More about that Chinese amp

Well, I peeked inside the amp and took off the transformer covers.
There are indeed 3 transformers. From what folks have said I half
expected to find some sort of weights under the xmfr covers because
the amp is so heavy. Nope, just copper and iron.
Inside the amp are no solid state devices but for the Bluetooth
module, which connects to the input through a relay. So the amp
switches automatically between inputs depending on whether the
Bluetooth module is recieving a signal.
On to the tubes. I turned the amp on again last night and just
listened. After a while, maybe 45 minutes, I heard a crackle. Looking
carefully at the tubes I noticed that one of the EL34 tubes was
glowing brighter at the top than the other EL34 tube. There is a mica
disc in the top of the tube and a little of the filament protrudes
through a small hole in the mica. And this is what was glowing
brighter.
I tapped the tube and heard the noise coming out of just the left
speaker. Tapping the right side tube produced no noise.
I though that maybe one tube was getting more voltage than the
other so I waited for things to cool down and then swapped tubes. The
same tube got brighter but was now on the right side. So the tube must
be bad because the problem travels with the tube and the same tube
gets brighter no matter which side it is plugged into.
So, anybody have suggestions on tubes? I'm not an audiophile. My
hearing isn't good enough. I don't think matched pair tubes would make
any difference to me ears. But I can hear well enough so a fairly high
quality tube set would be desirable. And I do think I should get a
pair so that they will hopefully last tghe same amount of time.
Thanks,
Eric

 

[Fox's Mercantile]

On 12/30/19 11:45 AM, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
> So, anybody have suggestions on tubes?

<https://www.tubesandmore.com/products/el34b-valve-art>


--
"I am a river to my people."
Jeff-1.0
WA6FWi
http:foxsmercantile.com

 

[Trevor Wilson]

On 31/12/2019 4:45 am, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:

Well, I peeked inside the amp and took off the transformer covers.
There are indeed 3 transformers. From what folks have said I half
expected to find some sort of weights under the xmfr covers because
the amp is so heavy. Nope, just copper and iron.
Inside the amp are no solid state devices but for the Bluetooth
module, which connects to the input through a relay. So the amp
switches automatically between inputs depending on whether the
Bluetooth module is recieving a signal.
On to the tubes. I turned the amp on again last night and just
listened. After a while, maybe 45 minutes, I heard a crackle. Looking
carefully at the tubes I noticed that one of the EL34 tubes was
glowing brighter at the top than the other EL34 tube. There is a mica
disc in the top of the tube and a little of the filament protrudes
through a small hole in the mica. And this is what was glowing
brighter.
I tapped the tube and heard the noise coming out of just the left
speaker. Tapping the right side tube produced no noise.
I though that maybe one tube was getting more voltage than the
other so I waited for things to cool down and then swapped tubes. The
same tube got brighter but was now on the right side. So the tube must
be bad because the problem travels with the tube and the same tube
gets brighter no matter which side it is plugged into.
So, anybody have suggestions on tubes? I'm not an audiophile. My
hearing isn't good enough. I don't think matched pair tubes would make
any difference to me ears. But I can hear well enough so a fairly high
quality tube set would be desirable. And I do think I should get a
pair so that they will hopefully last tghe same amount of time.
Thanks,
Eric

**Sure. Dump it and buy a decent solid state amp. Almost anything will
be far more reliable and better sounding. Why bother with a cheap,
Chinese tube amp?

--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au

 

On Tue, 31 Dec 2019 05:21:03 +1100, Trevor Wilson
<trevor@rageaudio.com.au> wrote:

On 31/12/2019 4:45 am, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
Well, I peeked inside the amp and took off the transformer covers.
There are indeed 3 transformers. From what folks have said I half
expected to find some sort of weights under the xmfr covers because
the amp is so heavy. Nope, just copper and iron.
Inside the amp are no solid state devices but for the Bluetooth
module, which connects to the input through a relay. So the amp
switches automatically between inputs depending on whether the
Bluetooth module is recieving a signal.
On to the tubes. I turned the amp on again last night and just
listened. After a while, maybe 45 minutes, I heard a crackle. Looking
carefully at the tubes I noticed that one of the EL34 tubes was
glowing brighter at the top than the other EL34 tube. There is a mica
disc in the top of the tube and a little of the filament protrudes
through a small hole in the mica. And this is what was glowing
brighter.
I tapped the tube and heard the noise coming out of just the left
speaker. Tapping the right side tube produced no noise.
I though that maybe one tube was getting more voltage than the
other so I waited for things to cool down and then swapped tubes. The
same tube got brighter but was now on the right side. So the tube must
be bad because the problem travels with the tube and the same tube
gets brighter no matter which side it is plugged into.
So, anybody have suggestions on tubes? I'm not an audiophile. My
hearing isn't good enough. I don't think matched pair tubes would make
any difference to me ears. But I can hear well enough so a fairly high
quality tube set would be desirable. And I do think I should get a
pair so that they will hopefully last tghe same amount of time.
Thanks,
Eric


