solderdude
Administrator
measureutternutter
Posts: 4,886
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Post by solderdude on Sept 2, 2013 12:25:59 GMT
400mA is no problem and indeed the heater current will be 400mA as each heater is 6.3/200mA and both heaters are in parallel.
In the other designs the heater voltage should be set to 12V, the Ember will set itself.
The tube is intended to be used as a 'digital' device (computers build with tubes) and may be noisier and somewhat microphonic.
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Post by jhelms on Sept 4, 2013 22:47:05 GMT
rckyosho, feel free to email myself / Frans anytime. I was not aware of the issue and would be happy to help - troubleshoot! 6bz7, that is an interesting one and a tube I do not have  Thanks for the input that it worked well for you! I have several e180cc's - good to go. |
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Post by jhelms on Sept 8, 2013 22:05:02 GMT
Sorry Simon - was out for the weekend and did not see the PM! Responded. Hope everyone had a good weekend!
6dj8 orange globes / dimple disks are nice tubes - very nice. So many manufacturers like tektronix used them for scopes and other precision equipment. From what I have, it seems the units that were pulled from scopes generally test the best. They were pre-sorted and tested by the equipment manufacturer and serialized. Only downside is that they have a label which is near impossible to remove!
My most coveted 6dj8 to note is the smoked glass GE. Great tube - well built. Looks great as well!
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Post by itsalive on Sept 11, 2013 12:54:11 GMT
I will try 5965 tubes on the Ember, i'm 100% sure it will work, 5965 mu (47) is higher than 12AU7 (around 20) but lower than 12AX7 (100), i've noticed that tubes with mu between 40 and 60 (approximatively) are less subject to interferences, tubes with very high mu like 12AX7 can be somewhat too dynamics and listening experience will be too wearing for your ears , for those who are bothered by external interference my best advice to make them inaudible is to use these settings:
- HIGH GAIN
- BYPASS INPUT CAPS
- IMPEDANCE YOU MUST CHOOSE THE BEST SETTING ACCORDING TO YOUR TASTE AND YOUR HEADPHONES (LET YOUR EARS DECIDE !)
AND VERY IMPORTANT USE A 12V heater tube with mu between 40 and 60, ECC81 for example helped a friend to completely eliminate interferences.
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Post by jhelms on Sept 11, 2013 14:08:53 GMT
5965 is similar to a 12av7 - very close. Both work just fine. My fav is the GE cleartop 12av7 and I have some cleartop 5965's too. Overall not my top choice these days but they work well!
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Post by itsalive on Sept 11, 2013 19:31:31 GMT
I have GE 5965A 5STARS CLEARTOP on the way will give it a try, jhelms if you're looking for great tubes give a try to ECC81 TELEFUNKEN (60s or early 70s), i know this brand can be expensive but the amount of details is just interstellar on this tube !
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Post by rckyosho on Sept 12, 2013 1:25:41 GMT
I concur with your findings of noise/interference with some tubes against your typical headphones itsalive. The 12AX7 is indeed more noisy but gives you higher gains(not too sure what mu is) but it has it's place/uses. It's actually great at driving vintage orthos especially power hungry ones like the Waferdale ID1 which does not exhibit any noise at all even the scratchy noise when adjusting volume with the input caps bypass.
My current Shuguang 12AU7 is actually one of the quietest tubes that I've tried so far for a 12v(have not tried much though) with my K701 and mad dogs and and its cheap to boot.
6922 and I suspect all 6v tubes gives you a lower gain and is better to use if driving low impedance phones. Anyway that's what I observe YMMV.
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Post by razrr1275 on Sept 16, 2013 15:39:19 GMT
@ Techboy - as far as tubes go the telefunken may or not make a significant improvement. Depends on your ears. I will say that I don't have a preference between 6v or 12v tubes but I don't have a real target sound that I'm trying to find. There are certain qualities that I enjoy more than others but largely things exist more in terms of different than better or worse.
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Post by techboy on Sept 16, 2013 15:42:15 GMT
Like? Which families best suit my taste?
I have often heard that 12au7 isn't a very good family while 6922 is supposed to be loved universally.
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Post by razrr1275 on Sept 16, 2013 17:16:10 GMT
It honestly depends on what I'm listening to. If I'm listening to just normal stuff I want warm forward mids, nice imaging/detail and that sort of deal but without it sounding slow. If I'm listening to more acoustic stuff then something like a Mullard or Telefunken which is almost slow and syrupy on faster stuff is spectacular because it adds a liveliness to things. Again, it's not a matter of families suiting your taste. There is no difference in quality between 12au7 and 6922 tubes. Just a different array of sounds so again, it comes to the question of what you're looking for.
As for recommendations, I have no idea what you want since the last post you made about your tastes a lot of things that you desire are contradictory.
