The Reference 6J5 Thread (L63, 6C5, 12J5, 6P5, etc.)

[Isaacc7]

Anyone care to take a crack at this? These tubes are for sale and I’m considering picking them up- only issue is that I need quads so I will have to pair these up (preferably) with like kind. Possibilities? Marconi, GEC, Osram?? As the face labels are long gone anyone have ideas from ideas from the remaining markings?

That sideways logo in an oval shape is a good indication that it is an MOV tube. Marconi Osram Valve. Those, along with GEC and Emitron are all from the same company. I’ve also seen a name they used in France but I don’t remember what I is. Well, the branding is all the same company. I think these are prewar.

 

[nwavesailor]

It’s too bad you don’t still have them. I try to not to make a rush judgement (esp when others I trust have spoken highly of a particular tube). Plenty of times I can count where I wasn’t impressed with a tube at first and let it sit for awhile and had a much different impression the second or third time I rolled them.

Case in point, C3g is a great example for me personally. I was completely underwhelmed with them at first (almost sold them infact when someone told me my amp just wasn’t biased correctly for them. Glad I did not listen to them)

Today is the first listen with Elrogs + C3g after adding my PSM136. I credit most of my change in perception to adding the Puritan power conditioner (bass on this driver prior was particularly anemic). Now it’s one of my favorite drivers with the Elrogs (which I do seem to prefer to the WE with this particular driver)

In your example of the C3g I knew right away I liked them. I have very little patience and over 20 years I can usually tell in a test track or 2 if I like a tube.

Perhaps I was too quick to bail on them but I also tried the GEC and Russian versions and after buying 3 quads and not liking any of them I gave up and sold the adapters and all the tubes……

I found most drivers sound good to great in the Envy but, IMO, not those!!!!

 

[nwavesailor]

I sold all of them to Head-Fiers. They both liked them and one unnamed guy thought they were good, but not great in the Envy with Elrog or WE.

 

[leftside]

That sideways logo in an oval shape is a good indication that it is an MOV tube. Marconi Osram Valve. Those, along with GEC and Emitron are all from the same company. I’ve also seen a name they used in France but I don’t remember what I is. Well, the branding is all the same company. I think these are prewar.

Pre 1945 for sure. Could be wartime tho. Military markings.

 

[TLO]

In your example of the C3g I knew right away I liked them. I have very little patience and over 20 years I can usually tell in a test track or 2 if I like a tube.

Perhaps I was too quick to bail on them but I also tried the GEC and Russian versions and after buying 3 quads and not liking any of them I gave up and sold the adapters and all the tubes……

I found most drivers sound good to great in the Envy but, IMO, not those!!!!

I have a tube that really take about 60 hrs to settle and open up, it has become one of my top 3 favorites. Seriously, patience is really needed here.

 

[JTbbb]

Anyone care to take a crack at this? These tubes are for sale and I’m considering picking them up- only issue is that I need quads so I will have to pair these up (preferably) with like kind. Possibilities? Marconi, GEC, Osram?? As the face labels are long gone anyone have ideas from ideas from the remaining markings?

You may find something to match here.

 

[nwavesailor]

I have a tube that really take about 60 hrs to settle and open up, it has become one of my top 3 favorites. Seriously, patience is really needed here.

I have so many really good drivers that If i don't like a tube I move on.
As I mentioned, I'm not patient and that's just me!
I have way too many tubes that sit unused in boxes. This would have simply been 3 more quads I didn't need and would never use.

 

[mordy]

I have so many really good drivers that If i don't like a tube I move on.
As I mentioned, I'm not patient and that's just me!
I have way too many tubes that sit unused in boxes. This would have simply been 3 more quads I didn't need and would never use.

And here I thought that most tubes need at least 30-50 hours to burn in…
And sometimes 120 hours…

 

[nwavesailor]

I’m not a big burn in believer.

Brain burn in???? sure.

Capacitors do need to form and dynamic speakers needing time to physically loosen are 2 I do understand and believe.

I have so many tubes I like and if some good ones got away due to my impatience, that’s OK!!!

 

[mordy]

I’m not a big burn in believer.

Brain burn in???? sure.

