[Brouken Air]

   
First, I do not own a Lyr, but I do have considerable experience with 6DJ8 tubes in another amp... 
 
Dampers are not mandatory. However, wait until your tubes come in and then decide. If one or more is a bit microphonic, a damper just might help. That said, I have never used them.
 
Again, since I do not have a Lyr, I do not know for sure if there is enough clearance to accommodate dampers, but I suspect there is. However, a socket saver will make rolling tubes much easier, that is extracting and inserting, and they are quite popular in this forum. But again, I suggest you wait until you your tubes arrive and you have swapped them in and out a few times, and then make your decision.
 
Cheers   

Thanks a lot for your reply, By microphonics, shall I understand vibrations? Sorry, I am new with tubes!

 

[ThurstonX]

  Given the number of answers I got, my questions are:
 
1 Stupid
or
2 Obscure and nobody understand
or
3 Not interesting
 
Could you please tell me in which category they are falling or if non of the categories applies, could you answer my question?
 
Thanks

 
Well, all I can say is that you've ordered (received?) a very disparate collection of tubes.  The best thing you can do, IMO, is burn in each pair for at least 50 hours, then do some serious listening to see which ones you like with whatever music and whatever cans.  As far as dampeners go, I've never used them, but I've never heard a reason to do so with my tubes in the Lyr with the HE-500s (though cans should hardly matter).  IIRC, because the tubes in the Lyr are quite recessed, socket savers/tube risers are probably necessary for a lot of dampeners, but that depends on the dampeners, I suppose.
 
I know that's probably not the helpful answer for which you were hoping, but I didn't want you to think you were being totally ignored.  This thread isn't as lively as others, maybe because a lot of the posters from the old Lyr tube rolling thread got their fill and don't monitor this one.  Who knows.
 
I wouldn't rush to buy dampeners.  They're not like tubes (I suppose): they'll always be available.  If you think you need them for certain tubes after listening for a while, go for it.  I like my socket savers a lot.  I like seeing the tubes, and I like a less hot volume knob.
 
Anyway, hope you gleaned something from all that, and that you enjoy your HE-500s on your Lyr.  You've got some fine tubes to roll 

 

[gibosi]

  Thanks a lot for your reply, By microphonics, shall I understand vibrations? Sorry, I am new with tubes!

 
Yes. When a tube is sensitive to vibration and acts like a microphone, it is said to be microphonic. If you thump on your amp or desk, you will hear the tube "ring" if it is microphonic. It is typically not a problem in headphone amps, as we are usually listening in relatively quiet places. But if a microphonic tube is in a noisy environment, such as in a guitar amplifier on stage, it can be a real problem.
 
You can learn more about microphonics in this Wikipedia article:
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microphonics

 

[Brouken Air]

   
Well, all I can say is that you've ordered (received?) a very disparate collection of tubes.  The best thing you can do, IMO, is burn in each pair for at least 50 hours, then do some serious listening to see which ones you like with whatever music and whatever cans.  As far as dampeners go, I've never used them, but I've never heard a reason to do so with my tubes in the Lyr with the HE-500s (though cans should hardly matter).  IIRC, because the tubes in the Lyr are quite recessed, socket savers/tube risers are probably necessary for a lot of dampeners, but that depends on the dampeners, I suppose.
 
I know that's probably not the helpful answer for which you were hoping, but I didn't want you to think you were being totally ignored.  This thread isn't as lively as others, maybe because a lot of the posters from the old Lyr tube rolling thread got their fill and don't monitor this one.  Who knows.
 
I wouldn't rush to buy dampeners.  They're not like tubes (I suppose): they'll always be available.  If you think you need them for certain tubes after listening for a while, go for it.  I like my socket savers a lot.  I like seeing the tubes, and I like a less hot volume knob.
 
Anyway, hope you gleaned something from all that, and that you enjoy your HE-500s on your Lyr.  You've got some fine tubes to roll 

Thanks for the answer, But I wasn't expecting anything at all and in fact you answer pleases me, because it does not cost me anything 

 
Effectively I have ordered very different tubes, in order to discover the various tendancies. First because I want to be able to listen various types of music (always quoted as classic) and I think you can't listen the same way an old record from the 50's as a flac recording 24 bits 192khz, The same way a recording of the Requiem from Berlioz or the 8th symphony from Mahler, requests other setups then a recording from Scarlatti's sonatas... I am aware of the long breakin in periods, having tested a lot of cables from speaker to ICs, including power cables... The second reason is that I am very curious and I need to test...
By the way if someone knows the Dynaudio speakers (C4s) sound which is quite special and could suggest some tubes going that direction, please feel free to tell me...

