psychodave":3t61kai9 said:Wizard of Ozz":3t61kai9 said:
It’s amazing how much our knowledge base increases when we have access to tube testers.
Wizard of Ozz":16inutop said:psychodave":16inutop said:Wizard of Ozz":16inutop said:
It’s amazing how much our knowledge base increases when we have access to tube testers.
Indeed. Much like taking your car to a mechanic if you know zip about cars. Good luck and I hope they buy you dinner first. Anything microphonic or plain noisy is getting sent right back. Snake oil is just that.
You are correct...HG=high gradenapalmdeath":m9g0hu87 said:Wizard of Ozz":m9g0hu87 said:psychodave":m9g0hu87 said:Wizard of Ozz":m9g0hu87 said:
It’s amazing how much our knowledge base increases when we have access to tube testers.
Indeed. Much like taking your car to a mechanic if you know zip about cars. Good luck and I hope they buy you dinner first. Anything microphonic or plain noisy is getting sent right back. Snake oil is just that.
I was under the impression HG meant high grade/tested for microphonics. Never really known them to be pushed as high gain?
I buy tubes on what I hear. I have a big stash, and what works well in V1 of one amp, might sound like shit it another. I have my JJ's to warm up a bright amp, Tungsols and EH for overly dark amps, NOS, lower gain, etc. Trial and error, advice/opinions on tubes are hit or miss.
napalmdeath":2dpst96n said:Wizard of Ozz":2dpst96n said:psychodave":2dpst96n said:Wizard of Ozz":2dpst96n said:
It’s amazing how much our knowledge base increases when we have access to tube testers.
Indeed. Much like taking your car to a mechanic if you know zip about cars. Good luck and I hope they buy you dinner first. Anything microphonic or plain noisy is getting sent right back. Snake oil is just that.
I was under the impression HG meant high grade/tested for microphonics. Never really known them to be pushed as high gain?
I buy tubes on what I hear. I have a big stash, and what works well in V1 of one amp, might sound like shit it another. I have my JJ's to warm up a bright amp, Tungsols and EH for overly dark amps, NOS, lower gain, etc. Trial and error, advice/opinions on tubes are hit or miss.
Wizard of Ozz":31mxh4or said:napalmdeath":31mxh4or said:Wizard of Ozz":31mxh4or said:psychodave":31mxh4or said:Wizard of Ozz":31mxh4or said:
It’s amazing how much our knowledge base increases when we have access to tube testers.
Indeed. Much like taking your car to a mechanic if you know zip about cars. Good luck and I hope they buy you dinner first. Anything microphonic or plain noisy is getting sent right back. Snake oil is just that.
I was under the impression HG meant high grade/tested for microphonics. Never really known them to be pushed as high gain?
I buy tubes on what I hear. I have a big stash, and what works well in V1 of one amp, might sound like shit it another. I have my JJ's to warm up a bright amp, Tungsols and EH for overly dark amps, NOS, lower gain, etc. Trial and error, advice/opinions on tubes are hit or miss.
Yeah... the HG means they are graded/selected to be less noisy/microphonic for the V1 spot... but also some of the dealer's descriptions lead you to believe they will increase/boost the signal distortion too... not...they are garbage. About 20-30% of the preamp tubes I've bought from most of all the "trusted and well known" dealers are garbage. Microphonic, noisy, and low gain (this is why they are quiet... unlike quiet yet high gain NOS tubes). Not what I want to be putting in my amps. I might throw a lot of them up in the classified section if someone wants them. I feel bad about just dumping them.
How do those compare to the rest of its EHX/Tung-Sol/Mullard relatives IYO? I really like the Mullards, personally, but I wonder if those Svetlanas are a tad smoother.Ventura":2jaxia2w said:
TungSol have been hit and miss for me - depends on the amp... I find them kinda bright in some amps, but otherwise top-drawer bottles.Rex Rocker":2ekhxtmg said:
There's really no contest when it comes to these tubes vs any other new production today. They seem to be very plentiful buying direct from China, and at 7 bucks a tube are a bargain. I have over 20 and they all sound killer and none have failed. Pretty sure they are old NOS but they appear to have an unlimited supply, so I would still consider them new production since you can buy them anytime.Deanmachine":1ktl7fgf said:
Great tubes, just got 3 more direct from Aliexpress. Every 6n4 has been flawless, no failures so far. I've bought 25 in the last 2 yrs. Killer in Marshalls, Mesa and now my Wizard MCI.marcus262":15bvtivd said:
Racerxrated":1z7u2mmy said:
psychodave":2lymyarw said:Racerxrated":2lymyarw said:
The thing is... are these tubes tested by the sellers? Cheap is cheap for a reason. I purchased literally 100’s of the 8th generation preamp tubes and all were not equal. My vender was really good and I was able to get replacements for low testing tubes. I cleaned them out. I have close to 300 in my stash...all properly tested. FWIW, the tubes I have sold in the past have all been tested. I wouldn’t sell junk.
