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Great tubes at great prices (NOS tubes)

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Silver Audiophile
Silver Audiophile

Hi folks. Thought I start a new thread, where experienced community members with extensive direct tube experience can share links to specific great advertised tubes. For the benefit to this commu

denimhunter
denimhunter

A little bit of tube porn: rare Sylvania mesh plate 80 rectifier at work. Notice the silver leaf logo on the top of the tube.  

Red MacKay
Red MacKay

But what the military and commercial/ industrial parameters are, is different to what we require for audio.   The military require that a tube is robust and will always still work after bein

  • 4 weeks later...
Silver Audiophile Veteran

Silver Audiophile

Posted
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Posted
1 hour ago, xlr8or said:

Some nice Mullard Blackburn early to mid 1950's GZ37 rectifiers are available for sale at a good price from Langrex:

 

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/275408962011

Hi Kirk,

 

The GZ37/CV378 is a  tall version of a 5AR4/GZ34 valve. Highly regarded high current rectifier.

Two questions:

1) Direct substitution into the 5AR4 rectifier slot of PrimaLunas pre amps?

2) Better sounding than Mullard GZ32 R71, Mullard GZ34 F32,33 etc?

 

Cheers,

 

 

xlr8or Grand Champion

xlr8or

Posted
Posted (edited)
3 hours ago, Silver Audiophile said:

Hi Kirk,

 

The GZ37/CV378 is a  tall version of a 5AR4/GZ34 valve. Highly regarded high current rectifier.

Two questions:

1) Direct substitution into the 5AR4 rectifier slot of PrimaLunas pre amps?

2) Better sounding than Mullard GZ32 R71, Mullard GZ34 F32,33 etc?

 

Cheers,

 

 

 

It's a substitute for the 5U4G, which draws in more heater current (3.0A). It can't be used as a substitute for the  GZ32 or GZ34 as both these rectifiers draw in 2.0A or less. Capacitor values for the power filtration requirements are different between the former and latter rectifier types.

Edited by xlr8or
  • Like 2
klm Proficient

klm

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, xlr8or said:

 

It's a substitute for the 5U4G, which draws in more heater current (3.0A). It can't be used as a substitute for the  GZ32 or GZ34 as both these rectifiers draw in 2.0A or less.

I believe the parameters of the component design with regard to capacitor values and current requirement determine if the substitution for a 5u4g will work satisfactory. It’s not a carte blanche situation. Much the same way of considering a 274 tube for a 5u4g substitution but the first capacitor value determines if it will work in a stable fashion.

  • Like 1

xlr8or Grand Champion

xlr8or

Posted
Posted (edited)
32 minutes ago, klm said:

I believe the parameters of the component design with regard to capacitor values and current requirement determine if the substitution for a 5u4g will work satisfactory. It’s not a carte blanche situation. Much the same way of considering a 274 tube for a 5u4g substitution but the first capacitor value determines if it will work in a stable fashion.

 

Both GZ37 and 5U4G specify 4uF. You're right I should have been more thorough in my answer. It's heater current and capacitor value that need to match. Mind you I have never found consistency in the condenser values being specified the same for the same rectifier type between different manufacturers' tube data sheets.

Edited by xlr8or
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  • 2 weeks later...
denimhunter Mentor

denimhunter

Posted
Posted
19 minutes ago, Thelastjedi said:

Looking to replace the 6x5 tube in my lampizator amber 2 dac. Any recommendations out there? Cheers 

If u have room in the amber get a 6x5 coke bottle.  

  • Like 5
dwbasement Grand Master

dwbasement

Posted
Posted (edited)
8 hours ago, Thelastjedi said:

Looking to replace the 6x5 tube in my lampizator amber 2 dac. Any recommendations out there? Cheers 

This is the best 6X5 I ever used when I have my Leben phono. As @denimhunter mentioned that they are coke bottle so check if you have enough room. I used to have my leben lid off to accommodate the height.

 

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/195260700840?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-154756-20017-0&ssspo=sWrMl5yqQ9O&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=uRD8DGi5ROi&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

This is a bit expensive,  if you wait you should be able to get cheaper price around $250 - $300

Edited by dwbasement
  • Like 3
aussievintage Grand Master

aussievintage

Posted
Posted

I would say get a coke bottle because they look more cool.  :) I am a bit of a tube nut rebel, in that I think there are better ways to spend money looking for improvement than in selecting exotic rectifiers.  My daily use valve preamp runs a little 6X4, turned into a bridge rectifier by adding 2 silicon diodes to the base.  Heresy !!!  But after a nice choke and decent amount of cap smoothing, you ain't gonna hear it :) 

Plasmod3 Experienced

Plasmod3

Posted
Posted
10 hours ago, denimhunter said:

If u have room in the amber get a 6x5 coke bottle.  

