After 15 years of faithful service from my Audible Illusions pre, I decided it was past time to change out the original tubes. Each Amperex 6DJ8 tube had a heavy band of some type of dark charcoal putty (approx 3/8" wide x 1/8" thick) around the middle of ea tube. As I bought the amp from my dealer as a demo unit, I’m not sure if the putty was put on the original tubes by the dealer or was put on by the manufacture. I cleaned the putty off of the tubes, intending to put it back around the new tubes, but never did. After a couple of hours of warm up, the new Amperex tubes sounded very good (no doubt restoring a little of the luster lost from 15 years of hard use on the old tubes) so I guess I never felt the need to go back and add the putty.
After another 10 years on the replacement Amperex tubes, I recently installed a set of Electro-Harmonix, but not sure if I like them quite as much as the Amperex. Some day I may get the urge to experiment with the putty, or other dampening products, on them and see if it makes a difference.....Jim
After another 10 years on the replacement Amperex tubes, I recently installed a set of Electro-Harmonix, but not sure if I like them quite as much as the Amperex. Some day I may get the urge to experiment with the putty, or other dampening products, on them and see if it makes a difference.....Jim