Tube Rectifiers and Sound Quality

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by avanti1960, Jun 2, 2021.

  1. KeninDC

    KeninDC Hazy Cosmic Jive

    Location:
    Virginia, USA
    My ModWright tube line stage came stock with a Sovtek 5AR4 after Dan Wright did the upgrade. Dan highly recommended the NOS Mullard when we spoke on the phone. I picked one up from a fellow audiophile for cheap ($80) and am done searching for rectifier tubes. I have a backup NOS Mullard because, you know, "just in case." I'd describe the Mullard as dead quiet, open, with natural decay. A tad less "bite" on the high end than the Sovtek, but still able to make the Krell amp scream when necessary.

    I'd easily pay $150 to $200 for a NOS Mullard if I were buying today. Mullard is like L'Oreal hair products. "Because I'm worth it."
     
  2. avanti1960

    avanti1960 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago metro, USA
    Valvo were made in the Philips factory in Brussels or made in the Amperex plant in Holland. Right up there with the best and well sought after.
    Do yours have a metal base?
     
  3. avanti1960

    avanti1960 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago metro, USA
    look for made by mullard with another label. the one i bought was westinghouse labelled made by mullard, paid $140
     
    neubian likes this.
  4. TarnishedEars

    TarnishedEars Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Seattle area
    True. But they also are also instant-on, so why not just use SS rectification?
     
  5. KeninDC

    KeninDC Hazy Cosmic Jive

    Location:
    Virginia, USA
    Dan Wright, while successfully selling me an upgrade from SS to tube, said rectification is "the heart and soul" of amplification. All I know is, done right, tube-based rectification can be dreamy.
     
  6. avanti1960

    avanti1960 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago metro, USA
    very good to hear, thanks
     
    KeninDC likes this.
  7. avanti1960

    avanti1960 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago metro, USA
    I have never heard a tube device sound (or any audio amplification device really) as good without a tune rectifier.
     
  8. allied333

    allied333 Audiophile

    Location:
    nowhere
    You are correct. SS standard diodes are so noisy it disturbs the power supply that affects the sound. I previously mentioned with out any reply or acknowledgement Cis Cree Schottky or Hexfred is the only reasonable low or zero noise solid-state rectification that acts like a tube.
     
    Razakoz likes this.
  9. tIANcI

    tIANcI Wondering when the hifi madness will end

    Location:
    Malaysia
    Not fortunate enough to get the metal base one.
     
  10. avanti1960

    avanti1960 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago metro, USA
    they are very expensive, $850 US, just thought you might have gotten in before they jumped so high.
     
  11. Claude M

    Claude M Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Just a few years ago Matsushita GZ34/5AR4 were available for about $50 a pop. Now not so much. I wanted to test one of those, from what I read, they're pretty close to the Mullard, just made in Japan.
     
  12. tIANcI

    tIANcI Wondering when the hifi madness will end

    Location:
    Malaysia
    Only ‘collectable’ NOS I got is the Pope 6SN7GT. That’s about it.
     
    avanti1960 likes this.
  13. WildPhydeaux

    WildPhydeaux Forum Resident

    Apologies for taking a right turn on the subject, but the Pope is a 6SN7 I haven't experienced. What's your impression of it vs. the more common 6SN7 tubes and did you listen to it in your Cary SLP-05?

    Cheers,
    Robert
     
    avanti1960 likes this.
  14. avanti1960

    avanti1960 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago metro, USA
    cant even find them....too bad.
     
  15. tIANcI

    tIANcI Wondering when the hifi madness will end

    Location:
    Malaysia
    Yes … used them in the Cary SLP-05. They are really sweet sounding. Top end is lovely. Mids are lovely. But it’s not that much better than a Sylvania 6SN7GTA. It’s noticeable but not by a huge margin. The Sylvania has slightly better control of the bass.

    Pope = Diminishing Returns. But if you got the cash and want that itsy bitsy extra … well …

    For me best value for money is still the Sylvania 6SN7GTA, great sound whilst costing $60 ea.

    I do have the RCA 5692 Red Base. Prices are going up but not as airy as the Sylvania.
     
    Last edited: Jun 10, 2021
    WildPhydeaux likes this.
  16. WildPhydeaux

    WildPhydeaux Forum Resident

    Thanks for the mini-review on the Pope. I've had a couple NOS pairs offered to me at high, but not stratospheric prices. But I think I'll stay the course with my overall favorites the Sylvania 6SN7GTW and keep money in pocket for alternative upgrades.

    Cheers,
    Robert
     
    tIANcI likes this.
  17. avanti1960

    avanti1960 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago metro, USA
    happy to report I have received the mullard GZ34 and it is up and running. Too soon to tell how it will ultimately sound, definitely different. Bass is by far the best, powerful, solid and extended without any peaks. Midrange is clear and open, highs are extended but missing a little refinement.
     
