[bcowen]

Working on getting my hands on a pair of globe General Electric 841, we'll see how they stack up against the others.

How much are you getting paid to take those?

Wait.....that was a rude and improper question and certainly none of my business. My apologies. Let me rephrase: I hope you're getting paid a lot to take those.

 

[L0rdGwyn]

How much are you getting paid to take those?

Wait.....that was a rude and improper question and certainly none of my business. My apologies. Let me rephrase: I hope you're getting paid a lot to take those.

How dare you...

The world was a very different place in August, 1939. On the brink of world war, with rising international demand, the engineers of General Electric were compelled, nay FORCED to make a good sounding tube, for hifi amplifiers of the future, they had no choice...I'm sure that's how it played out.

 

[bcowen]

How dare you...

The world was a very different place in August, 1939. On the brink of world war, with rising international demand, the engineers of General Electric were compelled, nay FORCED to make a good sounding tube, for hifi amplifiers of the future, they had no choice...I'm sure that's how it played out.

That requires an assumption they knew how to make a good sounding tube.

I've actually heard a couple good sounding GE's. They were probably out of spec and missed by quality control before shipping. LOL!!

 

[Galapac]

I know you guys joke about the GE tubes all the time but are they really that bad? I do not own any ( I think, there may be a rougue 6SN7 somewhere) so I do not know. Are they just not known for audio quality? Were they used mainly in other applications like receivers or televisions? Were they known as a discount tube?

I am seriously asking as I do not know the history but would like to know what you can all tell me so I am “in” on the joke, so to speak.

Thanks

 

[Zachik]

I know you guys joke about the GE tubes all the time but are they really that bad? I do not own any ( I think, there may be a rougue 6SN7 somewhere) so I do not know. Are they just not known for audio quality? Were they used mainly in other applications like receivers or televisions? Were they known as a discount tube?

I am seriously asking as I do not know the history but would like to know what you can all tell me so I am “in” on the joke, so to speak.

Thanks

Actually, I think specific tube types by GE are actually good!
Off hand, I think 6C5 or 6J5 all-metal tubes by GE are considered good.

 

[L0rdGwyn]

I know you guys joke about the GE tubes all the time but are they really that bad? I do not own any ( I think, there may be a rougue 6SN7 somewhere) so I do not know. Are they just not known for audio quality? Were they used mainly in other applications like receivers or televisions? Were they known as a discount tube?

I am seriously asking as I do not know the history but would like to know what you can all tell me so I am “in” on the joke, so to speak.

Thanks

Like @Zachik said, there are definitely some good GE tubes, but overall they tend to have a less than stellar reputation. Is it deserved? Hard to say, there some standouts in my mind as well.

 

[L0rdGwyn]

So turns out I have a pair of 4.7uF 630VDC ClarityCap CSA leftover from another project, so thought I would get a head start on the cap rolling that is set to get underway tomorrow. I am using 6.8uF output caps in the 841 amplifier, but 4.7uF is close enough to get a feel for the tonality.

First impressions...

Solen Fast-CAP MKP - definitely add an "artificial" character to the sound and some upper midrange / treble sibilance, but pretty good soundstage and separation though considering their price.

Auricap XO - better soundstage and separation than the Solens, perhaps a bit more dynamic, but still some sibiliance to the upper midrange and treble, giving the sound that "artificial" "hifi" character that I do not like, similar to what I heard when they were in the original build of the amplifier.

ClarityCap CSA - without a doubt, these are the best of the three. The sibilance and artificial character is gone, the soundstage and center image are larger, the sound is more natural and less colored to my ears, better bass dynamics, just more musical overall.

So as far as I am concerned, tomorrow will just be a comparison between the Obbligato Gold and ClarityCap CSA.

 

[L0rdGwyn]

The ClarityCaps have elevated the sound of the amplifier, always amazes me how a single passive component can have such a huge impact on sound quality.



Some day, years from now, my desk won't be a disaster all the time. I shove all of the DIY crap out of the way for the nice pictures

 

[bcowen]

The ClarityCaps have elevated the sound of the amplifier, always amazes me how a single passive component can have such a huge impact on sound quality.



Some day, years from now, my desk won't be a disaster all the time. I shove all of the DIY crap out of the way for the nice pictures

Seems like the sound would be 90 degrees out of phase like that.

Thanks for the good info on the caps!!

 

[bcowen]

I know you guys joke about the GE tubes all the time but are they really that bad? I do not own any ( I think, there may be a rougue 6SN7 somewhere) so I do not know. Are they just not known for audio quality? Were they used mainly in other applications like receivers or televisions? Were they known as a discount tube?

I am seriously asking as I do not know the history but would like to know what you can all tell me so I am “in” on the joke, so to speak.

Thanks

There are two main groups of GE tubes: those actually made by GE, and those labeled as GE but made by someone else. There can definitely be some treasures in the latter group.

I probably make fun of GE tubes more than most, and much of it is embellishment in the name of comedy. But there's a good bit of truth behind it too. Obviously I haven't heard every vintage or construction type of a GE-made 6SN7, but without exception every one I have heard has been 'meh' in some cases and downright awful in others. Pretty much the same for the GE 12AU7 and 6922 families. If they're not boring and dull and lifeless, they're screechy and fatiguing. OTOH, a GE 211 is a wonderful tube. And many say that the 5-star GE 5670 is a very nice sounding tube. So I think a lot boils down to the tube type in question as well as the component it's being used in (*and* the preferences of the person listening). I've just never been (personally) impressed with any GE-made tube I've heard, excepting the 211 (I haven't heard the 5670). But that's one person's opinion and experience based on a very limited number of applications, so YMMV applies in spades here.

 

[Paladin79]

The lacewood Incubus is completed. I just landed a new capacitor contact in Germany, a friend of a local college professor. I will be hunting down some Telefunken tubes as well.

 

[leftside]

Used plenty of ClarityCaps in my first amp from Mischa. I think Glenn is a big fan as well.

 

[L0rdGwyn]

Used plenty of ClarityCaps in my first amp from Mischa. I think Glenn is a big fan as well.

I've used them elsewhere with success, guess I should have gone with them from the get-go shame since the Auricaps aren't really cheap, wanted to try something different, maybe they will find a home in a different application some day.

 

[Zachik]

GE 211 is a wonderful tube.

Looked those up, since I never heard of them... O M G ! ! ! Look at the example usage diagram from radiomuseum.org:

Note the 2,000 VDC
I wonder if Keenan's cats would get curious about that one - my guess a shock would claim at least 3 of their 9 lives...

 

[L0rdGwyn]

Looked those up, since I never heard of them... O M G ! ! ! Look at the example usage diagram from radiomuseum.org:


Note the 2,000 VDC
I wonder if Keenan's cats would get curious about that one - my guess a shock would claim at least 3 of their 9 lives...

Oh yeah, transmitting triodes are no joke, they can take crazy high voltages! Although most people are not putting 2kV on the plate of a 211, around 1kV is more typical. If you want big power out of a single-ended class A1 amplifier, big, hot, high-voltage transmitters are the way to go...or parallel single-ended is an option if you aren't into +1kV amplifiers.