[ninjapirate9901]

Picked up some tube dampeners (was having issues with noise and these have definitely helped) and a new set of headphones today
 

 

[cheaphifi]

Quote:

Picked up some tube dampeners (was having issues with noise and these have definitely helped) and a new set of headphones today
 
 

 
What kind of noise did you experienced ?
 
Did these tube dampeners are efficients to reduce "humm" noise ?

 

[David Chavez]

Got a psvane 12au7 tube. Will post more about it once it goes over 100 hours.  My thoughts so far after 10 hours of burn in, is that it is a nice upgrade from the stock voskhod 12ax7vka tube.  Gives out a larger sound stage, detail, and overall enjoyability. Very happy buy. 
 

 

[ninjapirate9901]

I believe it was some kind of RF interference from my wireless adapter (it's a cheap USB model that I hook up to my desktop). The noise was definitely more noticeable when I was using a lot of bandwidth (say downloading or streaming).
 
These dampeners have certainly reduced the noise but it is still discernible. 

 

[cheaphifi]

  I believe it was some kind of RF interference from my wireless adapter (it's a cheap USB model that I hook up to my desktop). The noise was definitely more noticeable when I was using a lot of bandwidth (say downloading or streaming).
 
These dampeners have certainly reduced the noise but it is still discernible. 

 
What are your settings on the Ember? (Gain, Input Capacitor, Output Impedance)

 

[ninjapirate9901]

   
What are your settings on the Ember? (Gain, Input Capacitor, Output Impedance)

My settings that I use for my HE-500's and LCD-2 are:
 
* Low Gain
* Bypass Input Caps
* 35 Ohm output impedance
 
Noise is more prominent when using the Philips 12AU7 compared to the Telefunken 12AU7.

 

[cheaphifi]

  My settings that I use for my HE-500's and LCD-2 are:
 
* Low Gain
* Bypass Input Caps
* 35 Ohm output impedance
 
Noise is more prominent when using the Philips 12AU7 compared to the Telefunken 12AU7.

 
Try with high gain, it helps reduce interferences.

 

[ninjapirate9901]

   
Try with high gain, it helps reduce interferences.

Interesting, I was under the impression that higher gain in general tends to also amplify the noise. I'll give it a try tonight.

 

[cheaphifi]

  Interesting, I was under the impression that higher gain in general tends to also amplify the noise. I'll give it a try tonight.

 
I was under the same impression but on the Ember gain setting seems to act differently than on the other amps, give it a try and tell me if it works.
 
Other tips to reduce external noise to impact on the sound is to use a 12V heater tube with a reasonable inside gain (ECC81/12AT7, ECC82/12AU7, 12BH7a, ECC801, ECC802, etc) but some tubes can be more noisy than others.

 

[ninjapirate9901]

   
I was under the same impression but on the Ember gain setting seems to act differently than on the other amps, give it a try and tell me if it works.
 
Other tips to reduce external noise to impact on the sound is to use a 12V heater tube with a reasonable inside gain (ECC81/12AT7, ECC82/12AU7, 12BH7a, ECC801, ECC802, etc) but some tubes can be more noisy than others.

 
Just tried using high gain and you're right, the scratchy noise did indeed decrease (I'm going to have to do some research as to how this works from a technical standpoint).
 
All the tubes I'm using at the moment are 12AU7's, some like the Amperex  are more sensitive compared to something like the Telefunken. I have noticed that if I put my hand between the tube itself and the wireless adapter, the noise goes away. I think I'll just have to look into some kind of shielding I can use.

 

[cheaphifi]

  All the tubes I'm using at the moment are 12AU7's, some like the Amperex  are more sensitive compared to something like the Telefunken. I have noticed that if I put my hand between the tube itself and the wireless adapter, the noise goes away. I think I'll just have to look into some kind of shielding I can use.

Try to use an usb extension cable to put the USB Wireless device away from your amplifier.
 
You can try ECC81 or 6N2P-EV (triple mica version from before 70s sound great) they're high-gain tubes (12AX7 are too "rough sounding" imo)

 

[RAZRr1275]

For those of you looking to buy new tubes and looking for impressions with a Garage1217 amp (I have the Ember) I'm going to post my tube inventory so that you can ask and I'll do a mini-review. 
 
If you have a specific headphone request, the ones I can meet are AKG K702, AKG K240 Sextett, Grado SR80I with L cush, A modded Fostex T50RP, Denon D2000, and Sennheiser HD650
 
My tube inventory is currently
 
Electro Harmonix 6922 and 6N1P
Phillips 5814A
Tung Sol 5814WA and 12AU7
RCA 6CG7, 12BH7, 12AU7 Cleartop
GE 6GU7, 12AU7 and 12AV7 Cleartop
Sylvania 6CG7
Voshkod 6N1P-EV
Telefunken 12AU7
Siemens 12AU7
Amperex Bugle Boy 6DJ8
Tesla 6922
Brimar 12AU7
Mullard 12AU7
CBS/Hytron 12AU7
Sylvania/Baldwin 12AU7
 
and I have this bunch in the mail now
 
GE 6BZ7
Tung Sol 6BZ7
Raytheon 5814A
Reflector 6N23P
Valvo PCC88
Sylvania 12BH7
Westinghouse 12AU7
Amperex Orange Globe 6DJ8
Voshkod 6N2P-EV

 

[cheaphifi]

For those who're looking for good tubes at the right price, my best advice would be to look here : http://garage1217.com/graphic_design_008.htm

 

[gbremer]

I've had my Starlight for almost a month now and I've rolled a few tubes through it. Right now I have a Valvo E180CC in it, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. It seems a bit too restrained and lacks some detail. I want to give it some more time before I move on. So far my favorite is a NOS GE branded Mullard 12au7 that I got from audiotubes.com. It has a nice warmth without losing any detail. I like it with every type of music I listen to.

An interesting one is the Siemens ECC801. At first it seemed really harsh, but with some burn in it settled down. It has a very detailed sound with punchy bass and bright treble. I've listened to primarily rock and jazz with it, and when I get back to it I'm going to see how well it does with classical.

In my "queue" I have a NOS GE 5814 and 12ax7a, and a RCA cleartop 12au7a.

 

[ninjapirate9901]

  For those of you looking to buy new tubes and looking for impressions with a Garage1217 amp (I have the Ember) I'm going to post my tube inventory so that you can ask and I'll do a mini-review. 
 
If you have a specific headphone request, the ones I can meet are AKG K702, AKG K240 Sextett, Grado SR80I with L cush, A modded Fostex T50RP, Denon D2000, and Sennheiser HD650
 
My tube inventory is currently
 
Electro Harmonix 6922 and 6N1P
Phillips 5814A
Tung Sol 5814WA and 12AU7
RCA 6CG7, 12BH7, 12AU7 Cleartop
GE 6GU7, 12AU7 and 12AV7 Cleartop
Sylvania 6CG7
Voshkod 6N1P-EV
Telefunken 12AU7
Siemens 12AU7
Amperex Bugle Boy 6DJ8
Tesla 6922
Brimar 12AU7
Mullard 12AU7
CBS/Hytron 12AU7
Sylvania/Baldwin 12AU7
 
and I have this bunch in the mail now
 
GE 6BZ7
Tung Sol 6BZ7
Raytheon 5814A
Reflector 6N23P
Valvo PCC88
Sylvania 12BH7
Westinghouse 12AU7
Amperex Orange Globe 6DJ8
Voshkod 6N2P-EV

 
How does the Mullard compared to the Telefunken? I'm thinking about picking one up but not sure what to expect.