**Sure. Dump it and buy a decent solid state amp. Almost anything will
be far more reliable and better sounding. Why bother with a cheap,
Chinese tube amp?

Because I like it. It sounds good. People spontaneously comment on
how good it sounds. Not how it sounds almost as good as a solid state
amp. And I like tubes.
Are you grumpy today?
Eric

 

On Mon, 30 Dec 2019 12:11:47 -0600, Fox's Mercantile <jdangus@att.net>
wrote:

On 12/30/19 11:45 AM, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
So, anybody have suggestions on tubes?

https://www.tubesandmore.com/products/el34b-valve-art

Thanks Jeff. I may order them today. Trevor at Rage Audio just raged
at me and told me to throw away my tube amp. I wonder if the heat Down
Under is getting to him?
Eric

 

[Trevor Wilson]

On 31/12/2019 5:50 am, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:

On Tue, 31 Dec 2019 05:21:03 +1100, Trevor Wilson
trevor@rageaudio.com.au> wrote:

On 31/12/2019 4:45 am, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
Well, I peeked inside the amp and took off the transformer covers.
There are indeed 3 transformers. From what folks have said I half
expected to find some sort of weights under the xmfr covers because
the amp is so heavy. Nope, just copper and iron.
Inside the amp are no solid state devices but for the Bluetooth
module, which connects to the input through a relay. So the amp
switches automatically between inputs depending on whether the
Bluetooth module is recieving a signal.
On to the tubes. I turned the amp on again last night and just
listened. After a while, maybe 45 minutes, I heard a crackle. Looking
carefully at the tubes I noticed that one of the EL34 tubes was
glowing brighter at the top than the other EL34 tube. There is a mica
disc in the top of the tube and a little of the filament protrudes
through a small hole in the mica. And this is what was glowing
brighter.
I tapped the tube and heard the noise coming out of just the left
speaker. Tapping the right side tube produced no noise.
I though that maybe one tube was getting more voltage than the
other so I waited for things to cool down and then swapped tubes. The
same tube got brighter but was now on the right side. So the tube must
be bad because the problem travels with the tube and the same tube
gets brighter no matter which side it is plugged into.
So, anybody have suggestions on tubes? I'm not an audiophile. My
hearing isn't good enough. I don't think matched pair tubes would make
any difference to me ears. But I can hear well enough so a fairly high
quality tube set would be desirable. And I do think I should get a
pair so that they will hopefully last tghe same amount of time.
Thanks,
Eric


**Sure. Dump it and buy a decent solid state amp. Almost anything will
be far more reliable and better sounding. Why bother with a cheap,
Chinese tube amp?
Because I like it. It sounds good.

**How do you know? Have you compared it to a decent, inexpensive solid
state amp? Are you certain that it is not simply acting as an expensive,
unreliable filter?

People spontaneously comment on
> how good it sounds.

**How would they know? By a very considerable margin, loudspeakers and
room acoustics, dominate the sound of a system. All amplifiers, unless
they are faulty (like cheap, shitty tube amps) sound very similar.
Particularly to listeners who have little of no familiarity with the
system.


Not how it sounds almost as good as a solid state
> amp. And I like tubes.

**Well, I guess we're different. I like my system to provide a close
illusion of the original musical event. No tone controls and no
(audible) distortion. If that result can be achieved with tubes (and it
can, but it costs a lot), then great. SS does it cheaper and more reliably.

> Are you grumpy today?

**Well, yes, but that's another story. I'm very angry with my global
warming denying government. I'm stuck with the morons for a few more
years. Just as Americans are stuck with man with the intellect and
maturity of a 10 year old boy for POTUS. Still, there is hope. Not much
though.

