission strength over their lifespan until they drop below the values needed to operate within design spec. In the case of amplifying tubes they just keep on working after this point as well, they just begin to sound worse and worse until you get the urge to pull it out and toss it. If the bass sounds super flabby and loose and everything is just soft and out of focus then your tube is running on an empty tank. This should be the end result 99% of the time over the course of thousands of hours of use.

FWIW I have been into tube amps for about 12 years now and I have yet to put enough hours on a tube to make it start sounding bad. I suspect the Sylvania 6SN7GT chrome top I'm constantly using as a driver in the OTL might be the first, but right now she still sounds great.

I'll chime in here since you didn't draw a lot of other responses. Unless something is wrong (a short, or being run way harder than normal, or in the case of a rectifier being in a circuit that allows too much inrush current on startup) you should not have tubes die suddenly even at the end of their life. They very slowly lose their emission strength over their lifespan until they drop below the values needed to operate within design spec. In the case of amplifying tubes they just keep on working after this point as well, they just begin to sound worse and worse until you get the urge to pull it out and toss it. If the bass sounds super flabby and loose and everything is just soft and out of focus then your tube is running on an empty tank. This should be the end result 99% of the time over the course of thousands of hours of use.

FWIW I have been into tube amps for about 12 years now and I have yet to put enough hours on a tube to make it start sounding bad. I suspect the Sylvania 6SN7GT chrome top I'm constantly using as a driver in the OTL might be the first, but right now she still sounds great.

HiX255,
Thanks for your thoughtful response. The person who asked the question on another thread mentioned that this is a question that has not received much attention.
The obvious answer is that tubes in general are very reliable and long lasting and that it isn't much of a problem.

 

[Xcalibur255]

Fun fact: Tung Sol 45 tubes from this era have the same oval style mica support as the the coveted black glass round plate 6SN7GT. Figuring out who made 45s is often quite a challenge as there was a large degree of re-branding even amongst manufacturers that were known to make their own. I've found the top mica supports to be the most reliable way to tell who the real maker was for 45 tubes.

 

[mordy]

ATM I am listening on the Glenn OTL to a combination of tubes that so far is to me the best sounding to date. Some of the tubes are hard to find but I am sure that there others that may sound similar - I just happened to have these tubes which I acquired in various lots at low prices, and in experimenting with different setups I stumbled on this combination that is spectacular sounding.
What enthralls me is, in addition to the musicality, a special energy in the bass and the treble that brings out tremendous detail. We speak about instrument separation - how you can clearly identify each instrument in the recording. This combination has something extra: detail separation lol.
What do I mean? Let's say the audience applauds at the end of a performance. Instead of hearing a roar of applause, you hear hundreds of hands clapping, if you understand what I mean.....
Tons of micro details are right there - you can concentrate on something in the background and clearly hear it.
Then there is quickness and dynamics - this combination breathes life into the music.
Some people will raise an eyebrow - mixing tubes and running 12.4A worth of tubes. But with my fan on the amp runs very cool and does not even get hot, staying under 40C. (Room temp with AC 23C)
Have been running it like this for extended hours for several days.

 

[Monsterzero]

ATM I am listening on the Glenn OTL to a combination of tubes that so far is to me the best sounding to date. Some of the tubes are hard to find but I am sure that there others that may sound similar - I just happened to have these tubes which I acquired in various lots at low prices, and in experimenting with different setups I stumbled on this combination that is spectacular sounding.
What enthralls me is, in addition to the musicality, a special energy in the bass and the treble that brings out tremendous detail. We speak about instrument separation - how you can clearly identify each instrument in the recording. This combination has something extra: detail separation lol.
What do I mean? Let's say the audience applauds at the end of a performance. Instead of hearing a roar of applause, you hear hundreds of hands clapping, if you understand what I mean.....
Tons of micro details are right there - you can concentrate on something in the background and clearly hear it.
Then there is quickness and dynamics - this combination breathes life into the music.
Some people will raise an eyebrow - mixing tubes and running 12.4A worth of tubes. But with my fan on the amp runs very cool and does not even get hot, staying under 40C. (Room temp with AC 23C)
Have been running it like this for extended hours for several days.

So,for those of us who cannot ID a tube merely by glancing at your photo,what tube roll are you using?

 

[Zachik]

Forget about George Costanza. Let me introduce you to your next headphone / speaker amp.

I think my upcoming Glenn 6EL3N is better! <mic drop>
(BTW, I think that will be its final name)

 

[attmci]

 

[mordy]

So,for those of us who cannot ID a tube merely by glancing at your photo,what tube roll are you using?

Front to back:
1x6SN7WGT National Union
2xEL11 Tubular Telefunken, Deyan adapters EL11 to C3g
2x6080 RCA
2X6080WB Graphite Plates Raytheon
All tubes in socket savers/adapters

 

[Monsterzero]

Front to back:
1x6SN7WGT National Union
2xEL11 Tubular Telefunken, Deyan adapters EL11 to C3g
2x6080 RCA
2X6080WB Graphite Plates Raytheon
All tubes in socket savers/adapters

Yeah I gotta get me some EL11s...after I buy my server,and after I buy my GEC KT66s for my DAC. God my wallet hates this hobby!

 

[JKDJedi]

I have two General Electric 6BL7GTA (1959) and an adapter (two to one) that I'd like to give away or at least get any offers for, I've just had a fiasco of problems getting the right adapter for my Darkvoice amp (from China, from Bulgaria...nothing works ) and am throwing in the towel on this project/experiment, please take this thing away from me! I'm sure the adapter was wired for a parallel wired amp as it does not work well on mine (In series wired) PM me

 

[2359glenn]

Well I got the two Telefunken MH4 tubes today and kind of upset.
The box was to pristine it was a new reproduction box.
The tube is perfect old tube but it has nothing on it no writing at all not even the tube number.
How do I know if it is really a Telefunken? on the bottom of the base both tubes have a number 2 and under it is FL.
Does anyone know what these letters mean?

 

[2359glenn]

I have two General Electric 6BL7GTA (1959) and an adapter (two to one) that I'd like to give away or at least get any offers for, I've just had a fiasco of problems getting the right adapter for my Darkvoice amp (from China, from Bulgaria...nothing works ) and am throwing in the towel on this project/experiment, please take this thing away from me! I'm sure the adapter was wired for a parallel wired amp as it does not work well on mine (In series wired) PM me

Does the amp work with the 6AS7 tube in it??

 

[gibosi]

Well I got the two Telefunken MH4 tubes today and kind of upset.
The box was to pristine it was a new reproduction box.
The tube is perfect old tube but it has nothing on it no writing at all not even the tube number.
How do I know if it is really a Telefunken? on the bottom of the base both tubes have a number 2 and under it is FL.
Does anyone know what these letters mean?

I have no idea what the number 2 might mean. But according to this website, the lower case date code, fl = 9/62.

http://www.audiotubes.com/teledate.htm