gartenman

I think you are well within your budget, you won't need to change the 5AR4 or 12x4 as they are rectifier tubes and although they affect tone it is at a MUCH smaller scale and could always be done later. I have sent some emails and made some calls. I'm hoping to do this for less than your budget if my contacts can come thru.

I couldn't have helped out a nicer guy!

Craig at NOSValves can explain it to you better than I ever could. I'm sure That the tubes only drifted that much is very good. 50 hrs is not set in gold. They may wake up after 17 hours. Debatable topic, although conscience is tubes sound better after burn in Think of a power supply in terms of a water supply. The transformer is your big lake... where all the water (power) comes from. All the water to your town has to pass through a big pipe. The rectifier is that pipe, all current going to the output devices passes through that rectifier. Amps deal with slew rate, which is how much instantaneous power demand the power supply is capable of delivering. Everything is fine with the water supply in your town as long as everybody is using water at a reasonable rate. But, what if every single person in that town decides to open their taps simultaneously? You can imagine the demand that pipe (the rectifier) is going to have to meet. Well, that's slew rate. If your pipe isn't big enough, you're going to have unhappy water customers. And if your rectifier isn't big enough, you're going to have unhappy output devices. And that's why rectifier tubes do make a difference. The purpose of an amplifier in the basic sense is to take a small AC current and AMPLIFY it into a large AC current (going to your speakers). There are two basic ways to do this in modern amps, using solid state transistors or vacuum tubes. Both require that your AC wall current be converted into a smooth DC voltage. Tubes and transistors both use the small AC signal as sort of a gate to let this larger DC voltage pass through, think of it as opening and closing the valve of a firehose--coincidentally why vacuum tubes are called 'valves' in the UK. If the power tube bias is incorrect for the power tubes being used, they can sound bad and/or can literally burn themselves out by dissipating too many watts, sometimes with disastorous effects. Setting the power tube bias within specs will make the tubes last longer and will also help the amp to sound its best. Of course, like most everything else, this is a subjective topic, and everyone seems to have a different opinion about what is best. Put it all together and you see how the tube rectifiers power handling capacity coupled with slew rate demands and properply biased tubes all effect each other dynamically...

i was stationed at Ft Bragg for 10yrs in the Special Forces...loved Wilmington, great place...my suggestion would be to get some RCA 6201s (i don't know who turned him on to the idea [] Here's what the guy at the Tube Shop says" The lower gain really opens up the sound. A customer turned me on to this and I loved the difference in sound. thetubeshop.com/tubeshp3.htm they are a very good tube for a great price,...the tubes are used but all test as new or close to it...the guy is very friendly and i am sure if you didn't like the RCAs he take them back in trade for some Amperex Bugle Boys or Mullards...i'd call and talk to him, great guy...have bought from him many times and his recommendations and quality/prices are awesome! this is not a solicitation, i get no kick back, just trying to help out my fellow man...

in case you step outside the box and wanna' try something new...i used the Vox Black Diamond and it turned out awesome http://www.mojotone.com/amp-parts/Grillcloth

Thebes have you ever heard the RCA 6201s, very nice 12AT7 at a great price...

i answered your email, if you didn't get it let me know...if you don't want call then pls contact me and let me know what budget you have in mind. I would start with changing the 12AX7s and 12AU7s in the VRDs. If happy with that then we could then work on the Peach and the Jolida last. I made some emails so when you give me a budget hopefully I can provide you options by Tue. at the latest. I do not sell tubes, but can refer you to people who's character is beyond reproach...remember here i am not doing this to make a profit so if you think i am you should look elsewhere...

i'm glad you like this thread as much as i do, its just great when people can share knowledge to make it easier for others just getting into the tube world...I know people like EH's but I just think that better can be found without breaking the bank...Telefunkens are a great tube! what do you have in the Jolida now? i may have something to hel, lemme know...

Good to hear you are doing well Frank!! How's the Scott 299 treating you?

i have a friend who is a dentist and he gave me one of his instruments that works great but if the method you used worked i'd stick with it...sounds like you troubleshooted into finding what i think is a very good idea...i'd give the GLs 50 hrs with 100hrs recommended before making my final decision, replacing power tubes does not make as big a difference in tone as changing the signal tubes as you have noted but they will make a discernible difference in tightening bass, improving treble extension and soundstage, i know 100 hrs seems like a lot but i think those are new tubes and from what i've experienced with them and read they really improve as they burn in, (not unlike a new car's engine)...if you do a search about the GLs online you'll see what i mean about their improvement with time and the general consensus on how well they are liked... i'm happy with your progress...