I suggest you try a decent, inexpensive SS amp. Dump the tubes. Good
tube amps do sound pretty damned good. Trouble is, they are REALLY
expensive. For budget sound systems, SS does it better.


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au

 

[Trevor Wilson]

On 31/12/2019 7:50 am, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:

On Mon, 30 Dec 2019 12:11:47 -0600, Fox's Mercantile <jdangus@att.net
wrote:

On 12/30/19 11:45 AM, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
So, anybody have suggestions on tubes?

https://www.tubesandmore.com/products/el34b-valve-art
Thanks Jeff. I may order them today. Trevor at Rage Audio just raged
at me and told me to throw away my tube amp. I wonder if the heat Down
Under is getting to him?
Eric

**34 degrees here in Sydney today. Not too bad, but the smoke from the
bushfires (and the bushfires themselves) is taking it's toll. Depressing
stuff. This is going to be our future.

--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au

 

On Tue, 31 Dec 2019 09:27:29 +1100, Trevor Wilson
<trevor@rageaudio.com.au> wrote:

On 31/12/2019 5:50 am, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
On Tue, 31 Dec 2019 05:21:03 +1100, Trevor Wilson
trevor@rageaudio.com.au> wrote:

On 31/12/2019 4:45 am, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
Well, I peeked inside the amp and took off the transformer covers.
There are indeed 3 transformers. From what folks have said I half
expected to find some sort of weights under the xmfr covers because
the amp is so heavy. Nope, just copper and iron.
Inside the amp are no solid state devices but for the Bluetooth
module, which connects to the input through a relay. So the amp
switches automatically between inputs depending on whether the
Bluetooth module is recieving a signal.
On to the tubes. I turned the amp on again last night and just
listened. After a while, maybe 45 minutes, I heard a crackle. Looking
carefully at the tubes I noticed that one of the EL34 tubes was
glowing brighter at the top than the other EL34 tube. There is a mica
disc in the top of the tube and a little of the filament protrudes
through a small hole in the mica. And this is what was glowing
brighter.
I tapped the tube and heard the noise coming out of just the left
speaker. Tapping the right side tube produced no noise.
I though that maybe one tube was getting more voltage than the
other so I waited for things to cool down and then swapped tubes. The
same tube got brighter but was now on the right side. So the tube must
be bad because the problem travels with the tube and the same tube
gets brighter no matter which side it is plugged into.
So, anybody have suggestions on tubes? I'm not an audiophile. My
hearing isn't good enough. I don't think matched pair tubes would make
any difference to me ears. But I can hear well enough so a fairly high
quality tube set would be desirable. And I do think I should get a
pair so that they will hopefully last tghe same amount of time.
Thanks,
Eric


**Sure. Dump it and buy a decent solid state amp. Almost anything will
be far more reliable and better sounding. Why bother with a cheap,
Chinese tube amp?
Because I like it. It sounds good.

**How do you know? Have you compared it to a decent, inexpensive solid
state amp? Are you certain that it is not simply acting as an expensive,
unreliable filter?

People spontaneously comment on
how good it sounds.

**How would they know? By a very considerable margin, loudspeakers and
room acoustics, dominate the sound of a system. All amplifiers, unless
they are faulty (like cheap, shitty tube amps) sound very similar.
Particularly to listeners who have little of no familiarity with the
system.


Not how it sounds almost as good as a solid state
amp. And I like tubes.

**Well, I guess we're different. I like my system to provide a close
illusion of the original musical event. No tone controls and no
(audible) distortion. If that result can be achieved with tubes (and it
can, but it costs a lot), then great. SS does it cheaper and more reliably.

Are you grumpy today?

**Well, yes, but that's another story. I'm very angry with my global
warming denying government. I'm stuck with the morons for a few more
years. Just as Americans are stuck with man with the intellect and
maturity of a 10 year old boy for POTUS. Still, there is hope. Not much
though.

I suggest you try a decent, inexpensive SS amp. Dump the tubes. Good
tube amps do sound pretty damned good. Trouble is, they are REALLY
expensive. For budget sound systems, SS does it better.

