[Oskari]

I never heard of the MWT A1834 before,will it fit my crack well?

There was a manufacturer called M-O Valve Co. (MOV), originally Marconi-Osram Valve Co. This was a GEC (Osram being their brand) and Marconi joint venture. Later on, MOV was owned by GEC and EMI, and even later on by GEC alone. So, MOV was the manufacturer. Brands such as Marconi, Osram, MWT, GEC, etc. appeared.

 

[HOLLOWCOW]

Thanks for the Clarification!

 

[JamieMcC]

That would seem to be a Mullard-made tube…

… which is not the same as GEC.

Well spotted
 
The GEC made Valvo 6080 tubes I've had have all had the GEC/Marconi Z factory mark on them as well as the Bundesburg Eagle stamp. they have been identicle to my GEC branded 6080 tubes the thing is to learn the plate structures and keep looking and save some cash look for the european codes not just the more well known US codes. The 5998 and GEC 6as7g can be found with different codes on them or even none at all.
 

 

 

[HOLLOWCOW]

  I have usually bought matched pairs in the past since I was considering an amp which needed match pairs in addition to my BH Crack.
I've never heard that the clear top version was better but then I've never asked, do you have a link to where you found that the clear top is a better tube?
 
The tubes I linked to are already sold, figured it was a really good price and was going to get them as a 3rd set.

I heard it from here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/410326/for-6as7g-tube-rollers-here/2205#post_11736359
 
and also from Thenewguy007.

 

[DavidA]

@HOLLOWCOW, if you read through the thread the are many different impression on the different types of construction so its hard to say that a clear top will be better than one with flashing.  Also, it was noted by some that the WE is a rebranding of another tube.  Another place that there is much discussion about the 5998/6080/421A is in the Feliks Elise thread:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/813488/feliks-audio-elise-impressions-thread-a-new-start-please-read-first-post-for-summary/3435#post_13025188​,
 
and in this one:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/782754/feliks-audio-elise-new-thread/13185#post_13006538​ (more exotic tube setups)

 

[chahooa]

I've really enjoyed reading through these threads. I have the crack+speedball and have been happy enough with the stock tubes, but I'm curious to dip my toe in the waters of tube rolling. Can anyone suggest a pretty affordable option that would appeal to me? I like warm and a big soundstage, detail is welcomed as long as its not hard or bright sounding. Thanks!

 

[buke9]

I've really enjoyed reading through these threads. I have the crack+speedball and have been happy enough with the stock tubes, but I'm curious to dip my toe in the waters of tube rolling. Can anyone suggest a pretty affordable option that would appeal to me? I like warm and a big soundstage, detail is welcomed as long as its not hard or bright sounding. Thanks!

Sometimes affordable and tubes don't go together too often. Not a tube expert by any means just got into this myself. I'm running HD700's out of the Crack with Tung Sol 5998's and it is very smooth and warms the 700's up to be just about right for me and the bass, soundstage and detail is very good. It is not a cheap tube though I've seen them for up to $349 that is the crazy price I got a used one that test just shy of new for $99. I have some Tung Sol 6080's Chathams that are even smoother but they really want higher impedance cans I think . I'll know at Christmas time when my HD 6XX's come in. I paid $90 for two of the 6080 Chathams. I'm sure there are others here with much more knowledge of tubes that can steer you a little better but this is my take on it so far. The original RCA 6080's were unlistenable on the 700's the bass was just too flabby.
Tube amps and tubes are a different ballgame to be sure my Amps and Sounds Kenzie amp that cost over 4x's what I paid for the Crack takes tubes that on the high end cost less than $40.

 

[chahooa]

Sometimes affordable and tubes don't go together too often. Not a tube expert by any means just got into this myself. I'm running HD700's out of the Crack with Tung Sol 5998's and it is very smooth and warms the 700's up to be just about right for me and the bass, soundstage and detail is very good. It is not a cheap tube though I've seen them for up to $349 that is the crazy price I got a used one that test just shy of new for $99. I have some Tung Sol 6080's Chathams that are even smoother but they really want higher impedance cans I think . I'll know at Christmas time when my HD 6XX's come in. I paid $90 for two of the 6080 Chathams. I'm sure there are others here with much more knowledge of tubes that can steer you a little better but this is my take on it so far. The original RCA 6080's were unlistenable on the 700's the bass was just too flabby.
Tube amps and tubes are a different ballgame to be sure my Amps and Sounds Kenzie amp that cost over 4x's what I paid for the Crack takes tubes that on the high end cost less than $40.