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Post by techboy on Sept 18, 2013 6:59:47 GMT
Would anybody be interested in me doing tube reviews/comparisons? I have the following: Siemens Rohre 6922 Halo getter 07/1962 Philips USA 6DJ8 Siemens 12AU7 Lorenz 12AU7 RCA Clear Top 12AU7, 2 different types, don't know which types Sylvania 1959 12AU7 Raytheon Black Plates Baldwin 12AU7 GE 12AU7 2 different types Shu Guang 12AU7 bravo stock Shu Guang 12AU7 Hifi series Is anybody interested in any specific comparison? Thank You Aakshey |
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Post by techboy on Sept 18, 2013 7:18:46 GMT
Let us start with Siemens 6922 (not a comparison, just a general impressions/mini review)
IntroThis is the best tube I have tried till date. It is far from perfect, but definitely the best I have tried till date. And overall this is the one of the most neutral tubes I have tried so far. Mids 9/10The mids are neutral to slightly recessed. However, the mids are usually better articulated compared to my other tubes with forward mids. I didn't give it 10 because ideally mids shouldn't be recessed at all. I am not sure whether they are slightly recessed or dot neutral. But, keep in mind that this tube is fresh out of the box and hasn't been burned in yet. Nevertheless, in mids heavy songs the mids are absolutely lush and beautiful, as close to a live performance as I have ever been (though I haven't ever been to a live performance  ). EDIT With burn in, the mids are becoming neutral/not recessed. So 9.5 as of now out of 10!Bass 10/10
The bass is thumping and punchy. The quantity is also just right. However, could be the non burn in part, but there is too much boom in the bass. It is getting better as I am using it so it might end up being a 9.5+ out of 10. But at the moment, there is some boom, although it is settling with time. Otherwise, the bass is one of the tube for all my tubes, provided there was no boom.
EDIT Now with burn in, the quality is perfect NO BOOM!
Treble 9.5/10Doesn't seem bright/warm but feels natural and real while being extremely lush. Might be a very slight roll off in the high end, but I am not sure. Soundstage Width 10/10Never tried a tube which is as good, so don't know what to complain about Soundstage Depth 10/10Hands down the best tube I have tried for a nearly 3D soundstage. Imaging 8/10One of the better tubes but not extraordinary among other tubes. Good, but not exceptional. Cleanness 9.5/10It would have been a 10/10 had the mids not been slightly recessed fudging some stuff. It is a clean, clear, crisp, lush, sweet sound! Clearness 9.5/10It would have been a 10/10 had the mids not been slightly recessed fudging some stuff. It is a clean, clear, crisp, lush, sweet sound! Clarity 9/10It would have been a 10/10 had the mids not been slightly recessed fudging some stuff. It is a clean, clear, crisp, lush, sweet sound! PRAT/Crispness 9/10One of the best tubes wrt PRAT that I have tried. Not outstanding but definitely excellent! Lushness/Liveliness/Sweetness 10/10 Hands down super lush and super lively without being dark/overly warm/bright, just real/natural but sweet. Realism 9.5/10Almost there, just needs to be dot on neutral with everything while being crystal clear to reach a 10. Overall9.25/10
EDIT With more burn in, overall is now 9.5!
EDIT With more burn in, the mids are becoming less recessed. Still not forward yet though
This is the best tube I have tried so far. It would get a 10/10 had the mids been forward instead of slightly recessed. Can anybody tell me a tube which is exactly like this but with forward mids instead? Thank You Aakshey EDITWith further use now there is absolutely 0 boom!  With use it is losing the recessed mids. Now they are slightly more neutral, not forward though! I have noticed that the mids are particularly recessed when the source file isn't as good. With 320KBps music, the mids are neutral. With movie CD rips the mids are recessed and not as clear 
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Post by techboy on Sept 18, 2013 14:52:48 GMT
Siemens 12AU7
More or less neutral with a very slight bass and treble roll off. Nothing special but pretty balanced overall.
7.5/10
Lorenz 12AU7
Slow, syrupy and musical. Very tubish and slow. But very musical. One of the best in my collection. Clear and clean while being balanced.
8.25/10
Philips 6DJ8 USA
Slightly forward. Good tight bass. Treble roll off. Not bad but excellent either.
8/10
Sylvania 12AU7 1959
Forward mids. Bass and treble roll off. Not the most clean/clear tube but not too bad either.
7/10
GE 12AU7
More or less neutral. No bass/treble roll on. Slightly forward mids perhaps. Clean and clear but not SS like. Very good imagining I think compared to even Siemens 6922.
7.75/10
Raytheon Black Plates 12AU7
Very forward mids with everything else rolled off. Not the most clean or clear tube. Not too bad though.
6.5/10
RCA ClearTop 12AU7
Slightly forward mids. Clean. Clear. Crisp. SS like. I liked it but not at par with Siemens 6922 or the like. Borderline sterile for a tube. But livelier than a SS amp.
7.75/10
Shu Guang Hifi series
Forward mids but with treble roll off. Nothing special but pretty decent as an all rounder fun cheap tube.