On the 1st Satuday in August I will be roasting my 25th pig. It's an
annual party. Why don't you fly up and camp out? We have 10 or 12
wooded acres. I have an extra tent. It's a good party and you can
listen to my shitty tube amp and grouse about it while we grouse about
our shitty "leaders". I'm sure the amp will sound better than Trump.
Eric

 

[Trevor Wilson]

On 31/12/2019 9:34 am, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:

On Tue, 31 Dec 2019 09:27:29 +1100, Trevor Wilson
trevor@rageaudio.com.au> wrote:

On 31/12/2019 5:50 am, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
On Tue, 31 Dec 2019 05:21:03 +1100, Trevor Wilson
trevor@rageaudio.com.au> wrote:

On 31/12/2019 4:45 am, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
Well, I peeked inside the amp and took off the transformer covers.
There are indeed 3 transformers. From what folks have said I half
expected to find some sort of weights under the xmfr covers because
the amp is so heavy. Nope, just copper and iron.
Inside the amp are no solid state devices but for the Bluetooth
module, which connects to the input through a relay. So the amp
switches automatically between inputs depending on whether the
Bluetooth module is recieving a signal.
On to the tubes. I turned the amp on again last night and just
listened. After a while, maybe 45 minutes, I heard a crackle. Looking
carefully at the tubes I noticed that one of the EL34 tubes was
glowing brighter at the top than the other EL34 tube. There is a mica
disc in the top of the tube and a little of the filament protrudes
through a small hole in the mica. And this is what was glowing
brighter.
I tapped the tube and heard the noise coming out of just the left
speaker. Tapping the right side tube produced no noise.
I though that maybe one tube was getting more voltage than the
other so I waited for things to cool down and then swapped tubes. The
same tube got brighter but was now on the right side. So the tube must
be bad because the problem travels with the tube and the same tube
gets brighter no matter which side it is plugged into.
So, anybody have suggestions on tubes? I'm not an audiophile. My
hearing isn't good enough. I don't think matched pair tubes would make
any difference to me ears. But I can hear well enough so a fairly high
quality tube set would be desirable. And I do think I should get a
pair so that they will hopefully last tghe same amount of time.
Thanks,
Eric


**Sure. Dump it and buy a decent solid state amp. Almost anything will
be far more reliable and better sounding. Why bother with a cheap,
Chinese tube amp?
Because I like it. It sounds good.

**How do you know? Have you compared it to a decent, inexpensive solid
state amp? Are you certain that it is not simply acting as an expensive,
unreliable filter?

People spontaneously comment on
how good it sounds.

**How would they know? By a very considerable margin, loudspeakers and
room acoustics, dominate the sound of a system. All amplifiers, unless
they are faulty (like cheap, shitty tube amps) sound very similar.
Particularly to listeners who have little of no familiarity with the
system.


Not how it sounds almost as good as a solid state
amp. And I like tubes.

**Well, I guess we're different. I like my system to provide a close
illusion of the original musical event. No tone controls and no
(audible) distortion. If that result can be achieved with tubes (and it
can, but it costs a lot), then great. SS does it cheaper and more reliably.

Are you grumpy today?

**Well, yes, but that's another story. I'm very angry with my global
warming denying government. I'm stuck with the morons for a few more
years. Just as Americans are stuck with man with the intellect and
maturity of a 10 year old boy for POTUS. Still, there is hope. Not much
though.

I suggest you try a decent, inexpensive SS amp. Dump the tubes. Good
tube amps do sound pretty damned good. Trouble is, they are REALLY
expensive. For budget sound systems, SS does it better.
On the 1st Satuday in August I will be roasting my 25th pig. It's an
annual party. Why don't you fly up and camp out? We have 10 or 12
wooded acres. I have an extra tent. It's a good party and you can
listen to my shitty tube amp and grouse about it while we grouse about
our shitty "leaders". I'm sure the amp will sound better than Trump.
Eric

**Thank you, but no thanks. Pork is not a meat I like to eat.

Have you tried a decent, but inexpensive SS amp?

I'd rather listen to, well, ANYTHING, but Trump.

--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au

 

[John-Del]

On Monday, December 30, 2019 at 12:45:33 PM UTC-5, et...@whidbey.com wrote:

So, anybody have suggestions on tubes? I'm not an audiophile. My
hearing isn't good enough. I don't think matched pair tubes would make
any difference to me ears. But I can hear well enough so a fairly high
quality tube set would be desirable. And I do think I should get a
pair so that they will hopefully last tghe same amount of time.
Thanks,
Eric

The Russians make pretty good EL34s these days, but I prefer the old 6CA7s. I still have a small stash of those left.