Thanks for the reply. Do you remember where you found the used Tung-Sol? I know the better or rarer tubes can get pricey. Used doesn't bother me if they work fine.

 

[buke9]

Thanks for the reply. Do you remember where you found the used Tung-Sol? I know the better or rarer tubes can get pricey. Used doesn't bother me if they work fine.

https://tubeworldexpress.com/search?q=5998

 

[ScottFW]

Can anyone suggest a pretty affordable option...

The least expensive output tube I've tried that actually sounds good is the Svetlana "Winged C" 6H13C. I bought a set of 4 tubes for $34 shipped via ebay from a seller in eastern Europe, and they sound significantly better than the few 6080 tubes I've run (RCA, GE, Sylvania) which all sounded lifeless or muddy to some degree. Granted, the Russian tubes are new and the USA ones have arrived to me with an unknown number of hours on them, so maybe that has something to do with it. The Winged Cs have decent bass, pretty good midrange that doesn't stray excessively warm, and open and detailed highs. Lately I'm using a Tung Sol 7236 which sounds a bit better still (deeper bass, a bit richer midrange) but costs ~4x as much as the Svetlanas.
 
For affordable input tubes I like the good old RCA clear top 12AU7, but you have a ton of options in 12AU7/ECC82 at whatever price point you like. There's a ton of info on the web for this tube type. If you don't mind swapping a couple of resistors to run them at the proper voltage (or install a little switchboard as some of us have) 12BH7 tubes are also inexpensive, and I have a couple of NOS RCAs that I picked up for cheap that sound better than any of the 12AU7s I've tried.

 

[JamieMcC]

The Svetlana "Winged C" 6H13C is a nice tube at a very affordable price the silver flashing at the base of the tube is a tell tell hallmark of the tube if you look out for this you will soon notice they are often found rebranded in the popular brands and more often than not with premium prices being asked for a NOS tube that normally sells for under $10.
 
Use a inexpensive Tungsram E80cc ($20) in place of the 12au7 is a great choice with this tube imho.  This was my daily set up for some time the E80cc is a longlife tube 10000hrs+ and the 6H13C are inexpensive so I didnt worry about turning the amp on of an evening and just leaving it on whilst watch a bit of TV saving my premium tubes for times when I could listen without the normal distractions.

 

[Tom-s]

 Can anyone suggest a pretty affordable option that would appeal to me? I like warm and a big soundstage, detail is welcomed as long as its not hard or bright sounding. 

 
The Svetlana 6H5C or 6H13C (equal to my ears) are a good option.
I wouldn't recommend the RCA clear tops for a warm sound. I think the E80CC Tungsram matches your requirements better. Problem is it prices can ben very high.
With these it's a good idea to look into the E80CC/12BH7/7119 resistor modifications for best SQ.

 

[DukeOfYork]

Tube sound is much better than SS.

 

[larcenasb]

Just finished soldering in some ClarityCap PX 4.7uF caps to bypass my final two lonely power supply caps. This is likely the end of my Crack upgrading journey which has been going on for almost two years! Not much room left!
 
Anyone else notice a significant change when bypassing all the power supply caps? I installed the ClarityCaps and noticed a brighter, tighter, and more dynamic sound that wasn't at all harsh but just... live sounding. I then took the ClarityCaps out and noticed dynamics seemed a bit uninspired, bass also seemed to bleed into the lower mids -- things that always did bother me a little before. Put the caps back in again and the soundscape clears up, tightens and the dynamic-range reawakens.
 
Right now, I'm listening to "Unforgettable" by Nat King Cole while watching a muted video of Sugar Ray Robinson vs. Jake LaMotta VI and this amp just feels like a sublime emotional communicator with serious power reserves.
 
Happy listening
larcenasb, Seattle, WA, USA.
 
 
 

 

 

[Tom-s]

Interesting to read you found such a great effect with those 2 bypass caps in the PS.
 
My powersupply is schottky diode rectified like yours but with CLCLC and with a 120uf film cap as last PS capacitor. 
Fitting 730uf caps for the others only made a very minor change, if any at all.
 
Nice padding on your 240's! DIY"?