Thanks guys, here is a photo of black bases he has (few ECC33 mixed there as well). Anything worthy? The seller is a bit slow with replies, but so far been very helpful and can send any detailed photo of any particular tube I guess. Yes he has 4 separate testers and again, will test any particular tube I’m interested in.
I can ask for that. I don’t think he will have any issues with that. Here is his message: “Here is a matched pair, same numbers, Early brown Base 1950s pan getter 6SL7s, And one same but fat base Mullard 1950, D getter. Can not see if they are Blackburn but they almost certainly are. The pans are a matched pair so only sold together. The matched pair are new, the fat base has a little halo mark around the top so it has some use and measures new.” I’m fine with that idea, but the cost of all operation may be prohibitive. He asks AU$300 each, which is roughly US$225, and then add local/international postage, so it’s not really a sugar-sweet deal. I’m happy to pay this, because I don’t have a choice really (we pay more for everything in Australia, so I got used to this), but I don’t see how you guys can be interested if you already have ECC35 in your collection
Yes, I can ask for detailed pictures if I’m seriously interested in particular tubes. Same goes for test reading. He said they all test very good, but I guess I can ask for the numbers for a specific tube, before buying. Haven’t asked for a price if I buy all three yet, but I doubt it will be much of a discount. But always can ask. By default he asks $300 for each that looks and tests new.
check out this guy's collection of ECC35's through various generations ... Audio Asylum Thread Printer Trying to cross-correlate the pair of supposed NOS slim brown base with pan getter that vendor sent you - they have the BVA logo on top, no "british made", and apparently pan getters though I can't really verify that from pics. The only ones in this guy's collection that match these 3 aspects are the first generation ... EXCEPT that they are all black not brown .. ha. A date code of 1347 ??? would really help.
Yes, as I have previously mentioned, I believe they are the first generation with black plates, date code 1347 M*. Damn, if only I dont have so many pieces already, I might really grab this pair for collection. I really need to stop buying tubes, too much poison in me now...
Hi @Strat-Mangler I believe it is safe to use a 6C8G tube in the 6SL7 slot of the LM-508 and it will only lose some gain (wich is not an issue for me). Am I correct? If so, I found here, in my country, this Amerty 6C8G tube (""made by Mullard"") at a almost dirt price and I already have a spare adaptor for it. I would like to know if you think it could be similar to your praised Mullard ECC35. It seems to have the exact same plates, but the rest of the tube I'm not so sure as this is the only picture available and it's not showing everything correctly. I think I will go for it! I'm pretty excited! I would spend less than 20 bucks trying.
Hello guys Has anyone of you tried 6C8G tubes on the 6SL7 slot in the LM-508? I believe is safe to do it. Am I correct? Anyone can help me with that info? Thank you!
No idea. I wouldn't try it. You could cause some serious problems - even to your transformers, if it doesn't work out. I see you're still looking for a bargain. It makes more sense to not buy 20 pairs of lower-end tubes but instead to buy one great pair of tubes which can easily be resold at 90% value (or above) if you're not thrilled with the result. It'd be interesting to know how much you spent on tubes buying all these different ones. I'm almost certain you spent more than I did, in total!
I'm not going to argue again about the same subject. I believe it's safer and cheaper to try different (recomended) tubes with low to mid prices than one pair of the "holy grail". I've spent less than 50% of a pair of Tungsols 6SN7 BGRP + Mullard ECC35 and I would like to know how much better could the more expensive solution sound, considering how crucial is tube and system synergy (mostly speakers), music taste, room acoustics, etc etc, and considering that also some fellow audiophiles don't consider them worth the price. On the other hand, and more important to me. To avoiding risking the amp, you are advicing me not to try this 6C8G Amerty-Mullard tube, but you have posted here several times that you have a 6C8G Tungsol that you like very much. In fact, you are offering it on sale, saying that it performs about 80% of the ECC35. Please, can you be more specific why are you advicing me not to try a 6C8G tube? Did you have any problem in the LM-508 with your Tungsol? Please let me know. By the way. the 6C8G Amerty-Mullard tube is brand new and tested. Not used and/or with an unknown condition. Happy listening!
Just wanted to let you know, in case you have overlooked, this Amerty-Mullard 6C8G doesnt have the same plate like the Mullard ECC35. It has round plates like the Brimar CV1985, whereas Mullard ECC35 has flattened oval plates.
Thank you for the reply. As the seller has asure me that this 6C8G can be used with the adapter I have, I will give it a shot. It costs me less than 15 bucks including shipping. The adapter cost me more! It's not a risky bet. I will post my findings here. I already tried the following recomended valves in the 6SL7 slot, in order of preference: Sylvania Brown Base Golden Letter Sylvania VT-229 Sylvania 7F7 Melz 6N9S Brimar 6SL7 GT
Just share a thought with you and others with tight budget or dont intend to spend too much on tubes. They are so right, based on my own experiences, 6SL7 has the most effect on the final sound production on the LM-508IA. It is very much advisable to start with a good decent 6SL7 before you roll those 6SN7s, 300Bs or 805s. Dont waste your money trying various 6SL7s unless you are like me who like to experience different flavors as well as for the sake of collection. Research carefully and settle with either Mullard ECC35, Brimar CV1985, Tung-Sol 6SU7GTY, RCA 5691, any VT-229s according to your taste. You cant go wrong with these tubes as users before us have tried and researched on them decades ago. Personally, I prefer Mullard ECC35 n roll different 6SN7s daily or a few days, and most of the time, it still maintains the wide soundstage, clarity, balanced tone and that pleasant sound signature of an ECC35. I even really enjoyed the sound from a pair of SYL 6SN7GTB, which you can get as cheap as $20 for a used pair on Ebay. You don't really need to spend a lot on 6SN7s to get a decent SQ if you have a decent 6SL7 to start with.
