Little Dot Tube Amps: Vacuum Tube Rolling Guide
Nov 15, 2016 at 3:44 PM Post #10,456 of 13,413
  Hello guys, i want to start my journey with tubes and need some advice. For the Little Dot MKII i need a pair of tubes of my preference right? And you're can give me recommendations of websites for buy Tung-Sol 6AK5 and Mullard M8161/CV401?


Hi, I've read a couple of months ago a review here in the beginning of the thread and saw that Voskhod 6ZH1P-EV have higher scores than Mullard and Tungsol. So I've bought a matched pair of 77s here and I'm completely satisfied with their service. Vintage Voskhod is great, really recommend it.
 
Nov 21, 2016 at 12:50 PM Post #10,457 of 13,413
I've now bought adapters for the C3G and 6SN7 tubes for my Little Dot IV SE. Are there any differences between the Siemens and Lorenze C3G tubes?  Also, what's the general feeling on the best 6SN7 tubes to use with the IV SE and HD650s?  Thanks. 
 
Nov 21, 2016 at 1:22 PM Post #10,459 of 13,413
If the C3g black cans are shiny with silk-screened logos and text, then they were manufactured by Siemens in the 1970's, regardless of the printed brand. If you want a C3g that was actually manufactured by Lorenz or Telefunken, you will have to obtain tubes manufactured in the 1950's and 60's.
 
These earlier tubes tend to have flat-black cans with embossed logos and text. Unfortunately, I have yet to find an early embossed Telefunken. To my ears, the sound of the Lorenz to be a bit more laid-back while the Siemens is more forward. And the best way I can describe the difference between the older and newer Siemens, is the newer Siemens seems to have a bit more reverb in the mids.
 
Lorenz, 1966
 

 
Siemens, shiny black, silkscreened, 1970's. Flat-black, embossed, 1960's
 

 
Nov 22, 2016 at 3:16 AM Post #10,463 of 13,413
   
No problem, thanks again for your help with the C3Gs, much appreciated.

Great tubes. I use Telefunken. I have embossed Siemens as well, will roll them in tomorrow an re-compare.
 
After I found great combination for my taste active rolling stopped.
 
I am afraid to buy expensive amp now - afraid that it won't exceed what I have now.
 
Nov 22, 2016 at 3:30 AM Post #10,464 of 13,413
  Great tubes. I use Telefunken. I have embossed Siemens as well, will roll them in tomorrow an re-compare.
 
After I found great combination for my taste active rolling stopped.
 
I am afraid to buy expensive amp now - afraid that it won't exceed what I have now.

 
Cool. I'll look forward to hearing about that. Which power tubes do you use with the C3G?  
 
Nov 22, 2016 at 4:56 AM Post #10,466 of 13,413
I have the IR tubes as well. I'm enjoying the EH PI Gold pins at the moment. I've been reading about different tubes and fancied experimenting with the LD IV SE. So got some adapters and C3Gs. Really looking forward to giving them a whirl with my HD650s. Also got a Schiit Modi Multibit coming today so will be interesting to how that sounds.
 
Nov 22, 2016 at 3:43 PM Post #10,469 of 13,413
I have a pair of Telefunkens that look like yours. The date code "qf" suggests March, 1965. However, with my ears and gear, I cannot reliably distinguish between these Telefunkens and the embossed Siemens. In my experience thus far, tubes manufactured in different factories by different companies always sound different. And therefore, until I can get my hands on a pair of embossed Telefunkens, I can't be sure if mine were manufactured by Telefunken or Siemens. I have seen embossed Telefunken C3m, so I am quite sure embossed C3g exist, but again, I have yet to find any.....
 
Edit: Oh, and the pair of Telefunken installed in your amp appear to be shiny black. So I am quite sure these were manufactured by Siemens in the 1970's.
 
Nov 25, 2016 at 10:15 PM Post #10,470 of 13,413
I have a quartet of Siemens C3Gs, two bought NOS around 2 years ago and used about 200 hours, two used, and these are terrific driver tubes. I do not know about Telefunken or another brand C3Gs, but I suspect there is little difference between them. All were made in the sixties, or early seventies, under a strict West German, mil spec requirement typical of cold war for undeground telephone signal amplifiers that not only will survive a nuclear EMF pulse, but will amplify and forward even the tiniest communication signal, with utmost fidelity, and last a lifetime...cost no object, this class of tubes were designed to perform, with the very best and very expensive exotic metals, a Thorium alloy (I think) to absorb oxygen atoms inside the tube to preserve absolute vacuum...an all out assault to design a super reliable hybrid pentode/triode audio amplification tube. The specs of the C3G are unmatched, transconductance is enormous, something to expect in a tube designed to amplify weak signals reliably...this in itself does not relate necesarily to sound quality, but it does in the C3Gs. And power, dynamics, bandwidth, they will reveal ruthlessly the limitations of your power tubes. For example, 6SN7G double triodes were a clear step ahead over the stock tubes in my LD MKIII, and the C3Gs make them sing clear and loud, the differences just jump out, only a few were up to the task. I went all out to mod my little preamp to accept the mighty 6AS7G big bottles, and after that even the best 6SN7Gs sounded small, limited, restricted. The C3Gs clearly had the power and the amperes to control the big ones solidly, superior dynamics, fast, tight bass and a soundstage to die for... and the little thing is working as a preamp driving 2 mono SS NAD Amps. Extremely powerful as a Pre, I learned to set the NADs at about 1/4 output... Cheers to all !
 

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