 

[Brouken Air]

Thanks gibosi, it's crystal clear... I will get my Lyr in the two coming days and I am really curious to listen to it. As I am currently using the headphone output of the Zodiac Gold, which tends tend to be too bright with certain recordings. I bought initially the HE500s to please my wife, who was fed up of listening 10 recordings of the same symphony... and now she insists on using the headphones all the time for listening. So I am currently building my new setup  

 

[Oskari]

  How would you interpret the following Telefunken code?  U12140040
 
U 12140 040
 
Day = 21
Month = 10
Year = 19[6|7]4
 
I've no idea what the 040 at the end might signify.

 
Here is something I saved off a long gone German forum.
 

 
It seems to agree. Not much new information. I don't know what the "Index" or the occasional character beyond that indicates.
 
Of note is that only the five-character date appears on tubes made by other companies for Telefunken.

 

[ThurstonX]

   
Here is something I saved off a long gone German forum.
 

 
It seems to agree. Not much new information. I don't know what the "Index" or the occasional character beyond that indicates.
 
Of note is that only the five-character date appears on tubes made by other companies for Telefunken.

 
Interesting, thanks for posting.  And that's good to know about when only the five-character date code is printed.

 

[thotfulspot]

I find the easiest way to compare tubes is to decide on a base set like the GE supplied by Schiit and listen to them for 50 hours or so. Then switch them out and do the same for another set. Once you get some good hours on them switch back to the first set. You'll know pretty quick which set you like better. If you keep going from a base set to something else you'll have a point of reference to go by. I do this with all my tube gear.

Spacers/dampners do make it easier to swap out tubes. I use a chopstick to hold down the dampner to keep them seated while pulling the tubes.

 

[delancyst]

how do you determine if a tube is microphonic or not?

 

[MattTCG]

It's "noisy" instead of having a quite background when the music is paused. 

 

[gibosi]

As I posted yesterday... With no music playing, tap on your amp or desk. If you hear the tube "ring" it is microphonic. However, even if a tube is slightly microphonic, it is usually not a problem in headphone amps, as we are usually listening in relatively quiet places. But if a microphonic tube is in a noisy environment, such as in a guitar amplifier on stage, it can be a real problem.

 

[Brouken Air]

I just received my new amp and I am beginning the test. I put the standard GE tubes in and I was pleasantly surprised, it's already sounding quite well, though quite analaytical and there's a background sound,certainly caracteristic of the new tubes (I hope it'll go away). 
I am currently listening to a record of songs of Henry Laws, one of the elizabethan period composer, and I am having a very good time, as I hear the progress of the burnin, voice start to get a 3 dimensional reproduction as the stage is widening... Details of the theorbo, lute and harpsichord are quite nice, missing a bit air, but I will wait till some 80 hours before going into a detailed review...

 

 

[ThurstonX]

For anyone curious about the Telefunken E88CCs listed here, I got the following response over at Tubes Asylum (yes, I had myself committed 

 )
 
"U12140040
 
U is the Ulm plant where it was made
reverse the first two numbers for the date which would be 21
the 3rd and 5th number is the month which is October
the 4th digit is the last number of the year which is 1974
That means the tube was made Oct 21,1974 in the Ulm plant"
 
Someone asked how he could be sure they are from 1974 and not 1964.  He replied:

"Tubes after 1968 started with a letter indicating the plant and seven numbers that followed.Since we were past the year 1964 which has a 4 in the number,the only logical conclusion would be 1974."
 
[quotes posted by Michael Samra at Tubes Asylum]
 
Given that info, and comparing prices at Upscale Audio and Brent Jessee's site (not to mention eBay sellers) for 1960s E88CCs, the price seems reasonable, if you want 1970s Telefunkens.

 

[Tequilasunriser]

Does the Lyr meet the recommended plate voltage of its tubes?

 

[dgriffter]

Ok, so who was it who dropped $650 on these? Come on now, own up....