 

[Trevor Wilson]

On 31/12/2019 10:02 am, John-Del wrote:

On Monday, December 30, 2019 at 12:45:33 PM UTC-5, et...@whidbey.com wrote:

So, anybody have suggestions on tubes? I'm not an audiophile. My
hearing isn't good enough. I don't think matched pair tubes would make
any difference to me ears. But I can hear well enough so a fairly high
quality tube set would be desirable. And I do think I should get a
pair so that they will hopefully last tghe same amount of time.
Thanks,
Eric


The Russians make pretty good EL34s these days, but I prefer the old 6CA7s. I still have a small stash of those left.

**Me too. I have a bunch of those steel, MIL-Spec ones.

--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au

 

[John-Del]

On Monday, December 30, 2019 at 6:06:20 PM UTC-5, Trevor Wilson wrote:

On 31/12/2019 10:02 am, John-Del wrote:
On Monday, December 30, 2019 at 12:45:33 PM UTC-5, et...@whidbey.com wrote:

So, anybody have suggestions on tubes? I'm not an audiophile. My
hearing isn't good enough. I don't think matched pair tubes would make
any difference to me ears. But I can hear well enough so a fairly high
quality tube set would be desirable. And I do think I should get a
pair so that they will hopefully last tghe same amount of time.
Thanks,
Eric


The Russians make pretty good EL34s these days, but I prefer the old 6CA7s. I still have a small stash of those left.


**Me too. I have a bunch of those steel, MIL-Spec ones.

--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au

Wow, never saw a 6CA7 metal tube. Learn something new every day. I also have a sleeve of NOS 8417s that I used in a Fisher for a customer many years ago.

 

[Michael Terrell]

On Tuesday, December 31, 2019 at 8:06:59 AM UTC-5, John-Del wrote:

Wow, never saw a 6CA7 metal tube. Learn something new every day. I also have a sleeve of NOS 8417s that I used in a Fisher for a customer many years ago.

Metal tubes were common in military and aircraft radios, because they could withstand a lot more vibrations. One thing to watch is that some metal version can't dissipate the same power levels as the later glass versions. I used to run into so called repairs where someone had one metal 6L6 and one 6L6GC glass in a push-pull output. A very bad idea!

 

On Tue, 31 Dec 2019 09:43:42 +1100, Trevor Wilson
<trevor@rageaudio.com.au> wrote:

On 31/12/2019 9:34 am, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
On Tue, 31 Dec 2019 09:27:29 +1100, Trevor Wilson
trevor@rageaudio.com.au> wrote:

On 31/12/2019 5:50 am, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
On Tue, 31 Dec 2019 05:21:03 +1100, Trevor Wilson
trevor@rageaudio.com.au> wrote:

On 31/12/2019 4:45 am, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
Well, I peeked inside the amp and took off the transformer covers.
There are indeed 3 transformers. From what folks have said I half
expected to find some sort of weights under the xmfr covers because
the amp is so heavy. Nope, just copper and iron.
Inside the amp are no solid state devices but for the Bluetooth
module, which connects to the input through a relay. So the amp
switches automatically between inputs depending on whether the
Bluetooth module is recieving a signal.
On to the tubes. I turned the amp on again last night and just
listened. After a while, maybe 45 minutes, I heard a crackle. Looking
carefully at the tubes I noticed that one of the EL34 tubes was
glowing brighter at the top than the other EL34 tube. There is a mica
disc in the top of the tube and a little of the filament protrudes
through a small hole in the mica. And this is what was glowing
brighter.
I tapped the tube and heard the noise coming out of just the left
speaker. Tapping the right side tube produced no noise.
I though that maybe one tube was getting more voltage than the
other so I waited for things to cool down and then swapped tubes. The
same tube got brighter but was now on the right side. So the tube must
be bad because the problem travels with the tube and the same tube
gets brighter no matter which side it is plugged into.
So, anybody have suggestions on tubes? I'm not an audiophile. My
hearing isn't good enough. I don't think matched pair tubes would make
any difference to me ears. But I can hear well enough so a fairly high
quality tube set would be desirable. And I do think I should get a
pair so that they will hopefully last tghe same amount of time.
Thanks,
Eric


**Sure. Dump it and buy a decent solid state amp. Almost anything will
be far more reliable and better sounding. Why bother with a cheap,
Chinese tube amp?
Because I like it. It sounds good.