Capacitors do need to form and dynamic speakers needing time to physically loosen are 2 I do understand and believe.

I have so many tubes I like and if some good ones got away due to my impatience, that’s OK!!!

I had to convince myself that burn-in is real. Some tubes don’t change much but others can go from bad sounding to good sounding.
Amps also need burn-in to stabilize.
And yes, your brain needs to adapt as well…
IMHO I find it hard to believe tests or studies where people listen to a bunch of tubes a couple of minutes each and then pronounce a winner. Most tubes need time to warm up to function at their best, some metal tubes a 1/2 hour.

 

[shwnwllms]

IMHO I find it hard to believe tests or studies where people listen to a bunch of tubes a couple of minutes each and then pronounce a winner. Most tubes need time to warm up to function at their best, some metal tubes a 1/2 hour.

Totally agree. I also find that some of my Russian tubes take an exorbitantly long amount of time to warm up and hit their stride.

 

[nwavesailor]

I had to convince myself that burn-in is real. Some tubes don’t change much but others can go from bad sounding to good sounding.
Amps also need burn-in to stabilize.
And yes, your brain needs to adapt as well…
IMHO I find it hard to believe tests or studies where people listen to a bunch of tubes a couple of minutes each and then pronounce a winner. Most tubes need time to warm up to function at their best, some metal tubes a 1/2 hour.

If I had to convince myself that burn in is real, it’s may be too small an improvement for me to detect. I DO, however, believe in warming up with tubes!!!!

 

[Deleeh]

I had to convince myself that burn-in is real. Some tubes don’t change much but others can go from bad sounding to good sounding.
Amps also need burn-in to stabilize.
And yes, your brain needs to adapt as well…
IMHO I find it hard to believe tests or studies where people listen to a bunch of tubes a couple of minutes each and then pronounce a winner. Most tubes need time to warm up to function at their best, some metal tubes a 1/2 hour.

I'm right there with you.
The old tung sol's in particular can sound terrible for the first few hours and the more time you give them, the better they get.

Also with the Metalbase varrianten you have my approval Ken Rad VT94 great example after 30 min and temperature remains constant really nice...

As for listening to tubes when they are new, I also need time to get to know them, later after 3-4 months I still know here and there, or oh there was something.
In the end, you decide for yourself whether to enjoy it or put it back in the box.

 

[mordy]

I'm right there with you.
The old tung sol's in particular can sound terrible for the first few hours and the more time you give them, the better they get.

Also with the Metalbase varrianten you have my approval Ken Rad VT94 great example after 30 min and temperature remains constant really nice...

As for listening to tubes when they are new, I also need time to get to know them, later after 3-4 months I still know here and there, or oh there was something.
In the end, you decide for yourself whether to enjoy it or put it back in the box.

In the beginning of my tube equipment journey I was very skeptical about burn-in, coming mainly from solid state equipment. But over time I realized that burn-in is very real, and I always find it very interesting how the sound signature changes of a tube the first 20-50 hours or, until it stabilizes.
There are people on these forums that claim that they can tell the sound of a tube in a couple of minutes, and I respect their opinions, but as for myself, it takes me much more time until I become thoroughly familiar with the sound of a specific tube.

 

[Isaacc7]

I have a tube that really take about 60 hrs to settle and open up, it has become one of my top 3 favorites. Seriously, patience is really needed here.

I have also had some good experiences with tubes changing as they are used. There are several issues, or at least things to keep in mind:

1) It’s difficult to sit through sub-optimal sound when I already have good sounding combos. I mean, I can’t listen to my stereo all the time and so giving up some of that time for the hope that things get better is a tough sell.

2) With that said I have heard big enough transitions that I am willing to give a tube 10-20 hours to settle in. 60-100 hours? There’s no way I’m going to sit through that much sub-optimal or even bad sound. Life is too short. I’m pretty sure anything past 20 hours is just me getting used to the sound. We hear with our brain and it adapts.

3) The most typical things I hear with brand new tubes are a dryness or flatness, lack of bass, and general harshness. Could be any of those things, it’s usually at least one of them.

4) I’ve had less luck with brightness calming down. First impressions tend to stick I guess. Even if the worst of the brightness goes away it usually still seems to have an upward tilt.