[nghows]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nor_spoon /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yep, same here. I want to try the Mullard's too, before I am done. I hope they sound the way I imagine they do. Best sounding brand I put in my DV332. Hard to find one reasonable priced though.

mullard and reasonably priced are mutually exclusive words/phrases....

go with the relabelled ones.... Won't be exactly the same as the short base/tall glass 1950s Mullards but very very close.... and way more "reasonable" in price

 

[David Pritchard]

At least with the Zana Deux you only need one driver so when Mullard hunting you only need one. Besides "Blackmore" has any one posted their listening experences with the Mullard? There is one on E-bay right now.
I agree that the Sennheiser 650 with the Brimar is a wonderful experence.
Without getting into Audio babble, I just find myself enjoying the music. Be careful you rockers out there, this combination may make you reach for a Mozart string quartet disc and not even know why!

 

[nor_spoon]

Incoming. Crappy images. I will take some better when they arrive:

1x Mullard ECC35 brown short base:

1x Mullard ECC35 black base:
Lol! I payed a bit more than I was supposed to for this tube. Did not notice it was GBP instead of USD hehe..

Looking forward to finally hear these tubes.

 

[Sture]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nor_spoon /img/forum/go_quote.gif 1x Mullard ECC35 black base: Lol! I payed a bit more than I was supposed to for this tube. Did not notice it was GBP instead of USD hehe.. Looking forward to finally hear these tubes.

Congratulations!!!!

I was so close to winning that. But hey, good that it went to Zana Deux owner

You must tell the good loser how it works.. then when it arrive

 

[nor_spoon]

I will do that. You bid on the black base? You have one brown, short base already don't you?

 

[Sture]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nor_spoon /img/forum/go_quote.gif I will do that. You bid on the black base? You have one brown, short base already don't you?

Yes. I bid the black base too. The price was high, but that a mixture of currencies explain the price

. I have already one brown, short base.

 

[nor_spoon]

Sture: Did your amp arrive yet, or are you still waiting?

 

[Sture]

Not yet, but it has already been sent to me from UK. So it arrives in the next few days for me.

 

[nor_spoon]

Very nice! You will have a blast. ...and many good tubes to try out. I have a feeling you will be very busy for a while lol!

 

[ironbut]

Wow, I haven't check this thread since it was a couple of pages long. Nice stuff here. Here's some info you guys might find useful in your quests.

Here's the procedure to match the ZD rectifiers by ear.
Quoting Craig;
I match the rectifiers when the amp burns in. I look at the first filter after the rectifiers. This wave form should be 120Hz sort of triangle looking with even peaks. If the peaks are not even the tubes don't match. This is the best test because the tubes are loaded with the actual current the amp is running steady state.
You can test by ear. Power the amp up, and with the volume full counterclockwise listen for background noise. You will need sensitive headphones, like the RS-1's. Pull one rectifier and listen. You will hear a pronounced 60Hz hum in both ears. A tube mismatch will be between this level, and no hum. If you hear a hum with one rectifier, but not with both, they are matched close enough.

Before you guys ask, this procedure is all done with the amp on. I let the amp warm up for 30 minutes. Use a pot holder to remove the tube (don't remove any tube except the rectifier, either one will do). When Craig says that you'll need a sensitive pair of phones to hear the hum, he ain't kidding! This is one quiet power supply! The rectifiers are real cheap so the best thing to do is buy 4 and find the best two pairs among them.

Regarding the differences between Phillips tubes, pay less attention to the label and more to the country (factory) it was made in. There are variations (within a given production year) in materials and assembly from factory to factory (plate, filament, pins etc.) but if it's a 6sl7 and it's made in the same factory, it's the same tube. So if a tube has a delta code, then they were all made at the Heerlien plant in Holland and labeled depending on distribution. If they were made with a different design, they carried a different tube type name (VT229).
Here's a great link for identifying and reading date codes on Phillips and Siemens tubes; Tube Classics - Audio Tubes
You should seek out these data sheets to reference when buying NOS tubes. Having these bookmarked will help you weed out some of the BS that some sellers will try to feed you.

