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Since I have decided to go with the SED KT88s,
It's time for some 6J5GT tube rolling fun.
I got a couple of Sylvania 6J5GTs for $5 each.
Didn't expect alot of difference from my RCA 6J5GT
but the Sylvania 6J5GT blows away the RCA in my amp.
Articulate and velvet midrange
Tighter and deeper bass
Airy more natural treble
Image and soundstage are clearer
Music seems to hang in the airAny other 6J5GTs out there to try?
Follow Ups:
You should really go back and try the suggestions of Dave Slagle from two weeks ago. I did the cathode sharing on the input tubes, and am loving the sounds from my SE amp. More bass, better bass detail, better slam and prat. Just try it and see.
jerry
A quick howdy Jerry...Still running the modded Pilot's..?
2c22 is exceptionally clean and detailed, while the CV1932 is absolutley one of the best of the 6J5G types.
A few years back I built a little tube rolling headphone amp (I called it the "Way-Back Machine"). It used 6BX7 as a cathode follower for the output, no transformer, driving 150 ohm Sennheiser headphones. Input tubes were direct coupled (the design was more or less one by John Broskie from one of his pre-Tubecad "circuit of the months"). Heaters on all tubes were powered by current regulated DC.Input tubes could be varied with ease, among octal and 5 pin sockets. They included 6SN7, 12SN7, 12SX7, 6J5, 12J5, 6F8G, 37 and 76.
I regularly attended the old Hosstraders hamfest in New Hampshire, and bought tubes left and right ($2 or $3 a throw; heaven forbid I would pay $5 for anything). Made some ebay buys too. I got ahold of a wide variety of tubes.
Like a lot of tube roller types, I think my listening was influenced by factors not directly heard, such as reputation of VT-231s (selling for 20 times what I paid), the age of the tube (old etched base 76s sounded good before I heard them), and the shape of the plate.
Discounting for all of that, I was disappointed in all of the 6J5/12J5s I listened to, including JAN Sylvania 12J5s (VT-135), compared to the better 6SN7s. I had high hopes for the Sylvanias too. I had some ST shaped Zenith 6J5 that (due to the shape) I hoped would be extra good, but they were merely good. (For octals of the 30's and 40's era, my impression is that Zenith, Philco, and Motorola all were just rebranded tubes from other manufacturers, often Sylvania but others as well).
Who did I really love? 6F8Gs were the best in the 6SN7/6J5 class. Beautiful round plates, inconvenient grid cap. Sweet mid-range, soul-stirring vocals. 76s were also lovely sounding, but with mu of 13 vs 20 for 6SN7/6J5 class tubes we are talking a different amp.
6F8Gs are cheap and plentiful, including VT-99. Tried 6C8G, with a published mu of 36 and rp of 22k or so, and loved it too (did not need the extra gain, however). 6C8G is a remarkably linear tube, according to my tests.
PerseoThanks for your response.
Well you liked the 76 which is
a 5 pin version of the 6P5.
The lower mu is fine with me
as I have plenty to spare.
I'll try that first because
it's a plug in replacement.
The 6F8G/VT-99 I will keep in mind
but I don't like to rewire things
that are working fine because
Murphy is Alive and Well !!!
8^D
Slightly lower ratings but will work in most implementations.
_______________________________
Long Live Dr.Gizmo
DanL
Hi Dan how is the 6j5 sounding compare to a 12a4?
its the same mu i think
Robert
When I used the 12A4 it was in a totally different amp.
That being said, the 12A4 has more speed and details
but the 6J5 sounds more romantic and musical.
The 12A4 can drive ANYTHING that it wants
including 2A3, 300B, 845, 211 etc etc.
You can not say that of a 6J5 (IMO)
but there will be some who say so.
The 6J5 is better suited to drive
trioded pentodes like my KT88.
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