[g0ldl10n]

So I picked up a HD6xx to give the Sylvania 7236 another chance. Could you or whoever has input suggest an ''exceptional'' yet inexpensive driver to try with a stock H5?

Do you have adapters, or will to purchase them, or are you looking for just a traditional 6SN7?

I'd suggest adapter(s), as you're gonna end up getting much more bang for your buck imo.

IMHO, Mullard EBC33/CV1055 from Langrex at 8.00 GBP for NIB/NOS condition is going to be tough to beat.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/312281433814

Here is the adapter

https://www.ebay.com/itm/202978267466

These actually also pair great with more modestly priced output tubes such as Sylvania 6080WB.

EDIT: If you already have the dual EL32 adapter -> 6SN7 adapter, 6G6G tubes are great. You could use this same adapter and just leave the TC wires disconnected. You can find these for relatively modest prices.

 

[g0ldl10n]

@moriez And another piece of information - if you study the pinout of the VR55/EBC33 and its datasheet, that adapter can be used for many more single triodes other than just VR55/EBC33 valves (6V7 & 6R7 to name a couple) - the 6V7G I have actually pair very well with 7236 as the output, as their amp factor is quite a bit lower than the typical 6SN7, so the extra bit of gain from the 7236 compared to standard 6AS7/6080 compliments them nicely.

 

[g0ldl10n]

@moriez Forgot to add - the 6U7G pair great with the 7236 tube. Uses same dual EL32 -> 6SN7 adapter here --> https://www.ebay.com/itm/193443092680

And the 6U7G tubes NIB/NOS are about as inexpensive as they come. Can get four NIB/NOS RCA tubes for $12.00, so $3.00 a piece here --> https://www.ebay.com/itm/255556382442

 

[LobalWarming]

So I picked up a HD6xx to give the Sylvania 7236 another chance. Could you or whoever has input suggest an ''exceptional'' yet inexpensive driver to try with a stock H5?

Some great low cost suggestions from @g0ldl10n - other than the pricey adapters.

Sadly, my low cost tube options need adapters as well. Pair of 7A4s compare well with some of the best 6J5s. Prefer NU or Sylvania JAN 7A4. Under $20/pair. Plus adapter.

Or go small with a RFT ECC82 ($10-$20) plus $10 adapter. One of the few great ECC82s, imo. Very detailed.

A Hytron 6SN7 or Syl VT-231 from the 40s can be a good match with the 7236. Finding a good one for a good price... well...

However, g0ldl10n is making suggestions based on the H5 Miflex, not the stock H5. And there is a vast difference between the two.
I enjoy (suffer?) cap rolling as much as tube rolling, so I ordered a basic H5 without the Miflex coupling/bypass caps. I could only tolerate it for a few days before I started swapping out caps.

The H5 is a much better amp than its stock caps allow. Stock coupling cap cripples detail resolution, soundstage, tonal balance and enjoyment. Not a big deal.

You need some basic soldering skill. Or luck. For me, good soldering luck is just as good as skill.

You could jump right to 4 or at least 2 Miflex 0.047 caps for coupling duty. Not cheap, but excellent, all-round performance.

Instantly becomes the H5KPCU - Burnt-Finger Edition™.

On the cheap could at least swap the coupling cap to the low cost Clarity Cap ESA 0.047 - or discounted Obligato Gold caps. And consider cheap soviet-era TFT film for output bypass use.

Suggest updating the H5 stock caps before going too far down the rolling tube hill. With better coupling cap and output bypass the makes H5 driver/output tube combo selection more discernable and enjoyable, imo.

 

[lawrence2357]

Not been on here for a while due to personal reasons, but after some planar experimentation with an old Audio Gd Fun and SMSL THX amps over the last year or so I have been listening of late to my HD650s again with a H9M which uses 6E5P power valves and 6H8C drivers in a dual mono configuration. The combo sounds very nice I must say.

If there's any interest I'll dig out my Eufonika amps in the new year and take some photos.

 

[g0ldl10n]

Some great low cost suggestions from @g0ldl10n - other than the pricey adapters.

Sadly, my low cost tube options need adapters as well. Pair of 7A4s compare well with some of the best 6J5s. Prefer NU or Sylvania JAN 7A4. Under $20/pair. Plus adapter.

Or go small with a RFT ECC82 ($10-$20) plus $10 adapter. One of the few great ECC82s, imo. Very detailed.

A Hytron 6SN7 or Syl VT-231 from the 40s can be a good match with the 7236. Finding a good one for a good price... well...

However, g0ldl10n is making suggestions based on the H5 Miflex, not the stock H5. And there is a vast difference between the two.
I enjoy (suffer?) cap rolling as much as tube rolling, so I ordered a basic H5 without the Miflex coupling/bypass caps. I could only tolerate it for a few days before I started swapping out caps.

The H5 is a much better amp than its stock caps allow. Stock coupling cap cripples detail resolution, soundstage, tonal balance and enjoyment. Not a big deal.

You need some basic soldering skill. Or luck. For me, good soldering luck is just as good as skill.

You could jump right to 4 or at least 2 Miflex 0.047 caps for coupling duty. Not cheap, but excellent, all-round performance.

Instantly becomes the H5KPCU - Burnt-Finger Edition™.

On the cheap could at least swap the coupling cap to the low cost Clarity Cap ESA 0.047 - or discounted Obligato Gold caps. And consider cheap soviet-era TFT film for output bypass use.

Suggest updating the H5 stock caps before going too far down the rolling tube hill. With better coupling cap and output bypass the makes H5 driver/output tube combo selection more discernable and enjoyable, imo.

