ZMF Aegis Official Thread

May 6, 2025 at 2:37 PM Post #5,626 of 5,779
Because the tube is labeled like this?
IMG_4547.jpeg


I have a pair of Raythons, and 5 RCAs. 🙂
 
May 6, 2025 at 3:06 PM Post #5,627 of 5,779
Because the tube is labeled like this?


I have a pair of Raythons, and 5 RCAs. 🙂

While they are most likely Ratheons, that isn't a guarantee in the world of tubes. I've seen plenty of Mullards with Amperex labeling and Amperexes with Mullard labeling for the same tube type. It was all over the place back then. Construction and date codes are the more reliable way of telling.
 
May 6, 2025 at 3:09 PM Post #5,628 of 5,779
While they are most likely Ratheons, that isn't a guarantee in the world of tubes. I've seen plenty of Mullards with Amperex labeling and Amperexes with Mullard labeling for the same tube type. It was all over the place back then.
Exactly. Labelling doesn't mean much when it comes to old tubes. Cross-labelling and licensing happened all over the place. Most of all it is the internal structure of the tube that matters, and then the factory where it was made. Labels can be misleading.
 
May 6, 2025 at 3:18 PM Post #5,629 of 5,779
Construction and date codes are the more reliable way of telling.
Of course.
I have a few Mullards myself that are relabeled as Philips. 🙂

From what I can tell visually, they are completely different from the RCAs in terms of internal construction.
When I have more time, I'll see if I can find any manufacturer codes.
Unfortunately, I don't currently have as much time for Head-Fi as I'd like.

@Wes S
With the Raythons, there is at least the possibility that they are genuine, as Raython produced 7F7s.
Since RCA didn't produce any, at least according to the article I linked to, the question arises as to who produced them.
I hope I was able to express myself better now. :)
 
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May 6, 2025 at 3:43 PM Post #5,630 of 5,779
Of course.
I have a few Mullards myself that are relabeled as Philips. 🙂

From what I can tell visually, they are completely different from the RCAs in terms of internal construction.
When I have more time, I'll see if I can find any manufacturer codes.
Unfortunately, I don't currently have as much time for Head-Fi as I'd like.

@Wes S
With the Raythons, there is at least the possibility that they are genuine, as Raython produced 7F7s.
Since RCA didn't produce any, at least according to the article I linked to, the question arises as to who produced them.
I hope I was able to express myself better now. :)
I have never seen getter flashing like that on a Raytheon tube, and I bet those are actually Sylvania made. That said, I have yet to see any acid etched codes on any 7F7 to confirm that.
 
May 6, 2025 at 5:54 PM Post #5,631 of 5,779
I really have enjoyed the Aegis with the stock tubes. Just rolled in the TAD bundle to compare and it's pretty evident why people love this amp for tube rolling. It's certainly responsive to changes.

Is there a good online source to learn what (as in what numeric value) constitutes lower output in the power tubes? I've found some interesting data on frank.pocnet.net, for example. So I can better understand which output tubes work best with which rectifier. @L0rdGwyn's spreadsheet is super helpful, but I'd like to understand it more fully.

Quick question for the group: Is there any appreciable difference between the GZ34 and GZ34S? I didn't see the S-variant on the spreadsheet. A friend passed along a new, unopened JJ GZ34S that he wasn't using, and I thought I'd try it sometime if it's safe to use.
 
May 6, 2025 at 6:03 PM Post #5,632 of 5,779
.
 
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May 6, 2025 at 7:25 PM Post #5,633 of 5,779
May 6, 2025 at 9:52 PM Post #5,634 of 5,779
I have a quite a few 7F7’s now, and I swear there are at least 8-10 different versions. I even have slightly different versions of the copper rod 7F7. I’ve managed put together 5-6 pairs so far, and I think only two of those pairs are the same style. It’s crazy how much variation there was on this tube over the years, especially considering Sylvania made most of them.
 
May 6, 2025 at 10:04 PM Post #5,635 of 5,779
I have a quite a few 7F7’s now, and I swear there are at least 8-10 different versions. I even have slightly different versions of the copper rod 7F7. I’ve managed put together 5-6 pairs so far, and I think only two of those pairs are the same style. It’s crazy how much variation there was on this tube over the years, especially considering Sylvania made most of them.
.... vary by weekday? by day-shift / night-shift? 🤷🏻‍♂️🤪
 
May 6, 2025 at 10:09 PM Post #5,636 of 5,779
.... vary by weekday? by day-shift / night-shift? 🤷🏻‍♂️🤪
Haha, I haven’t even had the chance to try them all yet. So far, I’ve stuck to the copper rod pair and the other pair I’ve got with the carbonized black plates and oval micas.

I will say that I really like how local tubes are removed from the socket. You just tilt the tube toward the little bump in the base and they pop right out. It’s a good design. I wonder why they weren’t more popular.
 
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May 6, 2025 at 10:24 PM Post #5,637 of 5,779
I really have enjoyed the Aegis with the stock tubes. Just rolled in the TAD bundle to compare and it's pretty evident why people love this amp for tube rolling. It's certainly responsive to changes.

Is there a good online source to learn what (as in what numeric value) constitutes lower output in the power tubes? I've found some interesting data on frank.pocnet.net, for example. So I can better understand which output tubes work best with which rectifier. @L0rdGwyn's spreadsheet is super helpful, but I'd like to understand it more fully.

Quick question for the group: Is there any appreciable difference between the GZ34 and GZ34S? I didn't see the S-variant on the spreadsheet. A friend passed along a new, unopened JJ GZ34S that he wasn't using, and I thought I'd try it sometime if it's safe to use.

Do you mean gain or just power? With Aegis, no matter the power tubes you put in, you will get the same volume with the same input tube and that's because Aegis is wired as a cathode follower which means unity gain.

With regards to power tube and rectifier tube compatibility, you would need to know the maximum DC current the rectifier can supply and ensure the power tube's DC current is within the rectifiers upper limit

JJ GZ34S the S is literally just a manufacturer's own notation denoting a revision, but the specs are exactly the same as GZ34 or 5AR4


1746584585935.png
 
May 6, 2025 at 10:24 PM Post #5,638 of 5,779
I am finding that, with the Aegis / Caldera Closed (60 ohms) pairing, I prefer the 1/4" / HIGH setting (31 ohms)
IMG_1039.jpeg
to the XLR / MED setting (28 ohms)
IMG_0583.jpeg
🤷🏻‍♂️🙂.
 
May 6, 2025 at 10:26 PM Post #5,639 of 5,779
Forza cable sounds worse joke hehe
 
May 6, 2025 at 10:28 PM Post #5,640 of 5,779

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