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VRD keeps blowing fuses... Help!


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It's just on one of my amps and I'm sure it's the rectifier tube (or something to do with it) because when I switch them out then the other amp starts blowing fuses. This happened with the stock tubes and then I bought a pair of cheap JJ's and now it's started again. The guy I bought the JJ's from said that older tubes sometimes hold up better. So should I just get a pair of good NOS tubes, and if so, what's a good brand durability-wise? Both of my amps are properly biased so I know that it has nothing to do with that. Any other suggestions?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

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check your power for fluctuations as well, you may need to run a power conditioner

Joe

That's good advice. I also strongly agree regarding the quality of NOS rectifiers. Once I came to understand I was to be an owner of a VRD pair, I stocked up on Mullard and Philips vintage 5AR4/GZ34, and I use them exclusively. I got lucky in a manner of speaking a few years ago and caught a "run" of vintage Mullard/Philips GZ34s on ebay, managing to gather a couple dozen new samples for about a $60 average cost per tube. Retail vintage dealers get $125-150 each for these now. I keep a stock of Sovteks here for troubleshooting purposes only (maybe in some future scenario where we are doing service and don't want to risk a vintage 5AR4)....but for actual use/listening, it's vintage.

If the Mullard/Philips NOS prices shock you (and yeah, they are expensive - but tough tubes and worth it), look for the 1970s Japanese manufactured vintages, too.

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Thanks a bunch, guys. Yeah, the prices on those Mullard GZ34's did give me a bit of sticker shock (2-$300 a pair... Ouch!). I realize that the Mullards are probably the best sounding but does it matter too much what brand I use durability-wise as long as they are vintage and I get a good brand (RCA, Amperex, etc.)?

Also, I do have the VRD's mains running through a PS Audio Duet power conditioner but it just cleans up the power and protects from overvoltages, it doesn't really regulate the power supply. Actually, I've used power regulators in the past (Monster, Tripp Lite, etc.) and I've never been able to find one that didn't adversely affect the sound in my system so that's why I'm not using one now. And right now I'm a little short on cash so I can't afford to go out and break the bank on some uber-expensive regulator that may or may not affect the sound in my system.

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Check out the link I provided above. It'll teach you about the different tubes and how to recognize 'em.

Quoted for truth, emphasis, and to plead you to do this.

One of the reasons I paid an average of $50-60 per tube (instead of $125-150 per tube) is from learning about the actual sources and construction of the various tubes. For example, YOU CANNOT assume that an RCA GZ34 is manufactured by RCA - in fact the odds are it's really a Mullard. How do I know? The acid etched codes on the tube tell us where and when it was made, and what tube it actually is, as well as the specific details in construction that also identify the tube. A Mullard GZ34 might have RCA, Amperex, Dynaco, Hammond, Philips, Pilot, Harmon Kardon, or any number of other brand labels on it - but if you know your tubes, you'll find many of these labeled tubes are actually Mullards.

Same holds true for numerous NOS branded tubes of numerous type: 12AX7, 12AU7, and on and on and on: If you know the "key" vintages of the various tubes and how to identify them, there are a host of good deals out there. I am MORE than happy to have a Pilot branded 12AX7 that was actually made in Herleen, Holland - one of THE BEST factories ever to produce 12AX7s and 12AU7s. These tubes are more commonly known and branded as "Amperex" - but it's the TUBE and NOT the label that makes the difference.

There's an inverse relationship between time and money - taking some time to learn about this can save BIG $$$. This has made the difference in me having mostly NOS, instead of mostly current stock. NOS is NIIIIIIIIICE[:D]

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Thanks for all the tips and suggestions guys. I did click on that link but I really didn't understand all the techno-jargon so I'll just take your word for it that the GZ34's are superior. And like I said before, I've tried a few different power regulators in my system and they were always detrimental to the sound (closed-in soundstage and rolled-off highs mostly) but if I try everything else and that ends up being the cause of the problem then I guess I'll have to bite the bullet and go on another quest to find one the doesn't affect the sound... It'll probably end up being something that costs a fortune but, oh well... [:(]

Thanks again.

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