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In Reply to: COUNTERPOINT SA-4 posted by kublakhan on March 4, 2006 at 21:55:31:
6LF6-Caveat emptor.
Follow Ups:
I don't think there is anything inherently wrong or unstable about the 6LF6. Julius Futterman knew what he was doing when he selected them for his last crop of amplifiers. But as Alta Vista notes, the 6LF6 used to be plentiful and cheap. When I owned Futterman amplifiers, I could buy 6LF6s at local radio supply stores for a few dollars a piece. As for stability, one pair of Futts that I owned lived for 10 years on one set of 6LF6 output tubes. At this time, one has to go to the esoteric tube dealers to acquire 6LF6 replacements at a relatively high cost. In the modern era, most makers of Futterman-type amplifiers, e.g., Transcendent, have gone over to the PL-509, also variously known as EL509, 519, etc. These are still available at reasonable prices. I wonder why Alta Vista has not worked up a conversion option, so that one could use the latter tube type in the SA4. This would be as much of a boon to its continuing existence as is the added balancing circuitry.
I did not say anything was wrong w/the 6LF6,even though in the Counterpoint,it's a horrible tube,prone to violent self-destruction(plus the added damage inflicted on nearby components)@the end of it's 800 hr life.Please read my 2nd post;it's about availability.ymmv,fwiw,blablabla.
Lone Gunmen, can you explain? I don't know their reputation (the 6LF6, that is.) Are you talking prices or difficulty in finding matched tubes (which isn't a problem in the SA-4 anymore if you have Elliot do the mod.)
Specifically,it's an obsolete tube-type,w/a limited life-expectancy,and THE KEY COMPONENT in this amp.If you're set on getting the amplifers,buy as many of these tubes now as you can.-
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