You make a good point, no I don't have a tester but none have failed and all sound killer in every amp I have owned in the past 3 years.psychodave":1fvxspxq said:Racerxrated":1fvxspxq said:
The thing is... are these tubes tested by the sellers? Cheap is cheap for a reason. I purchased literally 100’s of the 8th generation preamp tubes and all were not equal. My vender was really good and I was able to get replacements for low testing tubes. I cleaned them out. I have close to 300 in my stash...all properly tested. FWIW, the tubes I have sold in the past have all been tested. I wouldn’t sell junk.
My experience is that the 6n4 military has been flawless, not one bad tube. 25 and counting. But that's just my experience.Wizard of Ozz":11mfn3yp said:psychodave":11mfn3yp said:Racerxrated":11mfn3yp said:
The thing is... are these tubes tested by the sellers? Cheap is cheap for a reason. I purchased literally 100’s of the 8th generation preamp tubes and all were not equal. My vender was really good and I was able to get replacements for low testing tubes. I cleaned them out. I have close to 300 in my stash...all properly tested. FWIW, the tubes I have sold in the past have all been tested. I wouldn’t sell junk.
This +1. I just got 200 from 3 different vendors... direct from China... last batch of 50 just arrived after being stuck in customs for a month... and the reject rate so far has been around 20%. Mostly due to noise and some are microphonic. These are not just plug and play. Slam them in your amp and hope for the best. They need to be tested and sorted. Most do test very high for gain ratings which is good though.
Racerxrated":26bz9ljb said:Wizard of Ozz":26bz9ljb said:psychodave":26bz9ljb said:Racerxrated":26bz9ljb said:
The thing is... are these tubes tested by the sellers? Cheap is cheap for a reason. I purchased literally 100’s of the 8th generation preamp tubes and all were not equal. My vender was really good and I was able to get replacements for low testing tubes. I cleaned them out. I have close to 300 in my stash...all properly tested. FWIW, the tubes I have sold in the past have all been tested. I wouldn’t sell junk.
This +1. I just got 200 from 3 different vendors... direct from China... last batch of 50 just arrived after being stuck in customs for a month... and the reject rate so far has been around 20%. Mostly due to noise and some are microphonic. These are not just plug and play. Slam them in your amp and hope for the best. They need to be tested and sorted. Most do test very high for gain ratings which is good though.
My experience is that the 6n4 military has been flawless, not one bad tube. 25 and counting. But that's just my experience.
Wizard of Ozz":xx5u5dfu said:Racerxrated":xx5u5dfu said:Wizard of Ozz":xx5u5dfu said:psychodave":xx5u5dfu said:Racerxrated":xx5u5dfu said:
The thing is... are these tubes tested by the sellers? Cheap is cheap for a reason. I purchased literally 100’s of the 8th generation preamp tubes and all were not equal. My vender was really good and I was able to get replacements for low testing tubes. I cleaned them out. I have close to 300 in my stash...all properly tested. FWIW, the tubes I have sold in the past have all been tested. I wouldn’t sell junk.
This +1. I just got 200 from 3 different vendors... direct from China... last batch of 50 just arrived after being stuck in customs for a month... and the reject rate so far has been around 20%. Mostly due to noise and some are microphonic. These are not just plug and play. Slam them in your amp and hope for the best. They need to be tested and sorted. Most do test very high for gain ratings which is good though.
My experience is that the 6n4 military has been flawless, not one bad tube. 25 and counting. But that's just my experience.
They are good tubes... but not as flawless and perfect as some reports claim. Try some more... at loud volumes and cranked gain and see how they hold up.
