[hollabackitsobi]

Is there anywhere you can buy more of the stock tubes? I'm perfectly fine with their sound and would just like a pair of backups for the power/driver tubes in case anything should happen.

 

[mordy]

The stock driver tubes are GE5654. These are not expensive and with a little patience you will find them for sale on E-Bay. Look for 6AK5 tubes made by GE that are also called 5654.
The stock power tubes are Russian 6H6Pi tubes which you can find on E-Bay as well (but you may have to search under a different designation), and also well priced. Other designations for the same tube is 6N6Pi, ECC99 and E182CC. Make sure the last digit is i, (which looks like a reversed N in the Russian alphabet). This means that the tube is optimized for a pulsed mode of operation. I ordered $2 6N6P tubes from Eastern Europe (without the i designation) and felt that they were not as good in the bass extension.
There are people out there who sell Little Dot tubes for $40-50/pair, but just have patience and you will find them for under $8 each.
I also believe that David at Little Dot can sell you a set of four tubes for the MkIII for $35 including shipping.
After some experimenting I have come to the conclusion that matched sets of tubes aren't that important. Two of the same designation and brand will sound fine, even if one was made a couple of years after the other one.
Here is a current offering on E-Bay of the GE5654 for $11.05 for two tubes (incl shipping):
http://cgi.ebay.com/VACUUM-TUBE-5654W-GE-JAN-NOS-CROSS-6AK5-/370260509484?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item56353f032c
 
And a current offering for the 6N6Pi for $21 for four from Ukraine (incl shipping):
http://cgi.ebay.com/6N6P-I-ECC99-E182CC-Double-Triode-Lot-4-NIB-/190438306731?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item2c5701f3ab
 
Both these guys have 100% positive feedback and thousands of sales, so they should be fine to deal with.
 
Hope I was of some help.

 

[hollabackitsobi]

Thanks a lot! Ordering directly from David sounds like the best option to me, so I'll message him on eBay and see what he says.

 

[mordy]

Sounds good - let me know how things work out.

 

[julius67]

Hi Everyone,
 
Does anybody have some experience with Valvo EF91 in MKIII? I have just bought in a local auction a pair at $5.
Thanks.
 
Julius

 

[mordy]

I tried a pair of Mullard EF91 which may be similar to the Valvo EF91 and found them very strong in the bass but ultimately rough sounding and grating, lacking the sweetness of other tubes.

 

[JKWiig]

Got my LD MKIII today

I love it..... After burn in this will be super!! Already bought tubes for rolling.
 
JAN 5654W 6AK5 Vacuum Tube Sylvania USA - NOS - Black Plate 'O' Getter Pentode
JRP Raytheon 5654 6AK5W 6AK5 SHARP CUT OFF PENTODE -1952-
M8100 Mullard EF95 Matched Pair Mil-Spec
 
and some 6N6P-I power tubes just in case.. I am gonna run the system trough a Line Interactive UPS, so I hope I will get some more life out of the tubes, But you never know

 

[mordy]

You got some nice tubes there already, but the stock GE5654 are not bad at all, so I suggest you start with them.
I have the Raytheon 6AK5 from 1945; they are quite nice, and I like them. Very detailed, slightly up in the treble, and good but not forceful bass.
I also have the Mullard CV4010 which is the same as the M8100. These are perhaps the nicest driver tubes for the MkIII with a sweet midrange, shimmering highs, and strong but not exaggerated bass.
Bought some 6N6P tubes (not 6N6P-I) which were cheap, but thought the stock tubes delivered more punch in the bass. According to David of Little Dot, the 6H30Pi-DR power tubes would be better, but they cost $100-200/pair, and I can't justify the cost in relation to the amp. In addition, the power tubes are said to account for only 15-20% of the sound of the amp.
I am curious if you found bargains in the tubes you bought since you are in a different part of the world and may have access to different sources than here in the US.
Happy listening!
 
 

 

[JKWiig]

I really do not have any other sources than eBay

 
So actually shipping and prices are about the same as in the US.. I have updatet my list of tubes I have bought..
 
Since I have revision 2.0 of the LDMKIII i ordered 2 Sovtek 6H30Pi-EB Cryoset (Supposedly cryogenigal frozen for 24 hours to tighten glass and metal) for power. $93 incl shipping.
 
M8161 Mullard EF92 matched                  $40 incl shipping
6J1P-EV Gold-Platinum Grid matched (?)  $18 incl shipping
Sylvania 5654W Black Plate O Getter       $24 incl shipping
Raytheon JRP 5654 -1952-                       $34 incl shipping
M8100 Mullard EF95 Mil-Spec                  $20 incl shipping
 
Total tube spendage (is that even a word?) $229
 
 
So now my wallet is crying, and so am I... I have to say I am really impulsive sometimes, and that is not a good thing *ha*
 
I have blown the $8 a tube rule out of the water..
 
 
I have to say I absolutely LOVE the LDMKIII as a pre-amp aswell

 

 
 

 

[mordy]

Please let me know if there is a difference or improvement with the Sovtek 6H30Pi-EB cryogenic tubes. I usually break in the tubes letting them play 100 hours, but they probably stabilize after 30-40 hours.
The more tubes I try, the better the MkIII sounds, and I like almost everything I try.

