[Skylab]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pataburd /img/forum/go_quote.gif As I'm a/b-ing the DT880/2003 and the Denon D5000 on the Darkvoice, I'm noticing that a tube combination like the JAN Philips 6SJ7WGT/Svetlana 6H13C can sound cooler/brighter with the DT800 but warmer with the D5000. Can anyone posit an explanation for this? Is it related to the high vs. low impedance loads of the two headphones?

It must be impedance related, but it does seem odd. But I never thought of the Svetlanas as being cold (and certainly not the JAN Phillips). My main issue with the Svetlanas is I felt they were a little grainy and uninvolving.

 

[RickEC]

I just got the GE 6AS7GA and RCA 6SJ7 (metal casing type). Being new to tubes, I might have got the less than ideal ones. Not sure if these are suitable for 337, are they? If suitable, what is the expected performance?

 

[pataburd]

RickEC,
They will work fine, and should even compliment one another fairly well.
PAB

 

[Skylab]

They should sound fine. The main issue is I found the metal-can 6SJ7's to be VERY microphonic, so if you decide to stick with them, you may want to get some tube dampers. But I do think the glass-envelope 6SJ7GT's sound better.

 

[RickEC]

Thanks PAB and Sky. Relief to know that those tubes are at least applicable. The Jan Philips 6SJ7WGT is slightly more than twice the price of the RCA version, in a shop here in Singapore. Perhaps I could have invested more, if the sound is better as remarked by Sky. As for the GE 6AS7GA, I am thinking of getting a pair of RCA 6AS7G as back up. They produce different sound compared to the GE 6AS7G, don't they?

Sky: How is the JVC DX1000 with 337, as far as female vocal is concerned? Any idea how does the DX1000 fare against the K701 and AD2000 in such setting?

 

[pataburd]

The 2x JAN Philips 6SJ7WGT are well worth the extra dollars, IMHO. Coupled with 2x RCA 6AS7, black plate, you've got a great combination.

Unfortunately, I never got a chance to hear the Tung-Sol 6SJ7 mesh plates with the Tung-Sol 5998s.

My misfortune while having owned the Darkvoice 337 was in having on hand headphones (e.g. K501 and D2000) that were not well matched--at all--with the 337.

Tragically, the evening I sold the DV337, I found out how staggeringly good they sounded driving the DT880/2003 with the JAN Philips/RCA 6AS7 combination discussed earlier.

Oh well, I have the Fitz-Max Bada PH-12--currently out for another round of mods--to ease the pain, and to drive the K501, D5000 and DT880/2003 even better, IMHO. : )

 

[Skylab]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickEC /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks PAB and Sky. Relief to know that those tubes are at least applicable. The Jan Philips 6SJ7WGT is slightly more than twice the price of the RCA version, in a shop here in Singapore. Perhaps I could have invested more, if the sound is better as remarked by Sky. As for the GE 6AS7GA, I am thinking of getting a pair of RCA 6AS7G as back up. They produce different sound compared to the GE 6AS7G, don't they? Sky: How is the JVC DX1000 with 337, as far as female vocal is concerned? Any idea how does the DX1000 fare against the K701 and AD2000 in such setting?

With the right tubes the JVC's are heavenly with the 337. But the JVC's are more revealing of tube noise and microphonics than my Beyer headphones are, so this is something to be aware of.

 

[RickEC]

My pair of Sylvania VT-116A hums. Any idea if they will be quiet after more runs? So far, been burning for about 40 hours.

 

[Skylab]

Hmmmm...I have never had a set of 6SJ7GT's that took more than 40 hours to get quiet. I have had several that took more than 24 hours, though. And you have to play music through them the whole time to get them to quiet down. Do they both hum? Did they start humming loudly at first and have gotten somewhat quieter?

 

[RickEC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skylab /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hmmmm...I have never had a set of 6SJ7GT's that took more than 40 hours to get quiet. I have had several that took more than 24 hours, though. And you have to play music through them the whole time to get them to quiet down. Do they both hum? Did they start humming loudly at first and have gotten somewhat quieter?

Yes, I played music through them the whole time, but now both still humming. The humming noise level has been somewhat consistent from the beginning till now.
I have used RCA and GE 6SJ7, with no humming at all from their first minute. I guess I'll burn the set of 6SJ7GT's further, and give update soon.

 

[pataburd]

When I had the 337 and the VT-116A, mine were never quite rid of the hum, either.

 

[Skylab]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickEC /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes, I played music through them the whole time, but now both still humming. The humming noise level has been somewhat consistent from the beginning till now. I have used RCA and GE 6SJ7, with no humming at all from their first minute. I guess I'll burn the set of 6SJ7GT's further, and give update soon.

That isn't a good sign. If they haven't already decreased in hum level, they probably won't. Sounds like you got a bum pair.

 

[RickEC]

Ouch. My first pair of tubes over Ebay. Or perhaps VT-116A is incompatible with DV337. Will get the Jan Philiips in this case. Thx for the insights.

 

[Skylab]

No, the VT-116A should work. I use Tung-Sol Mesh Plate VT116-A's in mine with no problem. VT-116A is just the military designation for the 6SJ7GT - same exact tube.

That said, I have found the 337 to be fussy about the 6SJ7's you put in it. Some are quiet almost right away, like some Raytheon Bantals I tried. Others hum like crazy at first, like the JAN Phillips and the Tung-Sols, but were completely silent within a few hours. And some, like some short-bottle RCA's I tried, would never quiet down. I think it's just the way it is with the 6SJ7 - I had the same experience with that tube type in a different amp.

 

[Skylab]

Rip-off tube alert:

DO NOT get suckered by these "Mullard" tubes:

MULLARD-ICC-NOS 6SJ7GT METAL BASE - eBay (item 190278267704 end time Jan-11-09 20:11:01 PST)

While they are mesh-plate, they are Japanese, and I had a set of these and they did not sound very good at all. And I paid $10/PAIR for mine! The person listing these for $150 each should be ashamed of himself.