**How do you know? Have you compared it to a decent, inexpensive solid
state amp? Are you certain that it is not simply acting as an expensive,
unreliable filter?

People spontaneously comment on
how good it sounds.

**How would they know? By a very considerable margin, loudspeakers and
room acoustics, dominate the sound of a system. All amplifiers, unless
they are faulty (like cheap, shitty tube amps) sound very similar.
Particularly to listeners who have little of no familiarity with the
system.


Not how it sounds almost as good as a solid state
amp. And I like tubes.

**Well, I guess we're different. I like my system to provide a close
illusion of the original musical event. No tone controls and no
(audible) distortion. If that result can be achieved with tubes (and it
can, but it costs a lot), then great. SS does it cheaper and more reliably.

Are you grumpy today?

**Well, yes, but that's another story. I'm very angry with my global
warming denying government. I'm stuck with the morons for a few more
years. Just as Americans are stuck with man with the intellect and
maturity of a 10 year old boy for POTUS. Still, there is hope. Not much
though.

I suggest you try a decent, inexpensive SS amp. Dump the tubes. Good
tube amps do sound pretty damned good. Trouble is, they are REALLY
expensive. For budget sound systems, SS does it better.
On the 1st Satuday in August I will be roasting my 25th pig. It's an
annual party. Why don't you fly up and camp out? We have 10 or 12
wooded acres. I have an extra tent. It's a good party and you can
listen to my shitty tube amp and grouse about it while we grouse about
our shitty "leaders". I'm sure the amp will sound better than Trump.
Eric


**Thank you, but no thanks. Pork is not a meat I like to eat.

Have you tried a decent, but inexpensive SS amp?

I'd rather listen to, well, ANYTHING, but Trump.

Yeah. I have a decent SS amp. Good speakers on it too. I still like my
tube amp. No accounting for taste, eh?

 

[Trevor Wilson]

On 1/01/2020 4:20 am, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:

On Tue, 31 Dec 2019 09:43:42 +1100, Trevor Wilson
trevor@rageaudio.com.au> wrote:

On 31/12/2019 9:34 am, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
On Tue, 31 Dec 2019 09:27:29 +1100, Trevor Wilson
trevor@rageaudio.com.au> wrote:

On 31/12/2019 5:50 am, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
On Tue, 31 Dec 2019 05:21:03 +1100, Trevor Wilson
trevor@rageaudio.com.au> wrote:

On 31/12/2019 4:45 am, etpm@whidbey.com wrote:
Well, I peeked inside the amp and took off the transformer covers.
There are indeed 3 transformers. From what folks have said I half
expected to find some sort of weights under the xmfr covers because
the amp is so heavy. Nope, just copper and iron.
Inside the amp are no solid state devices but for the Bluetooth
module, which connects to the input through a relay. So the amp
switches automatically between inputs depending on whether the
Bluetooth module is recieving a signal.
On to the tubes. I turned the amp on again last night and just
listened. After a while, maybe 45 minutes, I heard a crackle. Looking
carefully at the tubes I noticed that one of the EL34 tubes was
glowing brighter at the top than the other EL34 tube. There is a mica
disc in the top of the tube and a little of the filament protrudes
through a small hole in the mica. And this is what was glowing
brighter.
I tapped the tube and heard the noise coming out of just the left
speaker. Tapping the right side tube produced no noise.
I though that maybe one tube was getting more voltage than the
other so I waited for things to cool down and then swapped tubes. The
same tube got brighter but was now on the right side. So the tube must
be bad because the problem travels with the tube and the same tube
gets brighter no matter which side it is plugged into.
So, anybody have suggestions on tubes? I'm not an audiophile. My
hearing isn't good enough. I don't think matched pair tubes would make
any difference to me ears. But I can hear well enough so a fairly high
quality tube set would be desirable. And I do think I should get a
pair so that they will hopefully last tghe same amount of time.
Thanks,
Eric


**Sure. Dump it and buy a decent solid state amp. Almost anything will
be far more reliable and better sounding. Why bother with a cheap,
Chinese tube amp?
Because I like it. It sounds good.

