[Paladin79]

My Melz is coming around finally after ~100 hours of break-in and re-soldering the pins (both tubes had random noise issues until I re-soldered). No wild good/bad/good/bad break-in ride like the Foton, but seemed to need around the same amount of break-in time to really show off. Sounded very good to start with, but the very good wasn't quite in holy grail territory for me -- lacked impact and power in the mid and upper bass and macrodynamics were restrained. Both of those areas have improve substantially over the past 60-70 hours. Little by little it's getting pretty close to unseating Frankie.

Bill there is no way we should agree on something, if you start to like the Melz I am going to have to tell you about this other tube I got, it is so good, I can only listen to it in small stretches. My other tubes are ashamed to be in the same room.

You should hear the single triode versions of the Frankies. I just got the Sylvania xxl 7a4's, military VT-192's and they are impressive new out of the box so they should be something when they settle in. The Melz to me are not lacking in any area, so they are a standard by which I compare other tubes but that is just my opinion. The tricky part of the Vali is the tube I use in the Aune to feed it, if I really work at it, the Vali starts to sound pretty good for what it is. Getting proper bass is not easy, bass that sounds good in the Vali flat overwhelms other amps I am trying. Change part of the chain, change the sound.

 

[Mr Trev]

My Melz is coming around finally after ~100 hours of break-in and re-soldering the pins (both tubes had random noise issues until I re-soldered). No wild good/bad/good/bad break-in ride like the Foton, but seemed to need around the same amount of break-in time to really show off. Sounded very good to start with, but the very good wasn't quite in holy grail territory for me -- lacked impact and power in the mid and upper bass and macrodynamics were restrained. Both of those areas have improve substantially over the past 60-70 hours. Little by little it's getting pretty close to unseating Frankie.

I've read it mentioned a few times now, what this "re-soldering the pins" about?

 

[bcowen]

Bill there is no way we should agree on something, if you start to like the Melz I am going to have to tell you about this other tube I got, it is so good, I can only listen to it in small stretches. My other tubes are ashamed to be in the same room.

You should hear the single triode versions of the Frankies. I just got the Sylvania xxl 7a4's, military VT-192's and they are impressive new out of the box so they should be something when they settle in. The Melz to me are not lacking in any area, so they are a standard by which I compare other tubes but that is just my opinion. The tricky part of the Vali is the tube I use in the Aune to feed it, if I really work at it, the Vali starts to sound pretty good for what it is. Getting proper bass is not easy, bass that sounds good in the Vali flat overwhelms other amps I am trying. Change part of the chain, change the sound.

Well glory be. Look what Xulingmrs has. Guess I need some 7A4's now.

I hate you.

 

[bcowen]

I've read it mentioned a few times now, what this "re-soldering the pins" about?

Re-heating the pins at the bottom to melt the internal solder (and usually add a little more too). Many times noise issues (like hum, sputtering, static-ey sounds, etc) can be due to a bad connection where the internal wiring is soldered to the tube pin(s). Reheating (re-flowing) this solder can fix that if that's the cause of the problem. This only works on octals or tubes with hollow pins -- not an option for a 9-pin, loctal, etc.

 

[Mr Trev]

Re-heating the pins at the bottom to melt the internal solder (and usually add a little more too). Many times noise issues (like hum, sputtering, static-ey sounds, etc) can be due to a bad connection where the internal wiring is soldered to the tube pin(s). Reheating (re-flowing) this solder can fix that if that's the cause of the problem.

I see, seems innocent enough. You don't have to worry about cracking the glass?

 

[Paladin79]

Well glory be. Look what Xulingmrs has. Guess I need some 7A4's now.

I hate you.

You absolutely have to have that adapter to try the 7A4's, you would think just a change of socket type and use of the 6j5 adapter might work, but it did not for me. If you get one and a set of the 7A4's go straight for the VT-192's, do not dilly dally around, man up and go for the big boy tubes and you should be fine. The chrome dome takes up about 3/4 of the tube so maybe that was good enough for military usage, notice it is about the same coverage as the black glass in the background.

 

[bcowen]

I see, seems innocent enough. You don't have to worry about cracking the glass?

Oh, no. Not enough heat needed to travel that far and still be hot enough to crack the glass.

 

[Paladin79]

And I have had it recommended to keep the pins angled down to avoid solder flow back into the tube. Capillary action should draw the solder in a bit.

 

[bcowen]

You absolutely have to have that adapter to try the 7A4's, you would think just a change of socket type and use of the 6j5 adapter might work, but it did not for me. If you get one and a set of the 7A4's go straight for the VT-192's, do not dilly dally around, man up and go for the big boy tubes and you should be fine. The chrome dome takes up about 3/4 of the tube so maybe that was good enough for military usage, notice it is about the same coverage as the black glass in the background.

Ha! They even have squared off tops like Frankie. I can't tell in the picture though...are those round plates?

There's a pair on Ebay right now. These boxes look anything like yours?

 

[Paladin79]

Ha! They even have squared off tops like Frankie. I can't tell in the picture though...are those round plates?

There's a pair on Ebay right now. These boxes look anything like yours?

Mine say US Army Signal Corps but all else is the same, Sylvania VT -192.

And no, we are not calling them frankfurters, I need to get you enrolled in a course on tube naming before you are allowed to name another tube.

 

[bcowen]

Mine say US Army Signal Corps but all else is the same, Sylvania VT -192.

Thanks. I can't tell from the seller's pics if they have the frankenhead top. That's a major distinguishing feature of the 7N7's...and yours clearly have it.

 

[Paladin79]

Thanks. I can't tell from the seller's pics if they have the frankenhead top. That's a major distinguishing feature of the 7N7's...and yours clearly have it.

I imagine they have that top, I only go by your guidance before I buy any tube. Generally I ask myself "What would Bill do?" before I buy anything. The Industrial Sylvania 7A4's have that top as do some VT 231's.

 

[bcowen]

I imagine they have that top, I only go by your guidance before I buy any tube. Generally I ask myself "What would Bill do?" before I buy anything. The Industrial Sylvania 7A4's have that top as do some VT 231's.

ROFL!

 

[bcowen]

My other tubes are ashamed to be in the same room.

I'm having the same problem myself right now. This one tube has alienated all the others. Tubes are such a pain.

 

[Paladin79]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/True-NOS-N...NIAAOSwW~FcWa2Z:sc:USPSFirstClass!47403!US!-1

Here is a serious tube, but you need two. The venerable VT-94D. Three hole black plate, bottom getter. This is basically a Naughty Girl tube that straightened up after she joined the military.