Hi, everyone, I am new to the LM 805 family. A week ago I bought a 1 year old LM-805IA, unfortunately I didn't even notice that the power LED didn't light up. The amplifier works perfectly so the question is whether maybe just the LED is broken or is that something serious? Have you ever had this problem?
Light is controlled by microcontroller that manages amplifier startup sequence and remote operation. If both of these functions work, it is most likely that either LED is bad or there is soldering problem somewhere.
Which 6SL7 and pair of 6SN7 would you recommend to have a smooth full bodied sound without being too dark sounding? Thanks
I think here people can give you an idea of good valves, but you will have to test it on your own system because there are so many variables that can affect the final result (speakers, room acoustics, taste, source, etc etc). In my case, I found the RCA 6CG7 clear tops, used in the 6SN7 slot with an adapter, very very good for the price as they are affordable. Also, if you find your system lacking bass or a little harsh, try Psvane ACME 805 if your budget allows you. A good tube for the 6SL7 slot is the Mullard ECC35, but is pricey.
Hi, I bought a pair of cossor 805 from GD Parts seller on Aliexpress. One of tube burned out after 40-60 minutes of using. Had anyone simillar problem with any tube bought on Aliexpress? Maybe from GD Parts? They have asked me to sent tube back to them. I do not see the sense doing it. Polish national post is not even ready with their form prepeared to fill with pen only. There is not enought space to fit long Chinese address. If I check shipping price in FedEX, DHL, UPS, it costs three times more than in polish post giving over half price of broken tube. How this or other seller resolved problem in your case?
I have bought tubes, ACME 805 and KR300B, from GD Parts through TaoBao and have one of the KR300B replaced after 2 months of usage with no problem. Yes, I have to send back the tube but then the postage from Singapore to Hong Kong (I sent directly to the distributor in Hong Kong) is considered quite cheap, less than SGD50 two ways. Since you are in Poland, you should have bought your tubes from a reputable seller in Europe since the shipping is very expensive and tubes are considered to be high risk failure product. Anyway, PM me the Chinese address and let me have a look, perhaps I can shorten it and still acceptable for the Chinese postal service.
I did not find any seller for cossor in Europe. It is strange but tubes on aliexpress were very cheap, and shipment for free. Even aliexpress or seller paid VAT and probaly customs fees. I paid 213 USD for pair of those tubes.
Yes, you just have to weigh in the possibilities of having to use the warranty if needed and the amount of money you are saving..... I have bought almost all of my components from oversea like China, Hong Kong and Japan...NOS tubes from all over the world like US, GB, Spain, NL, Switzerland, Germany, France, Japan, NZ, Australia, etc... I have even bought my Butcher Block audio rack from the US...
We can appreciate the possibilities the internet has given us. Better availability of goods at lower prices. I bought my amplifier from a Polish distributor, I know that he would not have had this brand on offer if he had not found it on the Internet with good opinions as he told me.
Longtime lurker and first time post since I just bought a 508ia here in the states and now feel like I have something to contribute Really excited about pairing this amp with my Klipsch Forte IV's. Maybe premature but I've already purchased a Mullard ECC35 for the 6SL7 slot, two Mullard ECC32's for the for the 6SN7 slots, and ACME 805's...my question is synergistically, what 300B's would you recommend? Any thoughts on the current reissue (2021) of the Wester Electric 300B's?
Congrats on your purchase! This is great amp! Pairing with the Klipsch, you'll need something warmer and full-bodied, so I'd suggest what I'm currently using; EML 300B-XLS. For the opposite result (i.e. making speakers leaner), I'd recommend the Psvane. With the Klipsch, I'm guessing you'll need to use setting 3 on the NFB switch.
Always appreciate your feedback and tube-rolling experience, Strat-Mangler! Probably implied by your response but just to confirm, the EML 300B-XLS would pair well with the rest of the chain (Mullard ECC35, Mullard ECC32's, and ACME 805's) or should I be considering any other combinations? I may have an opportunity to purchase some used current reissue (2021) of the Wester Electric 300B's...any thoughts/experiences with those given the tubes I currently have or would EML 300B-XLS be a better match anyway? Thanks for the guidance!
My experience with Klipsch speakers is that of a forward bright sound. As such, they tend to pair well with tube amps in general because a lot of tube amps sound warm and more laid-back. It's a nice mix due to how they compliment each other. It's a bit like a recipe. You might you'd like to have more salt or a less salty taste. It all depends on how the rest of your chain makes the end result sound. However, due to how upfront and bright the Klipsch inherently sound, using the EML 300B-XLS tubes will warm things up and provide more heft and weight to the sound. The Mullard ECC32s are fantastic, as is the ECC35. In the event you'd like a more open more detailed sound, you could replace the ECC35 with a 3rd ECC32. The combination of three ECC32s is something to behold! I haven't heard those, unfortunately. Opinions tend to be tough to come by. Some people whose comments I've read stated they were nothing special while others thought they were good but not jaw-droppingly so. I see used ones for sale on a somewhat regular basis so that tells me more or less that they're not worth the hype. Remember that the originals are rare and mythical but don't sound anything like the reissues. Completely different tones. The EMLs if purchased through an authorized dealer and registered online within a month carry a 5-year warranty which the WEs can't compare to. Imagine if one tube goes dead or becomes microphonic or defective. You'd be SOL otherwise. Only you would know whether they'd be a good match. I'd suggest listening to the amp with all of the tubes you just purchased, experiment with the NFB switch to judge which one is most pleasant, then decide what it is you'd like more/less of. That will tell you which 300Bs to go for. Please let us know your thoughts on the amp, the tubes, your NFB setting, and which 300Bs you opt for.
Thanks for all the great info! Have never heard of throwing in the Mullard ECC32's into the 6SL7 slot for three in a row! I can only imagine but now you got my interest piqued. It looks like WE now offers a fiver year warranty but I'll definitely look more into the EML 300B-XLS...they seem to be pretty overbuilt. Wise advice with just listening first; seems so elementary but I can't help myself sometimes. I'll definitely keep the group posted on my finds!
Hello all, has anyone rolled 12AX7 on 6SL7 using the 12AX7 to 6SL7 adapter? Looking for a higher gain substitution for 6SL7, please advise your experiences if you do. Thank you!!!
From what I remember, the 6SL7 tubes are far more robust tonewise than a 12AX7. I doubt that they'd offer superior tone. I also question whether they'd have the ability to drive such an amp.
Yes, have read many comment that 6SL7 sound better than 12AX7 in general but what about gain on the LM508IA. Wondering if anyone has tried it?
It is meant to match a pair of ECC34 as they only have gain of 11.5. I didnt really run the ECC34 much since I got them a couple of months ago but at first impression, I feel that they sound quite heavy which I think due to the low gain. Hope rolling in a 12AX7 might solve the problem.