    Claude M and WildPhydeaux like this.
  18. avanti1960

    avanti1960 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago metro, USA
    update. after several hours of burn in the $140 westinghouse mullard blew me away with how much the sound has improved.
    i was reluctant because i do not like mullard small signal tubes but this rectifier is a big winner.
    explosive dynamics and energy at all frequencies, clear and colorful and now the refinement is there.
     
  19. onemug

    onemug Forum Resident

    Me too. Mine have lasted over 10 yrs and still test/sound great.. so 'cost averaging', they're pretty cheap.

    Same again. Telefunken's do it for me in those positions. Again, lasting a long time.
     
    SandAndGlass likes this.
  20. SandAndGlass

    SandAndGlass Twilight Forum Resident

    I tend to be one of those "show me" type individuals. Not that many years ago, would I have put any belief in a tube rectifier affecting the overall sound signature than a SS rectifier.

    Now, I am a believer!
     
  21. Bill Hart

    Bill Hart Forum Resident

    Location:
    Austin
    Brief update on rectifier rolling in my Allnic H3000-- I got a NIB metal base Mullard which is actually a Philips/Miniwatt tube from Holland. It sounds cooler than the GEC u52 I was using, though has more dynamics, and is grain-free in sound. I can't regard this as definitive since I had to swap out some interconnects to get a faulty XLR reterminated by the cable manufacturer, so I don't know how much of the change in sound is due to the change in interconnect.
    In the meantime, I found another GEC u52 that is gorgeous, the seller was cautious about making claims re "never used" but it appears that it wasn't. (My existing GEC u52 has some miles on it, since it has been my rectifier of choice for at least the last 5 plus years or so). I also got a NIB RCA military tube from 1944 that I haven't tried yet, with the bottom getters at an angle. I'll wait until my interconnect is returned before I do any comparisons among these. Obviously, my "findings" will be limited to the unit in question, an LCR phono stage and my system and preferences.
    One good thing about these tubes is that they tend to last a long time. I'm sure my old u52 still has some life in it, but I was trying to eliminate all potential issues in the system, so retubed everything recently, had a noisy tube socket replaced, etc.
    The fat base 1st series Mullard is a good cheaper alternative to the metal base, but doesn't really sound the same-- the metal base is a special sounding tube but may not be to everyone's taste.
     
  22. levimax

    levimax Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    While I am skeptical of "night and day" sound differences I have a friend with a vintage tube amps that comes to me when it breaks. The modern GZ34's he was using would go bad every few months and always took out the fuse and often the output tubes as well. After I convinced him to spend the money on a vintage Mullard GZ34 (I told him they sound better and he ended up buying a used one) I have not had to work on his amp for many YEARS and I know he uses the amp every day. For reliability a vintage Mullard rectifier is the best investment you can make.... not only do you save on rectifier tubes but they protect the rest of your tubes and your entire amp. If they sound better that is an added bonus.
     
    mreeter and SandAndGlass like this.
  23. avanti1960

    avanti1960 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago metro, USA
    circling back on this topic i have been using the mullard gz34 code f32 in my cary audio preamp.
    over time i have been noticing that something was off in the sound, a little bright, some unwanted sibilance and general loss of overall refinement.
    not sure of the source for this i did a factory reset and put all of the stock 6SN7 tubes and stock sovtek rectifier back in.
    the sibilance and brightness went away and the refinement returned. not a final answer, some improvements were missing.
    i listened for a few days then made one change from stock by putting the mullard rectifier back in.
    the differences were immediately obvious. treble was brighter, bass was chunky, too much gain, loss of refinement and a feeling like a loudness contour had been switched on.
    i do not know how i could have liked this sound when i first installed the mullard, maybe it changed over time.
    regardless neither the mullard nor the sovtek were good answers, something in between was needed.
    i put in the amperex tektronix rectifier i had and that worked extremely well. better dynamics and transparency than the stock sovtek without the in your face gain and sibilance of the muller.
    lesson learned, huge differences in the sound of various tube rectiers.
     
  24. Pete Norman

    Pete Norman Forum Resident

    Here Here!! My old Quad II setup made back in the early 60's has been rebuilt with SS and Golden Dragon KT 66's..never has it sounded better...you get more than 15 watts
    as well...
     
  25. WildPhydeaux

    WildPhydeaux Forum Resident

    So NOS Mullard are not the go-to choice for all people/all gear/all the time. Huh.

    Kidding. Definitely there are a couple "top" choices among tube rectifier connoisseurs. I do like the f32 production run in my preamp, but am thinking of doing a "reset" to factory as a sober second thought. Without sounding like an apologist, the f32 production run ran numerous years. Those in the know claim the earliest ones are best, which would mean a three-digit date code, not four. Of course the really good ones are the very early f31 with the metal clad base, but I'll never know as my bank manager hates me already.

    Thanks for circling back on this Avanti...

    Cheers,
    Robert
     
    avanti1960 likes this.

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