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EAT Tube Damper

Just sharing one person's experience with EAT tube dampers. Wow. A great experience!

System:
- Zanden DAC 5000Sig
- CJ Act 2 Pre
- Gryphon Antileon
- SF Strads
- Velodyne DD18 (in parallel)
- Transp Ref Cabling
- PAD Ann Contego and Dominus Ferox PCs
- PS Audio Quintet (DAC/pre only)

Love my DAC but the Jan Phillips 6922 tube is exceedingly microphonic!!!...snap your fingers across the room, and the speakers ring! I had my DAC tilted on sandbags at a 30-degree angle to get it not to ring.

I replaced with a Mullard 6DJ8...better soundstage, dynamics, bass and NO microphony...but LESS musical to my ear...vocals not as organic...so I went back to the Jan Phillips and tilting the DAC.

Then a distributor recommended EAT tube dampers...just put it in...voila!

No microphony (so far) even on movie tracks with the Velodyne kicking. And sound technicals have improved:
- much greater instrument separation...like upgrading cables
- much clearer vocals
- greater soundstage and image solidity

So now I feel like I got the best of both worlds---the musicality of the phillips and the detail, presence, soundstage and depth of the mullard...now what would happen if I put in a mullard 7308 or a phillips holland 7308??? ;)

Thanks, EAT!!!
lloydelee21

Showing 17 responses by samhar

samhar
1,048 posts
 
No loss of harmonics? You also should try Amperex US PQ a very musical tube.
samhar
1,048 posts
 
Hello! The 7308 Holland is a fantastic tube, rich, detailed and low in microphonics I'm not that familiar with the Mullard. The Amperex PQ is probably between the two. Other tubes worth trying are the Seimans EI88CC 7308 (detailed) and E88CC/6922(warmer). I'm still playing with power cords and will let you know the results IMS (in my system). Enjoy, Sam Harwood
samhar
1,048 posts
 
Lloyd how did the Amperex 7308 Holland compare to the Mullard 7308, the bass should be tighter! Was it in your system?
samhar
1,048 posts
 
Hello Lloyd
On another note I just bought a quad of Electro-Harmonix 6H30Pi from The Tubestore for the Act 2. I read(but can't remember where) these have a fuller mid range but are a little less extended at both ends than the Sovteks. One more variable to try!!!! A friend who's opinion I respect didn't feel the DR's were worth the price( no big improvement) so I'll start here.
samhar
1,048 posts
 
Lloyd I was putting new power tubes in the Joules this afternoon which requires disconnecting the speaker cables and wondered if you have your S/C reversed at the speaker because of the reverse polarity of the CJ Act 2?
samhar
1,048 posts
 
I meant to say phase inversion not polarity!!!!
samhar
1,048 posts
 
Lloyd
I posted the P/C info on my system site.
samhar
1,048 posts
 
Were you able to force yourself to pull the Mullard and try the Amperex? If you did what are your observations and conclusions of the two.
samhar
1,048 posts
 
That's what I thought might be happening.
I love it! I bought new amp stands yesterday and could not stop listening for nine hours !!!
samhar
1,048 posts
 
I bought NOS '83's from AudiogoN member Conus but he's sold out for now. Audioblazer recommends Parts Connexion 80.00 ea.
samhar
1,048 posts
 
Thanks Lloyd! I'm going to plug the 20th Ann in without the EP15A, I think I tried this before but just to be sure I'm going to try again before I sell the P/C's! I'm going to start writing things down again!!!
Here's my short list:

Clapton "Unplugged"--------track 13
Rachael Price "Dedicated to you"--------track 1&12
Romain "Swing Guitare"--------tracks 1&3
La Follia Salzburg " Music in Austria before Mozart---track 1
Louie Armstrong "Live At The 1958 Montery Jazz Festival-------tracks 14&17
Jose Antonio Escobar "Guitar Recitial--------track 5

Sam
samhar
1,048 posts
 
Lloyd haven't been able to "make myself" start pulling plugs again!!! Every time I turn the system on I land up just wanting to listen to vinyl and enjoy the music!!! I'm sure the newness of the TT system will wear off and I'll get back to messing around with equipment, a "better" phono section and then a TT and cart are in the future, but for now this "entry level" sounds surprisingly good!!! I'm probably just going to sell the 20th Anniversary PC's I know I don't prefer them with the CDP but I'll give them one shot with the TT rig!
samhar
1,048 posts
 
Wouldn't microphonics be a cause of spurious overtones?
samhar
1,048 posts
 
Emailists

Seriously that's a question!
samhar
1,048 posts
 
Lloyd thanks for the update. While you're stocking up get a Amperex Holland 7308 to try, has the sparkle with a little more meat on the bones. Have you tried a Siemens Cca?
samhar
1,048 posts
 
Lloyd that's that's AgoNer with "very little experience" compared to most here!!
samhar
1,048 posts
 
LLoyd
I put a quad of Dr's in the C/J today what an improvement!!!!

Ck what I wrote on my page!!
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