[leftside]

People who know have said that a tube tester is only good for identifying a bad tube.

Absolutely not true! A good tube tester will tell you many things about a tube. Part of the hobby for me is learning about tubes, and having a tester has helped immensely in that regard.

During the period when tubes were in their heyday, a tube testing 63 out of 100 would have been thrown out. But of course, we can still find a use for them in our headphone amps and DACs that are less draining on tubes.

I have been told that tube testers can be manipulated to read inflated values.

With a tester like an Amplitrex, on the test screen it shows the test data being used. This is one reason why high testing Amplitrex tested tubes sell for more than other tubes. You can also check the settings used on other highly regarded testers like the AVO VCM 163 and Hickok 752/752A - as long as the seller shows a complete photo of the tester with the tube being tested. I won't buy a tube from eBay unless 1) I see these types of photos, 2) it's from a reputable seller, or 3) it's so cheap that it's worth the risk.

One seller had a picture on eBay with the photo showing the tube testing "very strong". I messaged the guy and said "hey mate, you've got that tester on the CAL (calibration) setting". He removed the ad.

If you're buying expensive tubes, you do need to buy a tester and learn how to use it. Honestly, I wish I'd have purchased a tube tester much sooner. My Amplitrex (an expensive tester) more than paid for itself just in the first year of owning it. I also have another tester that I sometimes use to double check things. And if you've really purchased that "last tube" (yeah right lol) you can always sell the tester for close to what your purchased it for. The classic/quality vintage tube testers are going up in price, so you might even make money on the tester!

Armed with a decent tube tester you can be much more confident about the tubes you purchase. If they test lower than advertised, you can often get a substantial refund or simply send the tube back and get a full refund. I've received low testing tubes from all the main reputable tube sellers like Langrex (more than a few times...) and Brent Jesse. These guys sell thousands of tubes and mistakes can easily be made, but armed with a tube tester, these quality sellers will soon make things right for you.

 

[CAJames]

Absolutely not true! A good tube tester will tell you many things about a tube. Part of the hobby for me is learning about tubes, and having a tester has helped immensely in that regard.

During the period when tubes were in their heyday, a tube testing 63 out of 100 would have been thrown out. But of course, we can still find a use for them in our headphone amps and DACs that are less draining on tubes.


With a tester like an Amplitrex, on the test screen it shows the test data being used. This is one reason why high testing Amplitrex tested tubes sell for more than other tubes. You can also check the settings used on other highly regarded testers like the AVO VCM 163 and Hickok 752/752A - as long as the seller shows a complete photo of the tester with the tube being tested. I won't buy a tube from eBay unless 1) I see these types of photos, 2) it's from a reputable seller, or 3) it's so cheap that it's worth the risk.

One seller had a picture on eBay with the photo showing the tube testing "very strong". I messaged the guy and said "hey mate, you've got that tester on the CAL (calibration) setting". He removed the ad.

If you're buying expensive tubes, you do need to buy a tester and learn how to use it. Honestly, I wish I'd have purchased a tube tester much sooner. My Amplitrex (an expensive tester) more than paid for itself just in the first year of owning it. I also have another tester that I sometimes use to double check things. And if you've really purchased that "last tube" (yeah right lol) you can always sell the tester for close to what your purchased it for. The classic/quality vintage tube testers are going up in price, so you might even make money on the tester!

Armed with a decent tube tester you can be much more confident about the tubes you purchase. If they test lower than advertised, you can often get a substantial refund or simply send the tube back and get a full refund. I've received low testing tubes from all the main reputable tube sellers like Langrex (more than a few times...) and Brent Jesse. These guys sell thousands of tubes and mistakes can easily be made, but armed with a tube tester, these quality sellers will soon make things right for you.

All true but testers like your Amplitrex are the exception, and I think by a wide margin. I would say most testers are in fact designed to test if tubes are bad, not good or matched. And that assumes they are even calibrated.

 

[Isaacc7]

Absolutely not true! A good tube tester will tell you many things about a tube. Part of the hobby for me is learning about tubes, and having a tester has helped immensely in that regard.

During the period when tubes were in their heyday, a tube testing 63 out of 100 would have been thrown out. But of course, we can still find a use for them in our headphone amps and DACs that are less draining on tubes.