 

[David Pritchard]

Dear Ironbut,
Once again thank you for the information. I stumbled into a nice tube for the ZD's of our vintage (#17 for me and isn't yours #12). The Italian Fivre 6SL7GT. I hope you had reels of fun this summer.
David Pritchard

 

[David Pritchard]

For those just getting their Zana Deux tubed and wanting a Brimar 6SL7GT, one source is www.tubemonger.com. They have several in stock-$40.00 to $65.00 each. It may be less stressful than E-bay.
David Pritchard

 

[twestby]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nor_spoon /img/forum/go_quote.gif I agree with you. The tube rolling is stopping me from really listen to the music, but this evening I have had total audio bliss for about 4 hours straight. Been rocking with the HD650's. I have managed to bend the metal headband so the can sits firmly on the head, without any clamp. Not too loose, not too tight. Right about where I am able to rock with the whole me when doing air drums. I feel I actually have done some exercise tonight lol! It really got my feet tapping. Yoohoooo! What can I say... playing Joe Satriani's "Come On Baby" on the 650's with the Brimar tube was mind blowing! The bass where just fenomenal. I could actually feel it in my chest and stomach. It was like the floor tickled my feet from the vibration of the bass. It set the floor just right where it should be. Not overpowering, not veiled or too emphazised in the mid bass, just pure deep tight drive. Amazing. Not too loud volume either, about 9'clock on the Zana. Not so high where I can feel the driver pushing air into my ears, but high enough to get the right "feel" and get drawn into the music. I got to get rid of this "crazy", and get into the music again. Tonight is by far the best moment I have had with music in a very long time!

Yeah buddy!! At least once a night the ZD will levitate my ass outta my comfy chair to jump around the room! I've actually air-strummed the batteries right outta the CD remote (don't tell anyone). 50s Brimar 6SL7GT arrive yesterday from TubeDepot. He has surprisingly few of them left. Probably because he's posted a rave review of the tube by a zealous ZD owner and we've all sucked them up! Pretty good deal for sellers at $100 a pop.

-Tim

 

[nor_spoon]

David Pritchard: Didn't you get a pair of the Valvo 6SL7GT tube? I really look forward to hearing your thoughts when they arrive. Out of the tubes I have, this is the one I am returning to all the time. It is just supersmooth in top, never harsh. Cymbals sounds like metal, without piercing your ear canals. S and shh sounds in voices sound natural, not sticking out. Deep and defined in the bass, the Brimar goes maybe a tad bit deeper, but can be a bit bloomy. With the Valvo the bass is more balanced with the rest, not overshadowing upper frequencies. Largest soundstage of the tubes I have. Good instrument separation, no emphazise in any frequencies. Detailed in the top, yet non-fatuiging. Actually I like it so much, that I ordered 8 more lol! I guess my ears wear out before the tubes.

 

[nor_spoon]

Stumbled upon these posts by Hirsch from an old thread. Looks like we agree on their qualities. I wonder why not more people have noticed these tubes before.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hirsch /img/forum/go_quote.gif Valvo 6SL7GT. When you get into tubes, you learn about Telefunken and Siemens very quickly. But they weren’t the only German tube makers. Valvo was the third largest of the German manufacturers, but their tubes didn’t give up anything in quality. The Valvo 6SL7GT has grey plates and a bottom getter, in the tallest bottle I’ve seen in a 6SL7. These have only been in the EAR for two days, so impressions don’t have as much time on them as the other tubes, but… Wow! The Valvo may be the most complete of the 6SL7’s I’ve heard so far. It’s got the detail of the Sylvania beaten, with the impact and fast sound of the Amperex. I had looked at the bass response of the R10 when the VT-229’s were in place, and got nothing below 30 Hz. Switching to the Valvo produced output down at 25 Hz. This was felt, rather than heard, but it was there. The soundstage has snapped back into focus. Much clearer than the VT-229’s. Every instrument has its place. Nothing sounds crowded or smeared. You can clearly hear background instruments being recorded at low volume underneath the leads, if you want. The sound of this tube with the R10 is extremely seductive. This is as close to transparent as I’ve heard in a headphone system. It’s difficult to describe a sonic signature, because it’s difficult to hear one. What you hear are instruments playing music, not the audio equipment. So far, this is the best of the tubes I’ve heard in the EAR…but the real test will be what it sounds like in a week or two…

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hirsch /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Valvo has brought my tuberolling the EAR to an abrupt stop. This is a subtle tube. At first listen nothing stands out. As you listen further, you realize that it's doing what it's supposed to do. Everything is there, just nothing stands out because the music itself is presented as a coherent whole. The tube addresses IMO the weak area of the R10 (bass) nicely. It doesn't make the bass loud, but controls it perfectly. So, a double bass sounds like a double bass. You can hear what the player is doing to the strings. The level of detail is immense. You can hear every nuance of a singer's voice...and yet you only hear it if you listen for it. It doesn't jump out and scream "look at how detailed I am!". It just presents it. Background noise...what background noise? The extreme quiet of the amp allows presentation of a lot of very low-level information that is part of what makes the presentation work. I was just able to order a couple more quads of this tube for backup, and am very happy about it. Unless something weird happens, tuberolling that amp is done. It's now handling every headphone I throw at it beautifully. Why mess with success?