How can we help? Last time I ask ..." Tubes make a bigger difference than speaker cables and interconnects combined ... does your Jolida play SACDs?

thanks for the feedback, good reference on the 12AX7s, i have a Grado Sonata and was thinking of upgrading to the Reference...How do you like the Reference?

my what good taste you have, i found a pair of these and the 12AX7s for my VRDs that tested as new and they are true candy to the ear!! i'd like to see some of those red-tipped Teles...very rare[]

Sounds like a good description, the improvement in the soundstage you refer always amazes me along with bass and treble definition and extension

Thebes and I have nothing to gain here, if you had a Porsche would you put cheap oil in it or low octane fuel? You've got very nice gear and it truly deserves the opportunity to unleash its true potential...test drive a few tubes before buying then you'll know what to buy...everyone has their preference, I like Bugle Boys, others like Mullards and others Telefunkens and so on and so forth...doesn't mean any is better just personal taste...I'd trust Thebes with my new turntable and that says alot.

be sure you didn't put the 12AX7 tube in the 12AU7 slot in the Peach, but if they are in the right slots than your assumption is about more gain is true, those RCAs you put in from Brent are very good tubes, all 4 would have cost close to $200 whereas the 4 JJs cost around $60...you get what you pay for (usually)... do you like the sonic improvements? tell me what changes you hear other than the increased gain...

this is correct! just because a tube tests lower then the "49 range" does not necessary mean the sound degrades...i have 4 Tung Sol 6550 Black Plates which most new tubes test at 62 and they test at low 50s with 44 being minimal good and they have sounded (over 12months) as good as some that i have that test good, they just won't last as long... the 2 test scores are tests for 2 separate parts of the tube and should be within 5% tolerance of each other (5% of the tube whose 1 side tested 52 being approximately 5.2 so the other section of the tube could be as high as 57.2 and would be within acceptable tolerance) ... now why some tubes test higher than factory specs for new, taking into account inert gases used it cannot be an exact science in tolerance levels...i would assume the manufacture desires a rating of 49 but sure isn't going to throw out any that test better than that and like you said if you set the standard low than your QA rate will be higher as to why manufactures do not skew specs upward i would guess is that they take the average of new tubes manufactured over time taking into account accepted quality control standards...your comment, "Possibly the original manufacturer exceeded the customer's spec or advertised spec (of say 49 in the above case) but never changed the spec to the actual "grade" they achieved in manufacturing so as to have a far better QA pass rate is a very valid point in closing those are very good tube ratings, with that being said even if they tested 32 they would still probably sound good (remembering exception to every rule) but whether they are going to last 1 month or 1 year depends mostly on how they were used in the past (higher bias=less life and if the bias was frequently checked between other power tubes,sort of like the timing on your car engine, so all tubes bear the load equally ) and the future...i check my bias weekly good questions! corrections or additions welcomed as i'm never too old to learn...

You DID have to bring that up, didn't you? The Merlin was transformed to a more magical preamp when I replaced the JAN Philips 6922 with an Amperex 6DJ8. My ears aren't bad, but they are 60 years old, and the difference is AMAZING. Bruce Same here i had a JJ 6922 in my Blueberry and put in a Amperex 6922 Pinched waist, the rich character of these old tubes continues to blow my mind...

CB, I don't know what rolling in the Jolida will do but my old, 40 years around airplanes, 10 thousand flight hour ears heard a substantial difference when I rolled the small signal tubes on the VRD in a really crappy room. I plan on changing out the Tercel, Peach and Jolida one at a time to check them over time. Heck, unless I am wrong, a small amount of money invested in differing tubes can be swapped out thru all my equipment. Let me know I'd be glad to help you out. I had plenty of people teach me about tubes and find it rewarding to help others as they begin their venture into the world of tubes.I will not influence you to buy Amperex Bugle Boys as I do not want to be responsible for your potential addiction to tone par excellence.USNRET is the third person in a couple months who made simple changes per my recommendations and had improvement beyond expectations. That was with just RCA tubes.RCAs are good but there are much better but more expensive. The one guy stated" it was like my ears had been plugged all these years. I'm pretty sure you'd hear the difference CigarBum. I'm like USNRET, i have over 5,000 of hrs on fixed and over 1,500 hours on rotarty winged aircraft not to mention hunderds of hours scuba diving (the flight surgeon told me before i retired that i have the hearing of someone in their mid 70's) and i can easily hear the difference. If apprehensive, take Thebes up on the offer, nothing gained, nothing lost... tube rolling in the Jolida will help but nearly a much as it does in a preamp or amp. the RCA 12AT7/6201 from http://thetubeshop.com/tubeshp3.htm are cheap are nice sounding in the Jolida, gets rid of the thin, narrow, cold sound and really warms, fattens the sound and widens and adds depth to the sounstage (3D)

go this website on scroll down about 1/3 and Brent Jesse has an excellent video showing older Genalex's, G.E.C.'s and Tung Sols so as not be sold fakes. Here's the website: http://www.audiotubes.com/audtube.htm It's called How to spot a Nos KT 88 or 6550" or something to that effect. Pixs of the reissues and their boxes can be found anywhere on the web.

if they were older the you could easily tell by the aged looking boxes,

if they were older the you could easily tell by the aged looking boxes, but i will include some pictures to

my apologies frankphess as i didn't know there were no many versions!!

you are exactly right, did you read the same thing in the manual that i read about the settings? i've actually talked to Craig about this issue as well and I know he doesn't run his high, rather low like you do, if it sounds good at low the tubes last way longer...i think you'll love those GLs, again i'm glad you liked the RCAs, Brent Jesee sells nothing but the best!

.47 bias seems awful low, (or is that what you're just starting at when replacing the new tubes?.) KT88's in the VRD's should be between .60 and .80. Craig runs his at .70 as do I. Per the manual Craig recommends between .50 and .65 VDC and he states in his manual for the VRD "I personally run mine at .55 VDC". If you don't have a manual, call Craig and I'm sure he'll get you one. I just hate to see people prematurely burning up power tubes. Where did you hear Craig runs his at .70?