DCC Archive Need tube advice

I need some advice. I recently purchased a Dynaco PAS 4 with that uses 6DJ8s and 12AX7s. I am using it with a set of Marantz model 9s (reissue). Can anyone recommend which brand (or brands) of tubes I should be looking for to replace them with for both the pre-amp and the amp? The Marantz uses EL34s, 6DJ8s, and a 6CG7. I would like to have some on hand for when the tubes in current use start to go. Thanks!

 

I have experience with the EL34s, me being a Dynaco ST-70 guy, so I'll talk about that and leave the rest. Mullards, Siemens, Telefunkens are very strong tubies. I have 2 Dynacos up, one with stock tubes (mostly, w/NOS) and one without (russian Tubes). If you're looking for good value without a big pocket-bite, try some of the Electro-harmonix Russian EL34's from thetubestore.com. Steve Hoffman has told me many times to stock with NOS, but when this 2nd Dynaco stepped into my life, I needed tubes quickly to fix and troubleshoot the things. It was originally stocked with Teslas and a Chinese Ruby. Talk about crappy tubes! The Russian replacements were a great buy, and so far have not let me down, not even once (I'm using this as an experiment, and also a bridge so I have time to nail some NOS EL34's at a great price).

No, with all honesty, I DO love the USSR Electro Harmonix, but if you want the ultimate hefty reliability in a rock-solid tube, go with Mullards, but be aware they're expensive.

My recommendations may relate to the other tubes you're wondering about, but I'll let Steve Hoffman take a crack at the rest.

He'll tell ya, NOS (New-Old-Stock) tubes or lightly used pulled tubes from Mullard...ect.. some other RCA tubes are like...wow, man!

Also look and search on audioasylum.com in the tubes directory and do a search for your tube numbers. Good luck.

 

Thanks! I am in Japan and the sources I have found for tubes here are of the Steve Hoffman NOS school. They will not touch Chinese tubes and don't seem to think much of any current production (including Russian). Unfortunetly, NOS tubes here are expensive. If only Telefunken would start production again.
I am sure that they'll get right on it after the Stones and Beatles catalogs are remasterd properly. Oh well. Guess I will have to start saving up my yen.

 

Has anyone heard of Ultron tubes? I have seen some for sale here in Tokyo and the shop keeper indicated that they were German tubes similar in quality to Telefunken but not as rare or expensive (at least I think that what he said. My Japanese is quite poor). Any help would be appreciated.

 

Check this out! People on audioasylum.com are saying the same thing about these Russains:
http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/ta/svetlana_e.html

 

Thanks guys! I will have to drop him a line and see what he can do for me. Much appriciated. Also, on my Marantz Model 9s, does anyone know what triode mode is and why would I want to use it? The manuel that came with them is in Japanease so I have been doing a lot of guessing to set them up. Any help would be much appriciated. I I blew those babies up, my wife would kill me for sure.

 

Steve,
Could you please clarify... Do you only dislike EL34's wired in triode mode or do you just not like Single Ended Triode tube amps in general?

 

<WHEW> I just ordered a 2A3 amp kit (couldn't afford the 300B right now). I was wondering if there was a catch to the
cheaper EL34 or 6550 kits I see wired in triode mode.

 

Still shopping both Ebay and locally, new and older models. I know the all the Klipsch have very high sensitivity ratings, but I've heard the construction quality of the newer models are questionable. I'm really can't find anything else in my price range of $1000 or so.

There is only one local store that sells Klipsch and they have some discontinued Heresy II's in the corner they said they'd sell me for $750 if they haven't been sold by the time I'm ready for them.

That store did say I should bring the completed amps in to test drive some speakers. I'm a little nervous about buying speakers that I haven't heard off of Ebay and if I go into the store with my amps, then I'm kinda sorta on their hook.

I put posted on www.audiosylum.com to see if there was anyone in my area with a 2A3 amp for me to sample. With no real luck.

Sorry bout the longish post.

 

Well, if I ever get to the West Coast, I might like the guided tour

I think experimenting in this area might become a new hobby for me. I have no other commitments (unmarried/no kids) and this might be the time do it.

I'm in awe as I look on audioasylum of these people who grab a tube and start building a
homemade amp around it. I see schematics all over the net for do it yourself tube amps and old classic Dynaco, Marantz & Mcintosh stuff. I have a degree in electronics technology, but you don't exactly start pushing tubes into a solderless breadboard that you buy at Radio Shack, ya know?

A friend found a Dynaco ST-35 at a local garage sale for $3 recently and it works perfectly (altho I think I might sound better with new tubes). Wish I had that kind of luck.

 

You WILL have that kind of luck. I know albums I was looking for 8 years ago that I found in thrift shops and yard sales for $1. Makes you feel happy to be alive. All you have to do is keep things in the back of your mind, search, keep your eyes open. My mama told me... you better shop around!


Good luck strikes twice in the same place. Drew, I'm unmarried, no kids, no girlfriends, still have my good looks (???), all my teeth, etc... The best thing I could say is maybe get into kit building? Steve's right about single ended amps. Try http://www.audioelectronicsupply.com and look into what the AudioAsylum is buzzing about kit wize. I like the AES kits a lot. Very well rounded supply of kits, a lot of "places" covered. Holster up your soldering iron and investigate. You'll find the best way is to either lasso a Dynaco (power supply and choke working at least, needs repair) or get a kit around a sound you're looking for. The EL34 power tubes were always a good choice, as is the KT88's (Dynaco MkIII's and a TON other stuff). Also check http://www.bottlehead.com/

Come to the dark side of DIY. Learn and be soldering maniac. Feel the Force flowing through you!

 

Does this apply for all of us? If so, anyone (Steve?) want to recommend an inexpensive power amp that might mate well with the GFA-555 pre for some warmish 89 dB efficient full-range British speakers?

Drew, I heartily recommend Maggies for your amp.

 

Sckott, thanks for the moral support. Just out of curiousity, what do you think about those new Sound Blaster Audigy cards? Aren't they supposed to have a feature on them to remove noise from wav files and store what was removed in a separate wav files (I'm sure Steve is cringing right now).

Patrick, whats the speaker efficiency of the Maggies? And more important, how much hurt are they going to put on my wallet?
I honestly can't say I know much about them.

 

Oh, I was being my usual smartass Captain Sarcasm again. The Maggies (i.e., Magnepans) are very inefficient (is there such a thing as an efficient planar magnetic?), so they would be an incredibly terrible match for that amp you're talking about.

I need a smiley to show when I'm being sarcastic.

Seriously, though, have you thought about Lowthers or Loth-X?
http://www.lowtherloudspeakers.co.uk/
http://www.lothx.com/

[ September 29, 2001: Message edited by: Patrick M ]

 

If I would've gone to the magnapan web page, I would've seen their relatively low efficiency ratings.


I'll have to study that lowther page Very closely.