**How do you know? Have you compared it to a decent, inexpensive solid
state amp? Are you certain that it is not simply acting as an expensive,
unreliable filter?

People spontaneously comment on
how good it sounds.

**How would they know? By a very considerable margin, loudspeakers and
room acoustics, dominate the sound of a system. All amplifiers, unless
they are faulty (like cheap, shitty tube amps) sound very similar.
Particularly to listeners who have little of no familiarity with the
system.


Not how it sounds almost as good as a solid state
amp. And I like tubes.

**Well, I guess we're different. I like my system to provide a close
illusion of the original musical event. No tone controls and no
(audible) distortion. If that result can be achieved with tubes (and it
can, but it costs a lot), then great. SS does it cheaper and more reliably.

Are you grumpy today?

**Well, yes, but that's another story. I'm very angry with my global
warming denying government. I'm stuck with the morons for a few more
years. Just as Americans are stuck with man with the intellect and
maturity of a 10 year old boy for POTUS. Still, there is hope. Not much
though.

I suggest you try a decent, inexpensive SS amp. Dump the tubes. Good
tube amps do sound pretty damned good. Trouble is, they are REALLY
expensive. For budget sound systems, SS does it better.
On the 1st Satuday in August I will be roasting my 25th pig. It's an
annual party. Why don't you fly up and camp out? We have 10 or 12
wooded acres. I have an extra tent. It's a good party and you can
listen to my shitty tube amp and grouse about it while we grouse about
our shitty "leaders". I'm sure the amp will sound better than Trump.
Eric


**Thank you, but no thanks. Pork is not a meat I like to eat.

Have you tried a decent, but inexpensive SS amp?

I'd rather listen to, well, ANYTHING, but Trump.
Yeah. I have a decent SS amp. Good speakers on it too. I still like my
tube amp. No accounting for taste, eh?

**Indeed. Your tube amp is acting as an expensive, unreliable tone
control. When you finally realise that, you may decide that another
approach is appropriate. Or not.

Think about it logically: EVERYTHING in front of your tube amp is solid
state. There are literally hundreds of semiconductor junctions in the
recording chain and any digital reproduction devices in your part of the
chain. The only thing your tube amp is doing, is to alter the original
sound, via linear and non-linear introduced distortion.

For me and my system, ALL forms of distortion interfere with the
original musical event and are not tolerated.

I get the attraction of tube amps to some people. They look different
and they have this retro appeal to hipsters and others. Sonically, they
are a waste of time, money and effort.


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au

 

[pfjw@aol.com]

Do you sell boutique cables and interconnects?

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

 

[Trevor Wilson]

On 2/01/2020 7:41 am, pfjw@aol.com wrote:

Do you sell boutique cables and interconnects?

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

**No. The most expensive cable I sell costs AUS$50.00/Metre pair. I
justify it, based on the fact that it uses good quality, PE insulated
copper, hand soldered, quality connectors.

What's your point? Are you seriously trying to defend the use of a
cheap, shitty, Chinese tube amp in any good quality system?

You're fighting a losing battle. I've worked on more of these shit-box
amps than I care to think about. They, in many cases, look quite nice
(if you like that kind of style), but they introduce unacceptable levels
of (linear and non-linear) distortion.

FWIW: I have listened to a number of well built, very high performance
tube amps over the years (blind and sighted tests). In some cases, when
the speaker load was suitably benign, the tube amps performed as well as
a significantly less expensive SS amp. In most cases, the tube amps
performed worse.

Why defend their use?


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au

 

[Trevor Wilson]

On 2/01/2020 7:41 am, pfjw@aol.com wrote:

Do you sell boutique cables and interconnects?

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

**Oops. Make that AUS$20.00/Metre pair:

https://www.wagneronline.com.au/stereo-rca-audio-lead-white-pearl/white-pearl-audio-leads/prepared-leads/cables-connectors/9435/fl/

Excellent quality cables. I choose them because they are robust, well
made and rarely cause problems. Foil and braid shielding.

I have no time for bullshit, like cheap, shitty, Chinese tube amps.

As for speaker cables, this is what I sell and recommend:

https://au.rs-online.com/web/p/coaxial-cable/2228654/

Low resistance and low inductance. And, low cost. PITA to terminate
though. FAR superior to most commercial speaker cables. Costs range down
as low as AUS$3.00/Metre.