With a tester like an Amplitrex, on the test screen it shows the test data being used. This is one reason why high testing Amplitrex tested tubes sell for more than other tubes. You can also check the settings used on other highly regarded testers like the AVO VCM 163 and Hickok 752/752A - as long as the seller shows a complete photo of the tester with the tube being tested. I won't buy a tube from eBay unless 1) I see these types of photos, 2) it's from a reputable seller, or 3) it's so cheap that it's worth the risk.

One seller had a picture on eBay with the photo showing the tube testing "very strong". I messaged the guy and said "hey mate, you've got that tester on the CAL (calibration) setting". He removed the ad.

If you're buying expensive tubes, you do need to buy a tester and learn how to use it. Honestly, I wish I'd have purchased a tube tester much sooner. My Amplitrex (an expensive tester) more than paid for itself just in the first year of owning it. I also have another tester that I sometimes use to double check things. And if you've really purchased that "last tube" (yeah right lol) you can always sell the tester for close to what your purchased it for. The classic/quality vintage tube testers are going up in price, so you might even make money on the tester!

Armed with a decent tube tester you can be much more confident about the tubes you purchase. If they test lower than advertised, you can often get a substantial refund or simply send the tube back and get a full refund. I've received low testing tubes from all the main reputable tube sellers like Langrex (more than a few times...) and Brent Jesse. These guys sell thousands of tubes and mistakes can easily be made, but armed with a tube tester, these quality sellers will soon make things right for you.

What does the tube tester tell you that actually matters? How do the numbers it gives you translate into sound quality or longevity? Even the most sophisticated testers are unable to “match” tubes to the point that they stay matched over time. I became rather cynical about tube testing results after getting tubes tested with a Roe tester. They included the print out that showed in great detail every parameter. Despite perfect test results they sound no different than other, untested tubes of the same type.

In theory, testing for emission should help determine the life span or ”strength” of a tube. That’s the only thing I’m looking for from a test. Well that and no shorts or gas.

 

[CAJames]

What does the tube tester tell you that actually matters? How do the numbers it gives you translate into sound quality or longevity?

Certainly no tube tester will tell you how a tube sounds. For me, the big thing is if you are paying for "new" and the tube tests weak you aren't getting your moneys worth. And while there are certainly no guarantees that any tube will last any amount of time a strong tube is more likely to live a long and productive life than a weak one. But, I think to your point, the more tubes I test the less correlation I find between test results and audio satisfaction. JMO/YMMV and all that.

 

[TLO]

What does the tube tester tell you that actually matters? How do the numbers it gives you translate into sound quality or longevity? Even the most sophisticated testers are unable to “match” tubes to the point that they stay matched over time. I became rather cynical about tube testing results after getting tubes tested with a Roe tester. They included the print out that showed in great detail every parameter. Despite perfect test results they sound no different than other, untested tubes of the same type.

In theory, testing for emission should help determine the life span or ”strength” of a tube. That’s the only thing I’m looking for from a test. Well that and no shorts or gas.

A few years ago, I was thinking of getting a mutual conductance tester and researched into it for 10s of hours. In the end, I gave up the idea because I have come to the realization that it is really a PITA, especially on the maintenance of vintage testers and extremely expensive on new testers. Dont really wanted to spend extra time and money on this, would rather spend the resources on exploring and rolling more tubes. In the end, I got myself a real simple dummy emission tester. No joke, it even says Dummy Tube Tester on the front...

 

[Designsfx]

A few years ago, I was thinking of getting a mutual conductance tester and researched into it for 10s of hours. In the end, I gave up the idea because I have come to the realization that it is really a PITA, especially on the maintenance of vintage testers and extremely expensive on new testers. Dont really wanted to spend extra time and money on this, would rather spend the resources on exploring and rolling more tubes. In the end, I got myself a real simple dummy emission tester. No joke, it even says Dummy Tube Tester on the front...

At a quick glance I thought the knob at the lower right said “Bass”- I was like “what” and had to look again!

 

[jonathan c]

That tube tester could be mistaken for a mini - Bottlehead Crack h/p/a (with a lid!!)

