[HellooooThar]

Howdy guys!

Due to some circumstances (namely I came in to a pair of HE5 SE) I am selling my HE 400is. I will be posting them over in the for sale listings, but I thought I would give y'all a crack at them first since I think I am cutting a pretty good deal. Asking $120 + shipping. I am a little negotiable on that, and willing to throw in a pair of 6DJ8s from Herleen which I particularly liked with them. PM me if there is interest! I have all of the original boxes (even the one they were imported in) and the 'phones are in great shape.

 

[Old Deaf Donkey]

For a week, two Sylvania JAN VT-192 (7A4), made in 1945, stay in my Vali 2.



I am trying everything else I have. Nothing matches these two tubes. Not MELZ, not RCA grey glass, not Tung-Sol mouse ears, not Russian 6S2S from 1954. They just sound real. Enormous 3D and precise soundstage, natural tonal balance, incredible detail of resolution, but most of all - this feeling of reality. I am throwing all kinds of music at them. Same thing - perfect rendering. Maybe it is just me. My tube tester has arrived to Brussels,so I can test my stash of used 6SN7 and 6C8G. Then, we'll see.

 

[Paladin79]

Very cool and I like those tubes myself. I give Bill credit for referencing certain tubes but I figured out the 7A4's on my own. That is not to say that others have not used them in the past, I just know I came across them in my tube manuals and began ordering them as the loctal version of the 6J5 without borrowing the idea. 6sn7's have shielding to prevent crosstalk since you are housing two triodes in the same tube. It made sense to me to go the single and separate triode route. With my first listening, it was reminding me of binaural recordings, the separation and airiness. I also liked the price of some of the less sought after tubes.

I like some versions of the Sylvania 6j5's, and it took me a while to find the overall SQ of really good 6sn7's but when you get that, and the separation, it is not always an easy thing to explain to someone who has not heard it yet.

Do the same thing with a DAC as well as amp and the effect can be very impressive. I can probably set up a dozen headphone amp-DAC combinations but nothing that sounds like this setup, for anywhere close to similar money.

 

[bcowen]

I give Bill credit for referencing certain tubes...

I'm OK. Really. Even after just falling out of my chair.

 

[Paladin79]

I'm OK. Really. Even after just falling out of my chair.

I like to give credit where credit is due. You came up with Melz and Foton information. Now of course you might have borrowed it from someone else but that is beside the point.

Behave! This was just one of my many experiments. It works perfectly well though, two single triode tubes with the same filament current as the 6sn7 once you add them together. When you separate things you tend to get better results, consider a receiver compared to separate tuner, pre-amp and amp. That is my logic and I am sticking to it.

 

[bochawa]

I just placed an order for a dual 7A4 to 6SN7 adapter. You guys are the worst.

 

[Old Deaf Donkey]

I just placed an order for a dual 7A4 to 6SN7 adapter. You guys are the worst.

Is this what circular economy is about?

 

[Old Deaf Donkey]

When you separate things you tend to get better results

I think there was a mention of someone in this thread, who perfected this principle, separating the glass bulb from the rest of the tube. I wonder about the resulting clarity and sound stage

 

[Robert Padgett]

I think there was a mention of someone in this thread, who perfected this principle, separating the glass bulb from the rest of the tube. I wonder about the resulting clarity and sound stage

Shattering the glass envelope on a Tung-Sol Mouse-ears 6SN7GT did not improve either the sonic qualities or the overall operational integrity. It was on display until the recent clean-up to serve as a reminder that Gravity is the Valve's worst nightmare, especially a three-foot drop.

 

[Paladin79]

I just placed an order for a dual 7A4 to 6SN7 adapter. You guys are the worst.

Then you should be on the lookout for a matched pair of these...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SYLVANIA-J...620487?hash=item3ad9967947:g:opIAAOSw9GhYmPpU

There are plenty of 7A4's on Ebay as well but I have a fondness for the military version, VT-192's, as seems to be the case with @Old Deaf Donkey

You can only be truly happy when you are working towards a goal, and this one is short term and offers some wonderful audio results. IMHO

We just have to hope @bcowen does not take an interest in these tubes and starts buying them up.

 

[Ripper2860]

I'm thinking about buying a dual tube adapter and tube umbilical cords that will allow me to place one 7A4 in the front office and the other in my back bedroom of my home for even further separation and improved sound-stage. Does anyone have a link to 150' 8-pin tube extension cables?

 

[Paladin79]

I'm thinking about buying a dual tube adapter and tube umbilical cords that will allow me to place one 7A4 in the front office and the other in my back bedroom of my home for even further separation and improved sound-stage. Does anyone have a link to 150' 8-pin tube extension cables?

I can build you one by 9 am tomorrow morning. Price is no object right?

Seriously though, two triodes enclosed in the same glass structure make sense but shielding is required for obvious reasons.

 

[Old Deaf Donkey]

I'm thinking about buying a dual tube adapter and tube umbilical cords that will allow me to place one 7A4 in the front office and the other in my back bedroom of my home for even further separation and improved sound-stage. Does anyone have a link to 150' 8-pin tube extension cables?

In my experience, this only works with increasing the distance beween the ears. no need for long cables, but takes time to stretch the auricles.

 

[Ripper2860]

I'm kidding. Separately housed triodes in their own tubes makes perfect sense. No matter how well the shielding, x-talk will still be present due to the proximity of the triodes on a dual triode tube. 2x single triode tubes having better soundstage and presentation just makes sense.

 

[Ripper2860]

In my experience, this only works with increasing the distance beween the ears. no need for long cables, but takes time to stretch the auricles.

Well, my head does tend to swell when complimented, so I'll test your theory by having the wife compliment me on my sexual prowess and then listen to my Lyr 3 with 1x dual triode tube installed.