Lol, yep - the adapters are the expensive bit - however, these adapters that are marketed for a single tube, or tube family, specifically EBC33 -> 6SN7 and EL32 -> 6SN7 (those specific adapters linked to) can be used for a much wider variety of tubes.

The EL32 adapter there can be used for at least the following tubes (and their direct equivalents which can easily be looked up online)
Pentodes: EL32/CV1052, 6U7G/CV706, 6G6G/CV1926, EF39/CV1053, EF39/6J7G, 6K6/CV1940
Hexodes: 6K8G, VR100, VR99/X65, ARTH2
Beam Tetrode: KTW61

And, if you have external PS, you can use that same adapter for 5881, 6L6, KT88, 6Y6, 6V6 (and probably many more I am missing)

The EBC33 adapter can be used for many Triodes as well.

In the end, you will end up spending less money on mint conditioned NIB/NOS tubes that not only will last you longer due to their current condition, but also, will sound better than 95% of the very very pricey 6SN7/6C8G/6F8G varieties out there (in my humble opinion ofc).

Study the pinouts and datasheets of the tubes the adapters are purchased for, and I promise you, you can find many many more tubes these adapters will support, without needing the shell out more money on "different" adapters, when they aren't actually any different.

 

[mordy]

Since this is the season for travelling and possible delays, I saw this HiFi tip on creating a portable speaker in case you are stuck somewhere:

You can make a speaker out of an empty toilet paper roll. Make an incision near the roll’s center, cutting a slit large enough for your phone to fit into, lengthwise. The sound will travel through the roll, boosting the music. You can even create a little stand to amplify the sound even more.

 

[LobalWarming]

Since this is the season for travelling and possible delays, I saw this HiFi tip on creating a portable speaker in case you are stuck somewhere:

You can make a speaker out of an empty toilet paper roll. Make an incision near the roll’s center, cutting a slit large enough for your phone to fit into, lengthwise. The sound will travel through the roll, boosting the music. You can even create a little stand to amplify the sound even more.

Clever idea, but fear you could be infringing on some @bcowen patents. Worse, he may have already licensed the technology to Schiit. (That doesn't sound right)

 

[g0ldl10n]

So, the H5 + Miflex sounds great with dual A2293 output tubes.. these do not require external PS, but obviously require an adapter which is readily available on the market.

What also sound great on this amp are Blue Globe Arcturus Type 127 as input. These do require external PS to run them properly, but they sound very very good on this amp. Talk about one of the most luscious and warm/sweet sounding tubes, these are up there. Would certainly recommend if you are using external PS. These pair very well with the dual A2293 output.

 

[triod750]

You are using A2293 and not CV4079?

 

[g0ldl10n]

You are using A2293 and not CV4079?

Ah, yes - which is the commercial equivalent to the A2293 if I am not mistaken - do they have different SQ (if you have tried them both)?

 

[triod750]

CV4079 has a shorter bottle with halo getter and a slightly darker sound in my amp that uses two pairs. I have one adapter that in one position can run just the CV4079, not A2293. This means that I have never listened to only A2293, just 75%. Thus, my A2293 has not yet matured. I use the CV4079 version when running this tube type.

 

[g0ldl10n]

CV4079 has a shorter bottle with halo getter and a slightly darker sound in my amp that uses two pairs. I have one adapter that in one position can run just the CV4079, not A2293. This means that I have never listened to only A2293, just 75%. Thus, my A2293 has not yet matured. I use the CV4079 version when running this tube type.

Phew, the A2293 labeled tubes with the square getter expensive! Wonder if they are worth it - I will keep my eye out for them at a good price - probably won't happen tho, lol.

 

[triod750]

The tubes you already have aren't worth the money, just the ones you have not yet bought.

We are too fussy about tubes. I'm now listening to some jazz music using one Mullard 6J5GT and one Philips Sittard EL42 with a pair of Melz 6N12S and it sounds very good. I know that this is impossible but my brain doesn't understand this.
(I have just one newly aquired NOS Mullard 6J5GT and wanted to listen to it. I first tried it with a Ken-Rad made 'Brimar' 6J5GT/G but didn't like what I heard so I grabbed this EL42 next to it. Bingo).

 

[g0ldl10n]

The tubes you already have aren't worth the money, just the ones you have not yet bought.

We are too fussy about tubes. I'm now listening to some jazz music using one Mullard 6J5GT and one Philips Sittard EL42 with a pair of Melz 6N12S and it sounds very good. I know that this is impossible but my brain doesn't understand this.
(I have just one newly aquired NOS Mullard 6J5GT and wanted to listen to it. I first tried it with a Ken-Rad made 'Brimar' 6J5GT/G but didn't like what I heard so I grabbed this EL42 next to it. Bingo).

Lol, maybe so! I tend to agree, there are many many tubes out there not worth the money, which is why I am "explorer" type, hunting down different tubes which can be used, some with needed modifications to commercially available adapters, some not, just a study of pinout and datasheet to determine compatibility.

My ultimate goal is finding a NIB/NOS tube for $1 that sounds just as good, if not better than any other tube I have heard so that they are worth the money - So far, I have gotten down to $2.25 a piece, for milspec tubes which test well over 100% - ofc, this gives me the ability to stock up an actual lifetime supply for pennies essentially.

That's what I enjoy most, especially since the vast majority of the popular/hyped/very expensive tubes I have purchased have been mostly that, just hype, since the $2.25 tube imo sounds better than every single one of those, actually.