In Reply to: RE: Dennis Fraker posted by lakerfan on May 24, 2012 at 19:01:29:
I think the first question from me would be-- what 2A3 are you now running?You can re-read the last post and get most of what's in a good 2A3, but today I use 3 kinds of them.
The best overall was the LATER AVVT 2A3M-- and I still use this today at audio shows. These are no longer made. This tube is NOT a high power tube, must be run at 11 watts plate dissipation or below, and has decent, but not great Bottom-End. Overall, sonically, NO tube in the world today can beat it. You might get 2 watts out of it-- I wouldn't push it that far. Reliability is total IF you run 245 volts across it, and run it at below 45 milliamperes plate current, and don't overdrive its grid with too much signal input.. If handled correctly, it will deliver terrific dynamics in spades and last almost forever.
The EML that is made today can be run at higher plate currents-- up to 55 milliamperes, and still likes around 245-255 volts across it. It has better Bottom-End, a linear, clean midrange, decent introspection into musical layers (not as good as AVVT 2A3M), and more power. Reliability is total if it's run right. This is today's best tube sonically.
The JJ 2A3-40 will stand plate currents up to 65 milliamperes, will stand at least 260 volts across it, but runs best at the parameters for the AVVT 2A3M!
There will be argument here, but that is just plain wrong-- what we're after is the best sound and the best reliability-- not winning arguments!
The lower plate current allows the tube to better respond to input signal, since that input signal will have less standing plate current as a barrier to overcome.
Response to signal is more immediate, more powerful and much more linear with the lower standing plate current. I'm NOT here referring to the so-called linear plate current curves you see published in tube data.
Instead, I refer to musical response-to-signal input-- a factor that is commonly ignored and is never published with regard to actual musical reproduction. It is a VERY important factor that I choose to pay strict attention to. Standing grid bias ALSO presents impediments to incoming signal for obvious and similar reasons, and must also be very carefully assessed.
The JJ 2A3-40 is, then, simply doing what one would expect it to do-- it also prefers less standing barriers to incoming signal. Just because it is a larger, more powerful tube-- doesn't mean we should ASSUME that it should be run as a larger tube. Actually, it runs just great in the parameters set up for the AVVT 2A3M. And now you know why. Cool!
It does, in fact, like the smaller parameters better. The JJ should be used where you are simply doing non-critical listening and enjoy huge rock-solid bass, power and authority, love a linear presentation, like extended, clean highs, but are not too fussy about musical cues & details that are almost hidden in Studio Mixes. For those, the AVVT 2A3M remains King.
Those amps of yours can run any 2A3, so you can play all you want.
Don't expect NOS biplates to do much-- they're semi-musical, but are not reliable and have a habit of mixing-- or homogenizing music. NOT World Class!
---Dennis---
Edits: 05/25/12
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- RE: Dennis Fraker - tube wrangler 17:39:22 05/25/12 (0)