I agree😁 that's a good tube!

denimhunter Mentor

denimhunter

Posted
Posted

With the 6x5 coke bottle , look at the construction not just the brand.  There are 4 or 5 different construction with many diff brands like zenith, Philco, rca, Sylvania etc. Gec is expensive but construction not different.  Other brands are much more affordable.  Just experiment if u can, some systems are more sensitive to rectifier changes.

I know there are a lot of detractors out there, just wonder if they have heard different alternatives?     

  • Like 2
Thelastjedi Proficient

Thelastjedi

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, denimhunter said:

With the 6x5 coke bottle , look at the construction not just the brand.  There are 4 or 5 different construction with many diff brands like zenith, Philco, rca, Sylvania etc. Gec is expensive but construction not different.  Other brands are much more affordable.  Just experiment if u can, some systems are more sensitive to rectifier changes.

I know there are a lot of detractors out there, just wonder if they have heard different alternatives?     

Ill keep an eye out for those bottle neck 6x5 tubes. Im not sure if they will fit inside the lampizator with the lid on thou.

 

Im also wanting to change the 12au7 and 6922 tubes out of my preamp aswell. I was thinking of buying gold lions for both but had a friend recommend for the going price of the gold lions atm I should consider buying nos tubes. With that being said are there any good nos 12au7 and 6922 tubes going around atm?

NonPlayableCharacter Grand Master

NonPlayableCharacter

Posted
Posted
4 minutes ago, Thelastjedi said:

Ill keep an eye out for those bottle neck 6x5 tubes. Im not sure if they will fit inside the lampizator with the lid on thou.

 

Im also wanting to change the 12au7 and 6922 tubes out of my preamp aswell. I was thinking of buying gold lions for both but had a friend recommend for the going price of the gold lions atm I should consider buying nos tubes. With that being said are there any good nos 12au7 and 6922 tubes going around atm?

 

12 AU7 - I have this lot... Might be scraps to you, not sure.

 

I struggle to id properly and I'm a noob on the AVO tester so can only reliably do a pass/fail test and not get values as I have struggled to find a decent guide on how to.

20220210_131446.thumb.jpg.c9f361aa7dc04d17b7f08820442cb457.jpg

dwbasement Grand Master

dwbasement

Posted
Posted
8 minutes ago, Thelastjedi said:

Ill keep an eye out for those bottle neck 6x5 tubes. Im not sure if they will fit inside the lampizator with the lid on thou.

 

Im also wanting to change the 12au7 and 6922 tubes out of my preamp aswell. I was thinking of buying gold lions for both but had a friend recommend for the going price of the gold lions atm I should consider buying nos tubes. With that being said are there any good nos 12au7 and 6922 tubes going around atm?

E80CC is one of the best 12AU7 alternatives I have been using and never used 12AU7 since. But again it is a taller tube than the standard 12AU7...

  • Like 1

xlr8or Grand Champion

xlr8or

Posted
Posted
6 hours ago, El Tel said:

 

12 AU7 - I have this lot... Might be scraps to you, not sure.

 

I struggle to id properly and I'm a noob on the AVO tester so can only reliably do a pass/fail test and not get values as I have struggled to find a decent guide on how to.

20220210_131446.thumb.jpg.c9f361aa7dc04d17b7f08820442cb457.jpg

 

Tubes 3 and 4 in the top row are very good sounding tubes. Can you see any 2-lined etched codes on them?

NonPlayableCharacter Grand Master

NonPlayableCharacter

Posted
Posted
11 hours ago, xlr8or said:

 

Tubes 3 and 4 in the top row are very good sounding tubes. Can you see any 2-lined etched codes on them?

 

Nothing visible - I bought a job lot and the plant/date identifiers on most items were no longer evident. Tube 4 in that pic had bent pins as you can see - after taking the pic, I noticed cracks in the tube where the pins meet the glass, so I discarded it.

Sounding Proficient

Sounding

Posted
Posted (edited)

Hi there. I’m new to tubes and know very little.

I have had the PrimaLuna EVO 100 DAC and PL EVO 400 Preamp for a month or so, fair loving it. I’ve got solid state monoblocks for power.

Looking to see what’s out there that I should really consider, and I also would like to learn more about what differences are heard with different tubes.

The preamp has 6 x 12AU7 and 2 x 5AR4.

The DAC has 2 x 12AU7, 2 x 12AX7, and 2 x 5AR4.

Assuming I am a dunce but I am willing to take good advice and try something, what should I buy, which should I replace, and if you can be bothered typing I’d really love to read a resource on what differences there are to be found.

I don’t really see anything wrong with what I am hearing now, but I have it on good advice that I should ask people like @xlr8or who are in the know.

thanks for any tips.

Edited by Sounding
Added @ to mark attention.
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