[Scutey]

  Hi Scutey,
 
What is valuable with tube rolling is that my experience has been that tubes that sound good in one amp often sound good in a different amp. All the octal tubes are usable in the Elise, and the small signal tubes can be used with adapters as well.
 
Over time you also pick up the sound signature of different manufacturers, and which brands/manufacturers to avoid as well......

Hi mordy,
 
I've only had my LD for four months but I'm beginning to pick up on that, sort of like a manufacturers house sound.
 
Really upto the start of this year I was very much a fan of solid state amps, tube amps didn't interest me, couldn't understand why they were so well regarded however  I decided to give the LD a go and see what all the fuss was about and i'm so glad I did!, I still use my Beyer A20 amp, but I prefer my LD, for it's the way you can change the sound just by changing a couple glass tubes! it's like having several different amps in just a few small boxes!.
 
What you were saying about all the octal tubes being useable in the Elise is good to know, that no searching and paying again for more tubes!, mordy you're making a very good case for the Elise!.

 

[s0ny]

Is your integrated amp DC COUPLED ? I know for a fact that the mk3 doesnt have a protection circuit if used as preamp with DC COUPLED amps .For example several years ago i wanted to use my Littledot MK3 as preamp with my 70's Pioneer SX750 and i was told not to ,  DC surge could have potentially catastrophic effects since LD is an OTL amp                                                                                          

The wall outlet is AC and it's converted to DC for my amp. I hooked up my LD MKIII's preamp out to my amp's line in using an RCA-cable.

 

[Scutey]

Just managed to win an auction for a pair of Philips JAN 6SN7WGTA to use in my MKIII, there doesn't seem to be a great deal of info on them but what there is suggests they will be a very good sounding tube, I gather that the w prefix means they are military?, anyway looking forward to giving em a go!.

 

[mordy]

W stands for military ruggerized construction. If I remember correctly the Sylvania brand was bought by Phillips at the end of the tube era. What you have is a Sylvania tube and these are always of good quality

 

[Scutey]

Well I bought them on the understanding they were the mil spec version and had sylvania heritage after doing some research on the 6SN7 thread and also reading other positive comments about these tubes so it's nice to know that they should be a good buy, looking forward to giving them a good run. I've also managed to buy a pair of the Siemens C3G tubes for drivers as i've heard they are very impressive so if they work out I think that will be my endgame with the LD MKIII. 

 

[mordy]

The C3g are excellent drivers but need special adapters. They are much more fragile than other tubes. To insert, just push straight down. To remove from adapter, use a small flat blade screw driver and lift up a little bit at a time, working yourself around the base.
 
If you rock the tube back and forth like other tubes, you risk breaking the glass.

 

[Scutey]

  The C3g are excellent drivers but need special adapters. They are much more fragile than other tubes. To insert, just push straight down. To remove from adapter, use a small flat blade screw driver and lift up a little bit at a time, working yourself around the base.
 
If you rock the tube back and forth like other tubes, you risk breaking the glass.

Hi mordy,
 
Thanks for letting me know, I will do as you advise!, don't want to break them as they've cost me £40/$50!, the most i've ever spent on a pair of tubes, this sort of advice can be invaluable!.

 

[Scutey]

Oh when I get my Philips JAN6SN7WGTA, (hopefully in a day or two), i'll post a couple pics.

 

[s0ny]

Is your integrated amp DC COUPLED ? I know for a fact that the mk3 doesnt have a protection circuit if used as preamp with DC COUPLED amps .For example several years ago i wanted to use my Littledot MK3 as preamp with my 70's Pioneer SX750 and i was told not to ,  DC surge could have potentially catastrophic effects since LD is an OTL amp                                                                                          

I found these threads. According to them, it's an issue when you power on the LD MKIII. It can put 60 VDC on the ouput connectors at startup. You can overcome it by warming up the tube amp first and then turning on the power/integrated amp to avoid the peak. I will stop using the preamp feature because I'm not willing to take any risk of damaging my equipment. Thanks for the precaution.

http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/little-dot-mk-iii-warning.446872/

http://www.rdhworld.myzen.co.uk/smfcu/index.php?topic=18542.0

 

[Scutey]

So I've been using these NOS Philips JAN6SN7WGTA, for the last few days and I can't decide whether I like them or not, my thoughts so far are that they are quite a fast sounding tube, very clear, detailed,low noise, excellent space, soundstage, dynamics but but also a bit lacking in bass and has a rather cool solid state sound, will have to give them some more burn in time but if they don't develop (a bit more bass) then it's back to the EHs.

 

[Hotspringseeker]

I found these threads. According to them, it's an issue when you power on the LD MKIII. It can put 60 VDC on the ouput connectors at startup. You can overcome it by warming up the tube amp first and then turning on the power/integrated amp to avoid the peak. I will stop using the preamp feature because I'm not willing to take any risk of damaging my equipment. Thanks for the precaution.

http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/little-dot-mk-iii-warning.446872/

http://www.rdhworld.myzen.co.uk/smfcu/index.php?topic=18542.0

It's all true but not at the same time.
I've kicked out several receiver relays and popped speakers when using my LD even in the tape loop just by turning it on.
It will phase out the whole system as the tubes start to warm up and the tranny draws power.
There can be a pop when switching in and out of a tape loop as well for the 1st time after turned on.
It's not a problem if you turn the LD on 1st, adjust the volume to 1/3-1/2 and let it warm up 3-4 minutes before you turn everything else on.
I've never had anything crazy happen if you follow that sequence, even if using with vinyl, loud, as a looped preamp to a SS unit.
It will have a different sound when using headphones alone vs listening to cans while it is simultaneously hooked up as a pre .
Great fun the Mk3.
I've liked mine alot since I got it 8 years ago.
Just found some 70's Vokshod's and Bugle Boy Amperex's swap out with the Mullard's.
It's one piece of actual well built Chinese kit (thanks Dave!) I don;t think I'll ever part with.
Maybe someday I'll make a nice hardwood case for it someday so it blends in with the Luxman it works well with.

 

[Hotspringseeker]

Some tubes you can really never go wrong with.
Telefunken, Amperex, Phillips, Mullard and Electo-Harmonx nstantly come to mind that made a lot of great tubes.
But probably never a truly bad one..

 

 

[Scutey]

  Some tubes you can really never go wrong with.
Telefunken, Amperex, Phillips, Mullard and Electo-Harmonx nstantly come to mind that made a lot of great tubes.
But probably never a truly bad one..

 

All excellent tubes, have you also tried the EI 6HM5?, and the best sounding tube i've heard for the Mk3 the C3G.

 

[dobigstuff]

Scutey:
 
This combo sounds great:
 
Electro-Harmonix 6H30Pi for the Power Tubes.
Telefunken 5654 for the Driver Tubes.
 
However I do use an MIT Shotgun AC Power Cord and MIT Matrix 6 Interconnects from the Schiit Bifrost.
 
I hope this helps.

 

[Scutey]

  Scutey:
 
This combo sounds great:
 
Electro-Harmonix 6H30Pi for the Power Tubes.
Telefunken 5654 for the Driver Tubes.
 
However I do use an MIT Shotgun AC Power Cord and MIT Matrix 6 Interconnects from the Schiit Bifrost.
 
I hope this helps.

​Thanks for the recommend!, I have a pair of the EH but I've never heard the Telefunkens, although I know they get a lot of love, The best combo I've heard so far is EH 6SN7 and Philips JAN6SN7WGTA for power with Siemens C3G for drivers, the clarity and detail is wonderful and the bass from the C3Gs is thunderous!.