[BrainSalat]

I was able to find some TS 5998 and these really make better partnership with the TS BRGP for the Utopia.
Tonality is more natural than with the GEC6080 and you get again a more soft kind of analog presentation. This is my favorite combo now.

 

[SlothRock]

The 5998's make a PHENOMENAL upgrade on the Euforia. I got some NOS ones recently after starting with a cheaper used pair because I know they're my end game power tubes for sure. The 6SN7's will be what I'll start to likely do more rolling with

 

[toddc2]

The 5998's make a PHENOMENAL upgrade on the Euforia. I got some NOS ones recently after starting with a cheaper used pair because I know they're my end game power tubes for sure. The 6SN7's will be what I'll start to likely do more rolling with

I’ve been looking for a nice pair of 5998 but haven’t found any yet. Do you mind sharing where you scored yours?

 

[Deleeh]

Hello,

I had to send my 5998 back.
Unfortunately, they caused problems and I had them measured again.
One was dead due to lack of vacuum and the other was about to short-circuit.
What I had found so far was not my world in terms of price.

You have to be really lucky at the moment with the prices we have in Europe.
I don't think it will get any better to find Tung sols at a good price.

 

[SlothRock]

I’ve been looking for a nice pair of 5998 but haven’t found any yet. Do you mind sharing where you scored yours?

I was able to find mine on eBay. They only had one pair that measured NOS and I was able to bring them down from their initial price point but 5998's are really difficult to find in great condition I'll admit.

 

[Magol79]

I bought a used pair of WE421A and a NOS pair of Chatham 5998 tubes earlier this year.
I am also pretty happy with the Ken-Rad VT231 tubes.
I feel as if my Euforia has ascended to its final form.

 

[SlothRock]

Can't get enough of this amp. I absolutely love my Burson GT but, even though I was enjoying listening to it with my VC's, I love everything even more with my Euforia. The Euforia doesn't quite get the same level of detail as the Burson, but it makes it up for it in just over all "goodness". That's all I can describe it as. I know it's distortion, but it's just pulled off so tastefully that everything is just an absolute pleasure to listen to. I appreciate having both for their different tone qualities but I can genuinely say I just simply enjoy music more on my VC's paired with the Euforia.

 

[BrainSalat]

There are at least 5 variations of the Melz 1578 that I know of. The most desirable ones are these two :

2. Second place goes to same construction but with shiny black perforated plates :

3. The other three I do not own or heard but you basically you have same construction as above but with grey matte plates :

4. Perforated plates but plastic support ears at top and oval plates top and bottom :

5. And lastly there is the plastic ears up top, round plates top and bottom with ladder horizontal plates :

I finally got my Melz tubes after a long waiting shipment. They are the 5th variation described by @Deceneu808 :

The bad news for me is that I could not even say how good/bad they are because one of the tubes is broken. At random times one of the channels produces only noise (like an untuned radio) and then some also ugly random cracking/clamping sounds that scared me so I quickly shut the amp down. I never experienced that before...is that what you guys has described as a tube shortcut?.

Well I will send them back and look for other sources. @toddc2 Where did you get yours?

 

[toddc2]

Well I will send them back and look for other sources. @toddc2 Where did you get yours?

Sorry to hear about the bad tube, it happens sometimes. I was able to locate a pair on this Canuck Audio Mart ad. He has a pair that look like yours for $150 CAD.

Edit: Seller lowered his asking price from $180 to $150 CAD yesterday!

 

[Deceneu808]

I finally got my Melz tubes after a long waiting shipment. They are the 5th variation described by @Deceneu808 :



The bad news for me is that I could not even say how good/bad they are because one of the tubes is broken. At random times one of the channels produces only noise (like an untuned radio) and then some also ugly random cracking/clamping sounds that scared me so I quickly shut the amp down. I never experienced that before...is that what you guys has described as a tube shortcut?.

Well I will send them back and look for other sources. @toddc2 Where did you get yours?

Sorry to hear that but I had symptoms like that before and they just required a resolder of the pins. With Melz unfortunately, most of them NEED a resolder. My own Melz that I bought were resoldered 4 times by me and once by a professional and they still buzz/hum a bit.

 

[BrainSalat]

@toddc2 . Ok thanks for the tip!

@Deceneu808 . If is it all about solding, then I have all equipment required. I have solded diverse electronics parts but never a tube. Do you have some link to guidelines maybe?

 

[Deceneu808]

@toddc2 . Ok thanks for the tip!

@Deceneu808 . If is it all about solding, then I have all equipment required. I have solded diverse electronics parts but never a tube. Do you have some link to guidelines maybe?

Don't have any links but basically you melt the old solder, suck it out with a pump and put new solder in. Sometimes it may need some sort of contact cleaner spray or something to really get in there and clean all the old stuff out but haven't used myself so I wouldn't know what to recommend

 

[JTbbb]

@toddc2 . Ok thanks for the tip!

@Deceneu808 . If is it all about solding, then I have all equipment required. I have solded diverse electronics parts but never a tube. Do you have some link to guidelines maybe?

If you search for paladin79, you will find his description with pics on how to do this.

 

[BrainSalat]

Wonderful . Thanks guys!. Let's see how much work is it. Otherwise I can still send them back for a full refund and better get one of the most preferred versions instead , like the "Machine Gun Like Holes on Plat" @toddc2 got.

 

[toddc2]

Wonderful . Thanks guys!. Let's see how much work is it. Otherwise I can still send them back for a full refund and better get one of the most preferred versions instead , like the "Machine Gun Like Holes on Plat" @toddc2 got.

Having read through the 6SN7 thread I can say there was very little consensus on what are the most preferred versions. The general conclusions I walked away with:

1. The late 50’s and early 60’s versions of the 1578 were preferred.

2. There was a nice photo posted here (and reposted on this thread) that outlined what a real 1578 looks like compared to a normal 6N8C or 6N8S. Basically large metal supports at the top and a rectangular mica supports with what was called a “ledge”.

3. There were many posts on perforated plates (ie machine gun holes), smooth plates, shiny black plates and the matte grey plates that I have. Most people had an opinion(s) but I did not see any definitive answer. The opinions did seem to converge on multiple types of construction were made, but again no definitive answer on production dates across the multiple types or which ones are really better. The year of manufacture seemed to be the overall most important factor.

4. I should also mention there were many posts on having to re-solder the pins on the older Melz tubes.