6.5/10
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2013 18:43:14 GMT
Let us start with Siemens 6922 (not a comparison, just a general impressions/mini review)
IntroThis is the best tube I have tried till date. It is far from perfect, but definitely the best I have tried till date. And overall this is the one of the most neutral tubes I have tried so far. Mids 9/10The mids are neutral to slightly recessed. However, the mids are usually better articulated compared to my other tubes with forward mids. I didn't give it 10 because ideally mids shouldn't be recessed at all. I am not sure whether they are slightly recessed or dot neutral. But, keep in mind that this tube is fresh out of the box and hasn't been burned in yet. Nevertheless, in mids heavy songs the mids are absolutely lush and beautiful, as close to a live performance as I have ever been (though I haven't ever been to a live performance ). EDIT With burn in, the mids are becoming neutral/not recessed. So 9.5 as of now out of 10!Bass 10/10
The bass is thumping and punchy. The quantity is also just right. However, could be the non burn in part, but there is too much boom in the bass. It is getting better as I am using it so it might end up being a 9.5+ out of 10. But at the moment, there is some boom, although it is settling with time. Otherwise, the bass is one of the tube for all my tubes, provided there was no boom.
EDIT Now with burn in, the quality is perfect NO BOOM!
Treble 9.5/10Doesn't seem bright/warm but feels natural and real while being extremely lush. Might be a very slight roll off in the high end, but I am not sure. Soundstage Width 10/10Never tried a tube which is as good, so don't know what to complain about Soundstage Depth 10/10Hands down the best tube I have tried for a nearly 3D soundstage. Imaging 8/10One of the better tubes but not extraordinary among other tubes. Good, but not exceptional. Cleanness 9.5/10It would have been a 10/10 had the mids not been slightly recessed fudging some stuff. It is a clean, clear, crisp, lush, sweet sound! Clearness 9.5/10It would have been a 10/10 had the mids not been slightly recessed fudging some stuff. It is a clean, clear, crisp, lush, sweet sound! Clarity 9/10It would have been a 10/10 had the mids not been slightly recessed fudging some stuff. It is a clean, clear, crisp, lush, sweet sound! PRAT/Crispness 9/10One of the best tubes wrt PRAT that I have tried. Not outstanding but definitely excellent! Lushness/Liveliness/Sweetness 10/10 Hands down super lush and super lively without being dark/overly warm/bright, just real/natural but sweet. Realism 9.5/10Almost there, just needs to be dot on neutral with everything while being crystal clear to reach a 10. Overall9.25/10
EDIT With more burn in, overall is now 9.5!
EDIT With more burn in, the mids are becoming less recessed. Still not forward yet though
This is the best tube I have tried so far. It would get a 10/10 had the mids been forward instead of slightly recessed. Can anybody tell me a tube which is exactly like this but with forward mids instead? Thank You Aakshey EDITWith further use now there is absolutely 0 boom! With use it is losing the recessed mids. Now they are slightly more neutral, not forward though! I have noticed that the mids are particularly recessed when the source file isn't as good. With 320KBps music, the mids are neutral. With movie CD rips the mids are recessed and not as clear Techboy could you please explain how "cleanness" "clearness" and "clarity" differ?  ?? three words meaning basically the same thing! are you "taking the micky" out of us? |
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Post by razrr1275 on Sept 18, 2013 18:43:27 GMT
Since I talk tubes a lot I'm going to chime in.
1) Source is ridiculously important. When I first started using garage1217 gear I was lacking in the flac department and I was using a dac destroyer. Then I got an odac and the way that I perceived tubes changed a fair amount. Differences were more obvious -- things like the Telefunken 12AU7's slowness compared to something similarly warm like a Mullard.
2) As far as each tube having its own flavor, in some ways I agree and in others I don't. Yes, no two tubes in my 30 something tube collection sound the same. No those differences are not massive. It depends on the type of tube that you're listening to. I like to break my tubes down into categories and subcategories. For example starting with colder/more analytic tubes which would include Tesla, RCA, GE, Sylvania etc ish offerings and then warmer tubes like Telefunken, Mullard, and Amperex offerings. Yes if you go from a GE tube to a an Amperex there is a huge difference. If you switch between a Telefunken or a Mullard however, and play an acoustic track, the only difference I can detect is that the Mullard's vocals are airier than the Telefunken's. However, if I'm playing something more on the rock end of things, the Telefunken sounds slower in comparison.
3) Imaging. The problem here is that you're using speakers for two reasons. 1) The Ember is not supposed to be a preamp. and 2) Speakers just aren't that great at detail/imaging just by nature of their design.
4) When you're reviewing don't use arbitrary criteria. I have no idea what the difference between cleanness, clearness and clarity is. Also out of 10 ratings are pointless because they imply that someone else shares your same sonic preferences and has the same list of tubes that they've listened to so that the relativity of your scale actually makes a lick of sense. Simply describe the sound. Also, specifying what your setup is is extremely important. I've written off some tubes and my opinion on others has soured due to one reason and one reason only -- good or bad synergy with the headphones that I'm using at the time.
5) You have to put a tube through its paces to review it. You need to either A) Listen with a wide array of music to see how it responds or B) Clearly specify in your review that your review only means anything if you assume listening to a specific type of music. Otherwise, your review is meaningless.
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Thanks for the input that it worked well for you! 
).
??