ZMF Aegis Official Thread

[PineapplePizza82]

Any word if the TAD bundles will come back in stock?

 

[leftside]

I am getting a U52 as well eventually. That tube has been on my list before I even got the Aegis. I am sure it's gonna sound Heavenly.

 

[Wes S]

Amazing! I love all those logos, but the purple one in the middle is my fav.

 

[betula]

What a pretty line up!

 

[betula]

Yeah, I always prefer to test tubes if possible before throwing them in an amp.

I'd recommend buying a cheap tube tester for anybody deep enough in the hobby to have the tube collections that most of us have. Even a simple Emissions/Shorts tester is good for making sure some of those cheap eBay tubes won't break one's amp.

And FWIW, I snagged a second cheap tube tester a couple of days ago for $86, so they can be had cheap if you around.

Yepp, always test your drugs!
Is there some simple guide or video somewhere for beginner tube testers that you could link in here?

What's the point of using such a rare antique when far cheaper rectifiers will sound just as good?

They all sound different. Some tubes are clearly better than others, but they are all different. 'Holy grail' tubes are rare, and often they have a very nice, special sound. That is what bumps the price up. They are not necessarily 'much better' than other tubes, but they offer a unique, rare sound which people are willing to pay for. These tubes also get hyped, which further increases price and lowers availability. IMO these super expensive holy grail tubes are for the most hardcore afficionados as they do not represent good value for money, but certainly offer something unique. Like real beluga caviar or a $1000 bottle of champagne. There are fantastic champagnes and caviar for tenth the price, but you get my point. It is not different with tubes. (Just a bit riskier, as you can never be sure about the reliability of a 70-year-old vacuum tube.)

 

[martelanc24]

There are a bunch of cheap usable emissions testers out there. I like the Sencore stuff for checking emissions/grid leakage/shorting. B&K has some nice models and there are a pile of others out there as well. Keep in mind that these are not very useful for truly matching power tubes as they can't do transconductance, but they are fine for making sure that the tube won't blow up your amp.

If you're not electronically inclined, I would try and find ones that clearly say that they have been tested to work correctly (calibrated is better, but unlikely on a cheapie). Or, better yet, find one with a 30 day return if it doesn't work. The first Sencore I got was flaky, but it turned out to be a bad 12au7 tube inside. After swapping that out and going through a basic cal/setup on it, it works fine, although I wouldn't consider any measurements on to be reference grade.

Also if you can and want to DIY there is the “Valve heaven” DIY valve/tube tester for example. BOM is 50-100€/$ depending if you can get the transformer and how fancy you want to go. It is a basic tester, not for matching or precise mesurements, but you take the worry out of just plugging a random untested tube in your amp. I found a tube with a bad heater, a shorted tube and one leaky from my “known good” stash of tubes I have not tested before.

Here is an example I am borrowing, not made by me:

 

[AnyDave]

Also if you can and want to DIY there is the “Valve heaven” DIY valve/tube tester for example. BOM is 50-100€/$ depending if you can get the transformer and how fancy you want to go. It is a basic tester, not for matching or precise mesurements, but you take the worry out of just plugging a random untested tube in your amp. I found a tube with a bad heater, a shorted tube and one leaky from my “known good” stash of tubes I have not tested before.

Here is an example I am borrowing, not made by me:

Yep, a good option for folks that like soldering.

What I really want is a uTracer, but that's a different level of investment. I think those run around $1200 or so. I know that @L0rdGwyn has one and seems to dig it.

edit: it's an eTracer, not a uTracer.

 

[AnyDave]

Any word if the TAD bundles will come back in stock?

I believe they will. I'll check.

 

[Wes S]

. . .(Just a bit riskier, as you can never be sure about the reliability of a 70-year-old vacuum tube.)

I have actually found that tubes made in the late 40's to early 50's seem to be some of the most robust tubes ever made, and most outlast new production tubes. Also, the GZ34 metal base rectifiers, are said to last year's and still test well. Many peole have claimed this tube basically last forever, and that makes the price a little more easier to swallow. I have never actually had an OS/NOS tube go bad on me, but I have had several very well known and expensive new production tubes ( Elrog ER300B, WE300B, and Apos Ray Reserve 6SN7) all go bad within months.

That said, this is just my experience, and I am sure there are success stories on both sides. However, I am sticking with OS/NOS as that's where I have had success, and I also dig the sound more as well. You can find much more unique sound profiles with older tubes.