Is that what you mean by "boutique"? Or are you thinking of something else?

--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au

 

[pfjw@aol.com]

On Wednesday, January 1, 2020 at 4:01:53 PM UTC-5, Trevor Wilson wrote:

**No. The most expensive cable I sell costs AUS$50.00/Metre pair. I
justify it, based on the fact that it uses good quality, PE insulated
copper, hand soldered, quality connectors.

What's your point? Are you seriously trying to defend the use of a
cheap, shitty, Chinese tube amp in any good quality system?

You're fighting a losing battle. I've worked on more of these shit-box
amps than I care to think about. They, in many cases, look quite nice
(if you like that kind of style), but they introduce unacceptable levels
of (linear and non-linear) distortion.

FWIW: I have listened to a number of well built, very high performance
tube amps over the years (blind and sighted tests). In some cases, when
the speaker load was suitably benign, the tube amps performed as well as
a significantly less expensive SS amp. In most cases, the tube amps
performed worse.

http://www.rageaudio.com.au/index.php?p=1_4 From your website, so, presumably something that you are selling. Making you both a hypocrite and a liar.

My *point* is that this is a hobby. That there are multiple ways to enjoy it using multiple means and methods. If Eric chooses to use and enjoy a (truly) wretched bit of Chinese equipment - not my first choice, either - then it is his privilege to do so. And not have some lying asshole get up on his high horse about it.

Seldom do I resort to such language, but in this case, you well-and-truly deserve it.

At this point, I have no less than nine (9) amps in active service, being two brute-force amps, solid-state. Four moderate amps, solid-state, and three tube amps, ranging from 75 to 15 wpc/rms. I happen to enjoy all of them, largely for different reasons and under different conditions, and into different speakers.

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

 

[Trevor Wilson]

On 2/01/2020 8:24 am, pfjw@aol.com wrote:

On Wednesday, January 1, 2020 at 4:01:53 PM UTC-5, Trevor Wilson wrote:

**No. The most expensive cable I sell costs AUS$50.00/Metre pair. I
justify it, based on the fact that it uses good quality, PE insulated
copper, hand soldered, quality connectors.

What's your point? Are you seriously trying to defend the use of a
cheap, shitty, Chinese tube amp in any good quality system?

You're fighting a losing battle. I've worked on more of these shit-box
amps than I care to think about. They, in many cases, look quite nice
(if you like that kind of style), but they introduce unacceptable levels
of (linear and non-linear) distortion.

FWIW: I have listened to a number of well built, very high performance
tube amps over the years (blind and sighted tests). In some cases, when
the speaker load was suitably benign, the tube amps performed as well as
a significantly less expensive SS amp. In most cases, the tube amps
performed worse.


http://www.rageaudio.com.au/index.php?p=1_4 From your website, so, presumably something that you are selling. Making you both a hypocrite and a liar.

**I figured you would refer me to that. Those cables were provided to me
by a client who wanted me to sell them on consignment (no profit
margin). I duly advertised them as requested. I explained to him, at the
time, that I was unlikely to place them. After a few months, he
collected them. I have not had the opportunity to remove the ad from my
site. I'll get around to it. I am not overly concerned, as the ONLY
response I've had are from people like you, pointing out that ad. Not
one person has ever expressed any interest in purchasing the cables.

My *point* is that this is a hobby. That there are multiple ways to enjoy it using multiple means and methods. If Eric chooses to use and enjoy a (truly) wretched bit of Chinese equipment - not my first choice, either - then it is his privilege to do so. And not have some lying asshole get up on his high horse about it.

**A "lying asshole"? I cited the facts. Nothing more.

Seldom do I resort to such language, but in this case, you well-and-truly deserve it.

**Do I? How so?

At this point, I have no less than nine (9) amps in active service, being two brute-force amps, solid-state. Four moderate amps, solid-state, and three tube amps, ranging from 75 to 15 wpc/rms. I happen to enjoy all of them, largely for different reasons and under different conditions, and into different speakers.

**Good for you. Call a spade a spade and stop encouraging people to
persevere with cheap, shitty, Chinese tube amps. In fact, there is no
sane reason to use ANY tube amp in a quality hi fi system.


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au