 

[julius67]

After some odyssey rolling through some driver tube options (stock, 6Zh1p-EV, Siemens 6AK5W, Miniwatt EF91) finally I have settled down with the last one the Miniwatt branded (but probably same as Mullard with blue smoked glass) EF91s. They're providing me with just the right amount of plushness to tame my enthusiastic Densen Beat B-400+ CD player.
 
Now I came to the point to consider the rolling of the power tubes, however I'm quite happy actually with the sound as it is and I'm not sure if it worth to spend another amount comparable to the price of the amplifier itself.
 
Julius

 

[JKWiig]

Just had the Mullard 8161 in for about 50 hours. They sound horrible

The Mullard M8100 is the clear winners until now... Havent received the Cryotek powertubes yet though. Will post back when I get them..
 
My initial impression of the 8161 is a "muted" sound all over the register. Mids are very recessed, bass is acceptable but highs are fatiguing after just a couple of hours. (And yes I changed jumper spaces)
The M8100 are miiiiiiles ahead with a sumptious sound all across the register. Bass could be more prominent. Mids and highs are very pleasing. Tubes for enjoyment!!
 
 
Have not rolled my others yet.. But I will soon.. Tubes in my opinion is a matter of personal taste and not a standard to be followed. Tips and hints about good tubes are usefull but not a guide!
 
 
EDIT: I mainly listen to female vocalists like Zaz, Aimee Mann, Azure Ray, Liz Phair, Fiona Apple, Lisa Loeb, Lisa Ekdahl, Rachael Sage, Racel Yamagata, Sia, Feist e.t.c Lots of Chillout (Electronica) Some metal if I feel like it. Classical, Jazz, Blues... All rounder really..

 

[jyc327]

 
Quote:

What's the difference between the normal 6H30 and DR version ? Am planning to get the LD MKIII soon so searching around for tubes . I've read around so far that m8161s and 6H30-DR is a very gd combination ? And if i were to change the stock tubes , do i need to buy 2 m8161 or 1 m8161 and another other tube will do ? 
 

 

x3dnd3x,
 
the 6h30p/pi are like the little brothers of the DR version. the DR version is what we call "mil-spec" tubes i suppose. since they are rated for  higher reliability and extra long life. they are rare to say the least, since i've only found my 2 pairs from turkey/Ukraine/Bulgaria and the like. seems like people there are use diggin them out of like old ruins or something. since in the state and canada its next to none or like 300+ for a pair.
 
the 6h30 maybe use if your MK III is rev 2. i am using them now on my mk iv se, also tried the 6h6n/6n6p whatever they call them on the IV SE...they run hotter since from what I know MK III rev 2 and mk iv pushes the original 6h6 power tubes harder. i used them for like 20 minutes its a LOT hotter than when i had them in the MK III rev 1.
 
have fun with tube rollin, too many to try since everyone is different + the headphone combos really kills u.

 

[jyc327]

 
Quote:

Found out from David of Little Dot that you can mix two tubes from the same family, i.e. EF92 tubes from different brands. Instead of waiting 10-15 minutes after you shut off the amp so that the capacitors can discharge, I put in two different tubes and play a mono recording. Then I can A/B the tubes just by turning the balance knob right or left. Found this an easy way to hear differences between tubes. Anybody else tried this method?
 
I agree with the posts that the tubes should not cost too much ($8.00 rule), and that there definitively is a myth that more expensive is better. A proof of this myth is that the tubes that are priced higher on E-Bay sell better than the medium priced ones of the same variety. (To check it out, go on E-Bay and look up something you are interested in. Then find on the left a check box for Completed Listings. Click on it, and you can see in green the dollar amounts of the items that sold. This gives you a good idea of the current market price. The numbers in red will show what did not sell - also useful info at times.)

mordy, i'd like to try what you suggested. the prob i have encountered is the fact that virtually all the music i have on hand is stereo, which means that the left and right channel plays different tones as per the song  per artist. either i find mono tracks and mirror them or somehow find a way to direct all of the stereo track to either the left or right channel without removing the opposite channel's content. hmmmmm

 

[mordy]

Since I like old 20's jazz I do not have any problem finding mono recordings. However, as you point out, if you could direct the right or left channel from the Little Dot so that you can hear the same sound from both head phones, it would be easier to compare. I am sure that this can be done, but I have abandoned this idea for the following reasons:
Truth is that I have resorted to changing the sets of tubes, shutting off the Little Dot first, and waiting a while in between changes. Amazingly enough there is a little bit of a sound stage even with old mono recordings.  Certainly, in comparing how different tubes sound with good stereo recordings, I have come to the realization that the width and depth of the sound stage and the overall balance of how the frequencies are reproduced are also very important in enjoying the music. (Sometimes you hit the jackpot with a really good recording and you can hear the height as well!)
In conclusion, the timbre and the tonality of a tube is not enough to really decide what you like. You also need the overall balance of low, mid and upper frequencies and the sound stage width and depth to make a decision, and for this you need the pair of tubes. In addition, I think that the sound stage is limited with a number of headphones, so you may need to play through your speakers as well.
I am in the process of going through some 6-7 sets of tubes that I have and trying to note the differences between them. Every tube sounds a little different; some are stronger in the bass, some have a wider sound stage, some have better highs. Some tubes space out the instruments/musicians better than others for superior pinpoint imaging. Everybody has a different taste, but I think that you could reach a consensus which tubes are the best sounding overall. 
However, the MarkIII  is such a nice piece of equipment that almost anything sounds good with it!