 

[betula]

I have actually found that tubes made in the late 40's to early 50's seem to be some of the most robust tubes ever made, and most outlast new production tubes. Also, the GZ34 metal base rectifiers, are said to last year's and still test well. Many peole have claimed this tube basically last forever, and that makes the price a little more easier to swallow. I have never actually had an OS/NOS tube go bad on me, but I have had several very well known and expensive new production tubes ( Elrog ER300B, WE300B, and Apos Ray Reserve 6SN7) all go bad within months.

That said, this is just my experience, and I am sure there are success stories on both sides. However, I am sticking with OS/NOS as that's where I have had success, and I also dig the sound more as well. You can find much more unique sound profiles with older tubes.

I share your sentiment.

 

[L0rdGwyn]

Yep, a good option for folks that like soldering.

What I really want is a utracer, but that's a different level of investment. I think those run around $1200 or so. I know that @L0rdGwyn has one and seems to dig it.

I have an eTracer, which is a little different than the uTracer. The uTracer is a DIY project, so is more affordable but doesn't have the degree of functionality of the eTracer. With the uTracer, you get the PCB, but the rest of the hardware (chassis, connections, etc.) needs to be acquired and built, so it's a pretty involved project.

uTracer: https://www.dos4ever.com/uTracer3/uTracer3_pag0.html

The eTracer is much more expensive, but you can buy it fully assembled, it has great proprietary software with a good UI, so it's more streamlined with some additional functionality. But of course, you pay for that.

eTracer: https://www.essues.com/etracer/

The eTracer has been an invaluable design tool for me as you can trace curves otherwise not available on tube datasheets, whether that be triode curves for obscure pentodes, or curves for dual triode sections in parallel, or maybe even class A2 curves, it can do a lot. Also, it measures tube gain, mu, as opposed to just transconductance, which is really what people are concerned about when it comes to tube matching.

I will say though it does have some DIY aspects to it, especially if you want to assemble yourself. I pushed it a little too hard when tracing 6528 and 6336 and had to replace a surface mount part, for example. Chris, the designer, is very responsive and helpful though if you have questions for him.

 

[AnyDave]

I have an eTracer, which is a little different than the uTracer. The uTracer is a DIY project, so is more affordable but doesn't have the degree of functionality of the eTracer. With the uTracer, you get the PCB, but the rest of the hardware (chassis, connections, etc.) needs to be acquired and built, so it's a pretty involved project.

uTracer: https://www.dos4ever.com/uTracer3/uTracer3_pag0.html

The eTracer is much more expensive, but you can buy it fully assembled, it has great proprietary software with a good UI, so it's more streamlined with some additional functionality. But of course, you pay for that.

eTracer: https://www.essues.com/etracer/

The eTracer has been an invaluable design tool for me as you can trace curves otherwise not available on tube datasheets, whether that be triode curves for obscure pentodes, or curves for dual triode sections in parallel, or maybe even class A2 curves, it can do a lot. Also, it measures tube gain, mu, as opposed to just transconductance, which is really what people are concerned about when it comes to tube matching.

I will say though it does have some DIY aspects to it, especially if you want to assemble yourself. I pushed it a little too hard when tracing 6528 and 6336 and had to replace a surface mount part, for example. Chris, the designer, is very responsive and helpful though if you have questions for him.

Ah yes, I often confuse the two. I was actually referring to the eTracer, which is roughly $1200 or so, IIRC.

The uTracer is cheaper and still pretty cool, but I really want an eTracer.

 

[idairyou]

FYI, Qobuz is selling SACD (DSD64) albums on their store front now.

I've always been as sucker for DSD.

Not a huge catalog right now, but I saw a few things like some Hiromi albums that have been out of print for a bit and are selling for ridiculous prices on EBay sealed.

If you're into DSD might be worth a look, and you get a small discount depending on your membership level if you're a Qobuz user.

 

[Louisiana]

I've always been as sucker for DSD.

HQPlayer?

 

[idairyou]

HQPlayer?

I've used HQ Player free trial.

I liked it, but I know I wouldn't use it enough to make it worth it.

I'm a NOS guy at heart. One of the reasons I love my Spring 3 KTE for NOS, and the 1bit ladder Dac on the unit is something special. You get 2 OP dacs in one unit.