[Paladin79]

I love AC/DC. Second, of course, to Marilyn Manson.

Ok some of your tube advice is starting to make more sense now, your musical tastes are um, interesting?

 

[bochawa]

I bought the Vali 2 b-stock for $99. First added the GE 5670W + adapter (~$20), then recently the Tung-Sol 6SN7 + adapter (~$40). Currently awaiting delivery of Sylvania 7A4 XXL's + adapter (~$75). Doesn't seem unreasonable to me.

 

[Robert Padgett]

I bought the Vali 2 b-stock for $99. First added the GE 5670W + adapter (~$20), then recently the Tung-Sol 6SN7 + adapter (~$40). Currently awaiting delivery of Sylvania 7A4 XXL's + adapter (~$75). Doesn't seem unreasonable to me.

It is really a good showcase for different tubes. I roll one in for a day or two and trade it in, and its like a whole new amplifier with the "new" tube. I have a 1951ribbed plate Foton which was never better than so-so in a matched pair on the VH2, but it is a sweet sounding tube on the Vali 2. Go Figure.

 

[Paladin79]

I bought the Vali 2 b-stock for $99. First added the GE 5670W + adapter (~$20), then recently the Tung-Sol 6SN7 + adapter (~$40). Currently awaiting delivery of Sylvania 7A4 XXL's + adapter (~$75). Doesn't seem unreasonable to me.

I am curious how well you like the 7A4's, the adapter can take a while to arrive if ordered out of China so it could be a couple weeks.

 

[bcowen]

Ok some of your tube advice is starting to make more sense now, your musical tastes are um, interesting?

I prefer 'eclectic,' but 'interesting' is acceptable.

 

[Old Deaf Donkey]

This is a report of a rather happy man, who sits listening to Schubert's Forellenquintett on his Vali 2, with CBS 5692 6SN7 tube in it, drinking Le Petit Xavier - a poor man's good claret from Courthézon in Vaucluse.

My tube tester arrived yesterday, fully functional. Now I can buy all crap I find safely. So I went through all the 6SN7 and 6C8 tubes i had bought recently. Not 1 dud. Listened to dual 6J5 Sylvanias, metal bottles. Found them very nice, but just a shade lacking, compared to dual 7A4 VT-192 Sylvanias, which remained my Holy Grail for now.

Also tried Mullard ECC82 - perhaps the most likeable Noval I have.

The 5692 is easily among 5 best 6SN7 that I have, along with RCA 6SN7GT Grey Glass, Tung Sol Mouse ears (I have three slighty different tubes), and MELZ 6H8C, black holed plates. Yet so many to try now, that I know they are all good. Nice times awaiting me. And still Frankentubes and Fotons on the way...

A good weekend to all.

 

[Paladin79]

This is a report of a rather happy man, who sits listening to Schubert's Forellenquintett on his Vali 2, with CBS 5692 6SN7 tube in it, drinking Le Petit Xavier - a poor man's good claret from Courthézon in Vaucluse.

My tube tester arrived yesterday, fully functional. Now I can buy all crap I find safely. So I went through all the 6SN7 and 6C8 tubes i had bought recently. Not 1 dud. Listened to dual 6J5 Sylvanias, metal bottles. Found them very nice, but just a shade lacking, compared to dual 7A4 VT-192 Sylvanias, which remained my Holy Grail for now.

Also tried Mullard ECC82 - perhaps the most likeable Noval I have.

The 5692 is easily among 5 best 6SN7 that I have, along with RCA 6SN7GT Grey Glass, Tung Sol Mouse ears (I have three slighty different tubes), and MELZ 6H8C, black holed plates. Yet so many to try now, that I know they are all good. Nice times awaiting me. And still Frankentubes and Fotons on the way...

A good weekend to all.

I will concur that the 7A4 VT-192 is the holy grail if for no other reason than to annoy Bill. He is going to have to try them or lose sleep at night till he does.

PS I have all the tubes you mentioned except my metal can 6j5's are made by RCA. I also have a lot of Sylvania 6j5's as well as some National Unions as I recall.

 

[Old Deaf Donkey]

I have all the tubes you mentioned except my metal can 6j5's are made by RCA. I also have a lot of Sylvania 6j5's as well as some National Unions as I recall.

No big wonder. I am stumbling along the footprints left by you and a couple of other guys in this thread. You have been very generous in guiding me and others.

 

[bcowen]

I will concur that the 7A4 VT-192 is the holy grail if for no other reason than to annoy Bill. He is going to have to try them or lose sleep at night till he does.

Yeah, well, um, sure OK then, fine and dandy. Just wait until I finish building the adapter for this. A new paradigm for annoyance. By my calculations, the Lyr 3 will handle the 1.8 amps of filament current for 59 seconds before melting. But that (almost) minute will be stuff that legends are made of.

 

[Paladin79]

Yeah, well, um, sure OK then, fine and dandy. Just wait until I finish building the adapter for this. A new paradigm for annoyance. By my calculations, the Lyr 3 will handle the 1.8 amps of filament current for 59 seconds before melting. But that (almost) minute will be stuff that legends are made of.

I think that is a wonderful idea! Use the Lyr 3 as a slow blowing fuse, be sure and get a video. You may not get your 15 minutes of fame by doing this but several seconds could be allotted to you I would think.

I have a lot of choices for the Vali but I went back to the VT-192's for a while, an exceptional tube match for the amp IMHO.

 

[Paladin79]

No big wonder. I am stumbling along the footprints left by you and a couple of other guys in this thread. You have been very generous in guiding me and others.

You are most kind ODD. You might want to be careful following Bill's footprints, I suspect one of his legs is longer than the other and he will lead you in circles, but that is just a theory. Well grounded as it might be, it is still just a theory.

 

[bcowen]

I have a lot of choices for the Vali but I went back to the VT-192's for a while, an exceptional tube match for the amp IMHO.

I see what you did there. But since I already took my anti-annoy pill this morning, I'm merely amused.

 

[bcowen]

You are most kind ODD. You might want to be careful following Bill's footprints, I suspect one of his legs is longer than the other and he will lead you in circles...

LOL! At least I always know where I'm going to end up.

 

[bcowen]

Quiz of the day. Just for fun (and to preclude more 7A4 posts ) who can guess what's shown in the 1st photo and the orange thingies in the 2nd photo? Answering "tube" for the first one or "capacitor" for the second one don't count. The winner will receive one free GE 12AU7 tube. NOS. (to be fair though the difference between a NOS and DOS (Dead Old Stock) GE tube is probably not discernable audibly).

 

[Keno18]

Quiz of the day. Just for fun (and to preclude more 7A4 posts ) who can guess what's shown in the 1st photo and the orange thingies in the 2nd photo? Answering "tube" for the first one or "capacitor" for the second one don't count. The winner will receive one free GE 12AU7 tube. NOS. (to be fair though the difference between a NOS and DOS (Dead Old Stock) GE tube is probably not discernable audibly).

I don't know what the first one is but I think the second is a surge suppressor.