 

[mordy]

A few years ago, I was thinking of getting a mutual conductance tester and researched into it for 10s of hours. In the end, I gave up the idea because I have come to the realization that it is really a PITA, especially on the maintenance of vintage testers and extremely expensive on new testers. Dont really wanted to spend extra time and money on this, would rather spend the resources on exploring and rolling more tubes. In the end, I got myself a real simple dummy emission tester. No joke, it even says Dummy Tube Tester on the front...

Can you tell us the advantages of this tube tester and how it helps you in using tubes?

 

[shwnwllms]

Thanks. I thought I had quit the L63 game for good since after trying out so many singles I keep coming back to my GEC / Marconi staright bottle and sold off the rest.

A friend recently lent me a metal base Sylvania 6SN7W (with A marking on top) and that tube has such a sense of air and sparkle without harshness that is incredibly addictive lol. It's a bit lean and lacking in the low end though... I wonder if the metal base GEC can be the ticket?

I just rolled in my GEC L63 10E/348 shouldered grey glass (because it’s been awhile and I was curious after your inquiry)

It’s very linear as stated earlier, but vey resolving. I think it’s a great match with the ER 300Bs. It sort of just gets out of the way and lets the Elrogs shine. Little bass light compared to some of my other favorite drivers but there is also a nice sense of air, it’s very balanced overall. I don’t have anything bad to say about them and actually like them more than I remember.

Plus they just look cool af

UPDATE: I wouldn’t exactly say these are lacking bass, if anything they just take awhile to hit their stride

 

[TLO]

Can you tell us the advantages of this tube tester and how it helps you in using tubes?

As one would have expected, it is just a really simple emission tester, nothing amazing to talk about but it works quite well in giving you an idea when matching pairs if you have multiple pieces of the same tube like I do. So far, it has also detected 2 or 3 dual triode tubes with one dead section (one of the triodes has no emission detected) but the heaters are working fine. Oh, I have also found another useful feature from my observation....after baising to the desired grid voltage, if the reading for the plate emission seems to fluctuate a lot or unable to steady at a reading after enough time of warming the tube, it might has a noise issue. Overall, I am really satisfied what I used it for and best of all, it only costs about USD150.

 

[dpump]

How to locate and purchase the Dummy Tube Tester?

 

[mordy]

As one would have expected, it is just a really simple emission tester, nothing amazing to talk about but it works quite well in giving you an idea when matching pairs if you have multiple pieces of the same tube like I do. So far, it has also detected 2 or 3 dual triode tubes with one dead section (one of the triodes has no emission detected) but the heaters are working fine. Oh, I have also found another useful feature from my observation....after baising to the desired grid voltage, if the reading for the plate emission seems to fluctuate a lot or unable to steady at a reading after enough time of warming the tube, it might has a noise issue. Overall, I am really satisfied what I used it for and best of all, it only costs about USD150.

I hope that I am not asking the wrong question, but recently I received a dual triode where both heater sections lit up.
However, there was no sound in one channel, and after checking that the pins made good contact, I determined that the tube was defective.
Why do I need a tester for this?

 

[nwavesailor]

I just rolled in my GEC L63 10E/348 shouldered grey glass (because it’s been awhile and I was curious after your inquiry)

It’s very linear as stated earlier, but vey resolving. I think it’s a great match with the ER 300Bs. It sort of just gets out of the way and lets the Elrogs shine. Little bass light compared to some of my other favorite drivers but there is also a nice sense of air, it’s very balanced overall. I don’t have anything bad to say about them and actually like them more than I remember.

Plus they just look cool af

UPDATE: I wouldn’t exactly say these are lacking bass, if anything they just take awhile to hit their stride

I agree! The GEC smoked glass10E / 348 are very good all-arounder in the 6J5/L63 lineup. One of my favorites!

 

[TLO]

I hope that I am not asking the wrong question, but recently I received a dual triode where both heater sections lit up.
However, there was no sound in one channel, and after checking that the pins made good contact, I determined that the tube was defective.
Why do I need a tester for this?

Yes, you dont really. It is just an additional way of confirming it. I use it mainly for matching pairs though.

 

[TLO]

How to locate and purchase the Dummy Tube Tester?

I bought mine from the maker himself through a listing at Ebay, that was about 3 years back. The listing is gone now. Anyway, the brand is Travagans Audio and I think he has a FB page. His name is David Lin, from Taiwan, and email address is dl2016@ms2.hinet.net. I dont know if he is still working on this, perhaps send him an enquiry email.