[SJWorne]

  Good tubes for the LD I + should run you $20/pair tops and usually a lot less than that.  Never buy tubes that are more expensive than the amp...

Thanks, I guess I will just follow what you guys are recommending on here!
 

  What? I think your looking at the wrong tubes...

As I said, I have no idea about tubes, i'm new to this
 
But these are the tubes I saw: http://www.upscaleaudio.com/products/Sylvania-Grey-Plate-5751.html

 

[Melvins]

  Good tubes for the LD I + should run you $20/pair tops and usually a lot less than that.  Never buy tubes that are more expensive than the amp...

i think i paid like 10 bucks or so for the ones in my description.
 
 
i would never pay more than 20 for any pair of tubes

 

[Edgard Varese]

  Thanks, I guess I will just follow what you guys are recommending on here!
 
As I said, I have no idea about tubes, i'm new to this
 
But these are the tubes I saw: http://www.upscaleaudio.com/products/Sylvania-Grey-Plate-5751.html

Those aren't suitable for the LD I+ without some significant modification.  You'd do at least as well to get a pair of RCA 6DT6A tubes (not in the original specs but these have been determined to work... I am using them right at this moment) which I think cost me $4 plus shipping, and they sound great.

 

[kvtaco17]

  Those aren't suitable for the LD I+ without some significant modification.  You'd do at least as well to get a pair of RCA 6DT6A tubes (not in the original specs but these have been determined to work... I am using them right at this moment) which I think cost me $4 plus shipping, and they sound great.

He's probably thinking of the Sylvania 6DT6A tubes with the grey plates... similar to the RCA's but not as warm... gives the impression of more detail and air. like these...
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/VACUUM-TUBE-6DT6A-SYLVANIA-NOS-6DT6-A-/370105427244?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item562c00a52c
 
OR go the 6HM5 route (I really am liking these a lot too... )
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/RADIO-VACUUM-TUBES-6HA5-6HM5-SYLVANIA-PR-triode-preamp-audio-stereo-tuner-ham-/171145021808?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item27d909c970

 

[SJWorne]

  He's probably thinking of the Sylvania 6DT6A tubes with the grey plates... similar to the RCA's but not as warm... gives the impression of more detail and air. like these...
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/VACUUM-TUBE-6DT6A-SYLVANIA-NOS-6DT6-A-/370105427244?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item562c00a52c
 
OR go the 6HM5 route (I really am liking these a lot too... )
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/RADIO-VACUUM-TUBES-6HA5-6HM5-SYLVANIA-PR-triode-preamp-audio-stereo-tuner-ham-/171145021808?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item27d909c970

 
Ahh I see!
Will have a good look around and try and get a nice pair!

 

[Melvins]

i would like to try out a bunch of tubes talked about here but Voshkod 6ZH1P-EV EF95 seem to be at the top of most lists...
 
 
so i think i'm content with where i'm at. 
 
 
and not to mention the sound i've been getting is stellar. so. idk. coming to this site is really terrible for ones wallet. i have an amazing, multi hundred dollar set up, and i still want MOREEE. 
 
 
but why? my set up sounds FANTASTIC to my ears. it's just the presence of other opinions/reviews i guess. 

 

[Taveren]

Hi Guys,
 
I have just recently received a Little Dot I+ from one of our bros here and it comes with a pair of Mullard M8100 and the stock 6J1 tubes. The opamp has been changed to LT1364.
 
My initial listening sessions with the Mullard tubes then switching to my Solid state desk top amp/dac back and forth, I can't really tell the difference, I mean there is a minimal improvement in the bass but not really noticeable. I was expecting to hear a distinctive "tube flavor".
 
I was thinking maybe the Mullard M8100 is a bit more clinical than most tubes so it is not as "tubey" (or it is not yet burned in)
 
Having said that, please recommend a good tube that will best deliver that "tube flavor" that differentiates (hybrid) tube amps to solid states. and if possible a reliable seller.
 
Thank you for your time 

 

 

[VBen]

There are better op amps.... I like the LME49990 as it is very neutral. However, one of my colleagues, who also uses Grado, prefers the OPA627AP, which is a tad bit warmer.





- RCA 6DT6 Set your LD for EF92 tubes.



- GE (Made in Gt Britain by Mullard) or Ei (Made in Yugoslavia) 6HM5 (also listed as 6HA5 and EC900). Set your LD for EF95 tubes. Avoid the small squat tubes that look like 6AK5. Look for the taller tubes.





