Constant noisy tubes maybe go solid state?
yes, tubes are noisier than solid state, quite often the case but the tube gear noise level can be managed so that it does not interfere with listening pleasure as with many good things in life, you have to work at it a little to reap the rewards if one is unwilling or not equipped to pursue, then there are alternatives, also able to deliver listening pleasure |
@leemazei got Mullards and they are, after 60 or so hours now making noise. I’m going to try to return them to upscale and switch back to the RCA’s. Unless this is somehow electrical noise then this preamp is a tube destroyer, although I went a year with the same set and had no issues. Go figure. Pretty fed up. All I want to do is play music, not spend and-into fortunes shipping tubes. |
Went and threw on the 12db attenuators I had and now everything is dead silent. All the tube noise I have been getting (which didn’t get louder with the volume pot) now gone below the threshold of the attenuators. I’m pondering snagging a 6db pair just to see what that does. So by this, if I theoretically could lower the gain of the QS to say <8 FB gain then I should have no issues. Right? Or is it non linear and I’m over simplifying? |
Get some ECC83 JJ gold pins. Very reliable -- not expensive. Mullard NOS are not bad, RCA clear tops. Tesla 803c in place of 12AX7 are nice, but hit or miss as to what you can find. Try here: https://www.amplifiedparts.com/tech-articles/12ax7-comparison-current-made-tubes |
@gochurchgo If the 10db attenuators work and don't effect the sound to your ears I wouldn't waste anymore money on attenuators. If you haven't tried the 12AU7 tubes yet that might be a better avenue. Also my personal opinion but if you want to continue to deal in NOS tubes without getting duds I would stick with Andy at Vintage Tube Services. There are still a couple of reliable dealers on Ebay that fully test and back their tubes but they are few and far between. |
@jackd I’m so overloaded right now that I’m just leaving it so I can have a few minutes of peace and gear music. But to your point part of me agrees and part of me is disappointed that I’m selling this piece of gear short by using them. I’m not sure what I’m going to do. Early next year I’m hoping to replace my trusty Lounge phono with something better but that brings me to tunes again. Or maybe dump the QS and go solid state and save the new phono for 2022. Just trying to survive the world right now |
A guideline to what Klaus thinks is an acceptable gain tube preamp would be the Candela at 14db so with speakers of "normal" sensitivity the QS would be fine. But unfortunately you bought speakers than don't fit in that definition so you are going to have to mitigate the situation for now unless you want to start selling and buying. If for now the attenuators allow you to listen to your system with no appreciable loss of fidelity then resolve your tube vendor issues get a good pair of AT7's and let it be. You can get a good and quiet pair of NOS AU7 tubes for not a lot of money but it won't be from the usual suspects like Kevin, Brent or Andy as I've done it recently. Contact me by PM if you want to know where. |
@gochurchgo I'm giving up and going back to solid state - 4th round of tubes are microphonic. These ones aren't noisy or hissy but they project *everything* through the speakers - like tapping on the floor and lightly rubbing the top of the amp. Tube seller tried to tell me "this is normal, all tubes are microphonic". Am i crazy? |
@leemaze The Mullards from Upscale were quiet after I put the attenuators on. I have so much gain in my system that I really don't know what anything means anymore other than the first set of RCA's I got early last year must have been perfect because they were 100% noise free without any attenuation. So for now I'm just going to try to acquire the next piece which is a phono stage and although I'd like to go tube, I'm admittedly hesitant. What is you set up? |
So for the first time in months I had several hours to spin this weekend. Relaxing is so rare. Anyway, I was in evaluation mode for a lot of the time and it seems to me that with either the RCA’s or the expensive Mullards the sound is very solid state sounding. I guess. I have a little Class A preamp I got on eBay and I will hook that up and compare them. I guess I feel like its better to have solid state that sounds solid state vs tubes that sound solid state. That said, I was listening to see what I would want to change overall and really, for all my bitching, my system sounds better than it should I think. So question: I slightly prefer these https://upscaleaudio.com/collections/preamp-tubes/products/mullard-6201-vintage-british-new-old-stoc...over the RCA’s from Brent Jessee. A little more relaxed but still forward, but I absolutely love the bass I get from a pair of Amperex 7062, its like bottomless. So is there a tube with the overall sound of the 6201 but with the low end of the 7062? I essentially want a touch more overall body and "tonal saturation"and some of that bass magic from the Amperex (or maybe the mullard highs for the 7062 which is a touch rolled off). |
Brent Jessee currently has some Amperex 6211 tubes (Holland/10K hrs), intended/noise tested for IBM, that won’t break the bank. Might be worth your time, to discuss those with him, since you liked the Amperex sound. Info on that premium, industrial iteration of the 12AT7 and what’s in stock, in Teles and Amperex (as well as some less expensive, Mullard, RCA, GE and Sylvania 6211s), here: http://www.audiotubes.com/12at7.htm |
@rodman99999 I got the Aperex from him originally and they were really good. Still quiet though getting microphonic now. I like their sound but wish they had the Mullard’s top end. For whatever reason the Amperex seem to have like an extra 1/2 octave of lower bass than any of the tubes I have heard (which isn’t many). I will look into the 6211 |
I just ordered some Tubes from Viva directly from Ebay, I did request the tubes to be tested for noise, they did not respond and shipped it out after 2 weeks its arrived at a warehouse i use for shipping to Asia. Lets see what the outcomes out as I have an Atma-Sphere Pre-amps both MP3 and MP1 and they are sensitive to crap tubes. |
@bluorion I think I lucked out off the bat with zero noise tubes running in my crazy high gain system. Clearly an aberration. im debating throwing down on AVA’s Vision SLR (solid state) preamp and seeing what the difference is. Upscale sent a follow up email and said my system as it sat (no attenuators) would have some noise. That I didn’t have any off the bat was luck. Which is the conclusion I had already come to. I still may go with a 6db pair and see how much noise comes though. The 13db pair in now makes the system dead quiet. im curious to know, just for my knowledge, if an 18db gain preamp with a 12db attenuators makes it a 6db gain preamp or if it’s non linear or there’s other electrical things at play. |
I can't believe no one has chided you yet for turning on all all your gear while the power amp is still on! I have the Khartago running with a tube preamp and yes I keep it on 24/7 like Klaus recommends however you definitely should switch it off to boot up the rest of your system and then switch it on again quick. Don't turn it on until at least 15-20 seconds after turning on preamp. From what I've read and been told you absolutely do not want that horrible distortion pop running through your system upon boot up. I dont think its causing your issues but its certainly horrible for your system. The rule is always amp on last , amp off first. |