You'd need to spend the funds for that so I'm afraid that to get the answer to that question, you'd need to spend the money... unless you're lucky enough to know someone who owns some of these tubes locally. Unfortunately, us audiophiles are a rare breed! There's little to no risk in buying high-end tubes (and this is key) unless you're unwilling to sell. In my experience, most people find selling to be a hassle. I understand and agree completely but I don't want to kiss goodbye to hundreds of dollars of my hard-earned money due to laziness so I end up selling if need be. So far, my losses have been anywhere between 0-10%, depending on the tubes. That has allowed me to experiment with the cream of the crop and I have to say that this amp is *seriously* held back by the bundled tubes. Even the lower tier tubes were holding it back. It's amazing how much better it sounds with the top-tier tubes and I think you'd fall in love with your amp all over again with the "right" tubes (whatever those are, to you). That's my mistake! So sorry about that, Pedro. I thought you had written 6F8G and not 6C8G! There should be no risk in this case, provided that you have the proper adapter. The internal construction does not look like a real Mullard to me. AFAIK, Mullard did not manufacture any derivatives of their ECC lines (32, 33, 34, or 35). The only one that you might be able to find would be the Tung-Sol 6F8G which could be used in the 6SN7 slots. In fact, they're supposedly less prone to microphonics and sound a bit more open than its 6SN7 counterpart. If you manage to find a pair of dark glass Tung-Sol 6F8G at a good price, get the appropriate adapters and jump on those.
Well, you got me there somehow I also like to try different flavors and combinations. It's fun. Nevertheless, I try somehow to limit my budget (more a guilt management than a money problem per se), so I started trying budget "well recomended" 6SL7 tubes. For instance, some people here strongly recomended the Sylvania 7F7 wich I found pretty nice, but not incredible. Something similar happened when I tried a 6N9S Melz, wich I found sweet and balanced, but too polite. From the ones I've tried, in my system and to my ears and taste, the Sylvania 6SL7 brown base (golden letters) is the best "by far". The only one somehow close is Sylvania VT-229. The brown base gives an air, a 3D soundstage, and a liveliness to the music like no other one. It's very very engaging and addicting. There are several different Sylvania 6SL7 brown base models and I'm not sure anyone here has tried the exact same one. I've also tried some cheap Sylvanias, Tungsols, RCA, GE, etc that I bought for nothing here in my country and all of them are decent at most, but not good. Summarizing, I believe it's very system synergy and personal taste dependant. For instance, I have the Psvane ACMEs 805 and, for me and my taste, the difference with the stock tubes is huge. Also ACMEs and RCAs 805 are suppoused to be similar in perfomance level, someones that have tried both prefer one over the other and viceversa. I haven't tried RCAs, but they seem to be more detailed and ACMEs more full bodied and warm. Mullard tubes have a reputation of being smooth sounding and putting them with my ACMEs and the rest of the system also prone to smoothness, may give me too much of a good thing. That's what I like the liveliness of the Sylvania brown base. I mean, for me Mullards are not a riskless bet and an expensive test. Not to mention if you get a microphonic tube or a broken one (I live abroad and sending tubes back it's complicated in my country).
Yes, with the actual tubes I have and with internal upgrades I've made in the LM-508, I looove the amp. It has everything, PRaT, beautiful midrange, air, incredible 3D soundstage, base control, etc etc. Also that's why I'm somehow not willing to spend much more on tubes. What I've found upgrading and voicing my system as a whole, including speakers positioning, subwoofers, supertweeters, some acoustic treatment, AC conditioning, etc etc, is how real the sound becomes with each step. But man, it's a freaking expensive hobbie with no end on this rabbit hole! With the good combination of tubes, the LM-508 is a beast and it's very transparent on the source. Thanks for the reply.
+1000! The top-tier tubes would actually transform your amp so it'd perform that much better, too! Then, the right dedicated preamp would make it sound even better... No end in sight, indeed. If only I didn't have a mortgage to pay.
I've been surprised just how much improvement I get using my VAC Ren MKV preamp with the 805. It's actually annoying because I'd rather leave it out of the chain completely for simplicity's sake but it sounds sooo much better leaving it in. I don't fully understand why this is and I've A/B'd using the external pre and not countless times. I have never tried any other preamp with the 805 so I'm not sure if the 805 simply benefits from "any" preamp or if there is some special synergy with the VAC. Granted, the VAC is indeed a very special (and not cheap) preamp.
My friend, you are from Argentina!!! Do you know how far is it from the US or UK to Singapore?!?!?! OK, on second thought, I wouldnt recommend you to try ECC35... it is pure poison, I am telling you
Yes, you are right about distance, but you have no idea how is to live in a Banana Republic! Import taxes, customs restrictions and making payments abroad are a nightmare! I wish I lived in a more "normal" country. Those who live in USA, Canada or Europe don't know how lucky they are and how much it helps in this hobbie (price, service, shippments both ways, free trial periods, auditions, audio shows, bigger audiophile comunity, etc etc).
