[Beztis]

hi, i recently got a littledot mk3, i love it but want to change the driver tubes to get a warmer sound (I hear mullards are the way to go if you want the warmest sound that is pure pleasure /  i just want pure warm pleasure, don't care for treble/"details") - its been tough finding the correct tubes though tbh.
 
Can anyone tell me the difference between "square getter" and "ring getter" ? I found m8100s on ebay some say square getter and some say ring getter, what is the difference in sound? which one has the warmer sound?
 
also i ended up ordering some mullard  6ak5 tubes but apparently they are not m8100s because they are bva and made be brimar or something :S would those still have a nice warm sound or do i need to get m8100s? 
 
thanks

 

[tomb]

  hi, i recently got a littledot mk3, i love it but want to change the driver tubes to get a warmer sound (I hear mullards are the way to go if you want the warmest gooyest sound that is pure pleasure and screw treble) - its been tough finding the correct tubes though tbh.
 
Can anyone tell me the difference between "square getter" and "ring getter" ? I found m8100s on ebay some say square getter and some say ring getter, what is the difference in sound? which one has the warmer sound?
 
also i ended up ordering some mullard  6ak5 tubes but apparently they are not m8100s because they are bva and made be brimar or something :S would those still have a nice warm sound or do i need to get m8100s? 
 
thanks

I can't tell you anything specific about the tubes you mention or the Little Dot.
 
However, getter structure on its own has nothing to do with the sound of the tube.  The getter is there to energize the flash (the silver coating on the inside top of the tube) during tube construction.  The silver coating on the inside then acts to absorb additional gas molecules during the life of the tube, enhancing the vacuum.
 
All that said, getter structure is usually indicative of other structural sections within the tube that do have an effect on sound: plates, grid, special mica spacers or other details that might be difficult to spot upon inspection.  Usually - but not always - different getter shapes mean other differences, too.  The getter is often the most easily spotted and distinguished structure within a tube.  It becomes convenient to classify tube differences (within the exact same brand/tube type) by a description of the getter.
 
So, when someone suggests a tube with a different type of getter sounds different, what they are really saying is that there are other differences inside the tube, too.  It's just that the getter is the easiest way of distinguishing those differences.

 

[Beztis]

right on thanks, it is kinda annoying how it is hard to find discontinued stuff - i like to buy things that are readily available - are there any ef95 tubes that are still made today that have a nice warm sound?