Valves

[Fran]

Tony,

II have a matched quad of kt66 if you want to try them sometime



Fran

[cybot]

Agreed, the 6L6GC is a great valve... in fact I think it has the honor of being the longest continuous production record of any electronic component.

I have a hunch... that when a designer creates an amplifier... they have already chosen a particular valve for that amplifier, my Leben 600 takes up to 10 different power valves... but it ships with 6L6GC. This tends me to believe that it is the 6L6GC which is the best "all rounder" of the various valves available.

Otherwise... if a KT88 sounded best... the manufacturer would have shipped it with KT88's and not 6L6's. Just a theory I have.

Of course some amplifiers will only work with one particular valve... so swapping out valves is not really an option.

That's one seriously beautiful looking inner! I'm actually drooling over the transformers :)

[jaybee]

I've wondered if theres any point in valve rolling in a budget amp?

I have a fatman itube which has 2 6N1s in a pre stage. Given that they've probably spent all of 40c on caps and transformers in the ss power stage I had always assumed rolling would be largely pointless; however Russian 6N1p-EVs are available for buttons!

Still, I wonder if its a fools errand - the thing doesn't even have a soft start!

JB

[jaybee]

comme ca; but less photoshop, as the centre valve is a pointless magic eye, which does not glow orange!!

[Adrian]

Cybot,,,, you have no idea how heavy that amp is.... talk about being deceptive!!! I nearly gave myself a hernia!!!

[cybot]

Cybot,,,, you have no idea how heavy that amp is.... talk about being deceptive!!! I nearly gave myself a hernia!!!

I can imagine! Croft used something very similar (but not as nice looking) in their Series 6 power amp....

[tony]

II have a matched quad of kt66 if you want to try them sometime
Fran[/quote]

Thanks Fran it is your matched quad of EL34's that I am referring to. Noted above re various replies. Not sure if they work in my amp but will check im out thanks and many thanks Fran for the offer of more valves!

Excuse me while I rush over to the Build a nerdy computer audio pc thread to bring posts up to 1000.

[tony]

Hi Tony,

Does David Byrne sound any better with the EL34s :-)

Eh I am biased would need John to give a considered view on that

[Diapason]

Thought I'd bump this thread. The fine Slovenian gentlemen who bought my preamp decided to go right ahead and buy some really top drawer NOS for it, but then decided that I should take them before he even tried them himself and give them a go in my power amps. Yes. The man sent me 600 odd Euro worth of valves to play with while he was on holidays, and now I'm working my way through 2 Valvos, 2 Siemens and 2 Amperex E188CCs.

And I can tell you, they sound absolutely lovely! I'll be very reluctant to send them back, and come the Autumn, I strongly suspect I'll be scouring the interwebz looking for a quartet of my own. So much for cheap solutions.

[tony]

Wallet killed with kindness. Very decent of him. Are you going to take the graaf back from him now that will teach him for being so nice.
There is no doubt decent valves are a must it is just trying to get the balance between losing your shirt and paying enough to get a decent sound return. IMHO you have no option but to avoid the usual EH and basic russian or chinese valves to get the best from your gear.