Example listings to show what these tubes look like:



RCA 6DT6



http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-VINTAGE-RCA-6DT6A-NOS-VACUUM-TUBES-TESTED-STRONG-AUDIO-HAM-RADIO-AMPLIFIER-2-/251243281264?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item3a7f443b70



GE / Mullard 6HM5



http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-GE-6HM5-6HA5-BLACKBURN-MULLARD-MADE-VACUUM-TUBE-TESTED-AUDIO-RADIO-/270927668081?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item3f148c2371



Ei 6HM5



http://www.ebay.com/itm/6HM5-6HA5-EC900-export-quality-audio-triode-tube-NOS-FREE-SHIPPING-/300879467071?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item460dd0523f



Sylvania also made 6HM5s, but I haven't tried them....



Happy tube rolling!

Just an update. Alas all of the tubes recommended by gibosi hummed to much in my setup with Grado (a borrowed Sennheiser HD650 was quiet). I had to settle for a pair of Philips Miniwatt TS62 With OPA2107 (the LME499990 sounded too threadbare and cold with these tubes). As of now just the Philips and the Voshkods are silent at my house. Strange! But on the other hand - the musicality is back an the amp sounds quite good at the moment. In other words I recommend the TS62 to others in a similar situation.

Regards, V

 

[kvtaco17]

Did you clean the pins on the tubes ip with some sandpaper? A lot of times the hum can be traced to a dirty connection or outside interference. Did you try moving your amp around? Did you make sure your cell phone is away from your rig? The tubes recommended by gibosi are the same id normally recommend, and I know they don't hum normally...

 

[gibosi]

Just an update. Alas all of the tubes recommended by gibosi hummed to much in my setup with Grado (a borrowed Sennheiser HD650 was quiet). I had to settle for a pair of Philips Miniwatt TS62 With OPA2107 (the LME499990 sounded too threadbare and cold with these tubes). As of now just the Philips and the Voshkods are silent at my house. Strange! But on the other hand - the musicality is back an the amp sounds quite good at the moment. In other words I recommend the TS62 to others in a similar situation.

 
Sorry to hear that these tubes are not working for you. But I think it is worth noting that many of us in the main LD tube-rolling forum have found these tubes to be excellent, not only in the 1+, but also in the II, III and IV. In fact, no one else has reported this problem. So I am very comfortable in stating that these tubes are not inherently noisy. Perhaps you received some bad tubes....
 
And the LME49990 is regarded as a very neutral chip so you are not the only one who feels that it is lacking warmth. But the fact that some prefer one chip (or piece of gear) and others prefer something different is one of the things that makes audio so much fun and interesting. Cheers.

 

[VBen]

No, I haven't tried sandpaper but the hum changes when I put my hands close to the tubes and the amp. There definitely is some kind of interference involved. I have tried to shield the tubes with aluminium and the hum quiets down somewhat but not enough. Maybe I have ground issues in my setup. What I can not understand is why some tubes have interference and some don't.
 
V

 

[kvtaco17]

Try moving the amp away from anything that could cause interference...

 

[VBen]

So I am very comfortable in stating that these tubes are not inherently noisy. Perhaps you received some bad tubes....

You are indeed right! The tubes were the culprits. Just found a pair of Sylvania 6DT6 that didn't hum. To bad I liked the humming EI 6HM5 much better. Sylvania was way to sharp sounding for my taste. Interestingly enough while measuring the heaters on the amp I found out that the amp uses AC for heating 6.3V tubes while 20V tubes gets DC. The unregulated AC goes up as high as 6.9V at my house, while the regulated DC "stays firm" at 19.7V. So I'll guess that the latter type of tubes (TS62, 408A etc.) will last a bit longer in my amp.

 

[gibosi]

  You are indeed right! The tubes were the culprits. Just found a pair of Sylvania 6DT6 that didn't hum. To bad I liked the humming EI 6HM5 much better. Sylvania was way to sharp sounding for my taste. Interestingly enough while measuring the heaters on the amp I found out that the amp uses AC for heating 6.3V tubes while 20V tubes gets DC. The unregulated AC goes up as high as 6.9V at my house, while the regulated DC "stays firm" at 19.7V. So I'll guess that the latter type of tubes (TS62, 408A etc.) will last a bit longer in my amp.

 
I wouldn't give up on those tubes just yet. It is not uncommon for new tubes to hum and buzz. But there is an excellent chance that after about 20 hours of use they will quiet down.

 

[VBen]

Hello again. I needed to use chassis connected tube shields to tame the humming. Not very pretty but it worked very well indeed. But even so - the TS62 is still my favorite tube on the Little dot 1+. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I have removed the unnecessary input capacitor in the amp. It's all about synergy I'll guess.