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Tube Suggestions Onix SP3

As a rookie to tubes, one of the Melody 5881s tubes on the Onix SP3 I recently purchased on Agon has gone pzzzsst and I'm clueless and suffering without good sound. I have to keep within a reasonable budget but at the same time have a solid replacement for resale value. Can the original Melody 5881's be had anywhere? Otherwise the tube shop I called said I need to replace all four, rather than only 1 and recommended the NOS Sylvannia 5881 at nearly $90 per. I'm tempted to just buy another used Onix if that's the case. (Just kidding) Help
get2it1
newbee
4,767 posts
 
If your amp can take 6L6GC's the SED model is excellent sonically and its rugged as well. If you must have 5881's on a budget the Sovtek's are OK.
tooter
85 posts
 
I think the original 5881 tubes in the SP3 are Shuguang (Chinese). Check with av123.com. I have the same amp and replaced the 5881 with a set of JJ/Tesla 6l6gc and have been really happy with the results - much fuller bass response and an overall smoother presentation. They cost about $60 for a quad if I remember correctly. I bought mine from TubeDepot. I'm sure Mcfarland's recommendations are also excellent.
get2it1c766
1 posts
 
This forum is unbelievable - it really does shorten the learning curve and help avoid the trial and error track. Tooter is the Tesla you mentioned a JJ-6L6GC. The lower case L shows as 1? Just want to be certain. McFarland at my age I've learned that there's always 2 miles of ditch for every mile of road, so I'm just grateful to keep it on the road most of the time on those audio learning curves. Much gratitude to McFar, Newbee and Tooter.

I'm also dealing with an Eastsound CD-e5 that won't read a disk. Snowy at Cattylink has been helpful so far. I'll keep those up to date who are interested in the resolution.

get2it1
tooter
85 posts
 
get2it1 - yeah, 6L6GC. There are several people on the av123 forum who second Newbee's recommendation of the SED 6L6. I haven't tried them yet myself but when my Tesla's die on me I plan on giving them a listen. My own experience has been that changing the preamp tubes, 12ax7, make the most impact on the SP3's presentation.

Good luck with your CD player.
rhing
89 posts
 
get2it1:

Save yourself some money and call Sean Parque at AV123.com and order replacement Melody-branded 5881 power tubes. They only cost $10 per tube and they're decent tubes for providing good-to-great music out of your Onix SP3. I have this wonderfully affordable amplifier and I have found that the stock 5881s are fine. As Tooter recommends: where you can really make a vast improvement in the audio quality is replacing the two stock 12AX7 preamp stage tubes with two Groove Tubes 12AX7-Ms. These 12AX7 "Mullard reissues" will really open up the soundstage, improve the imaging and extend the frequency response. For about $40 per pair of the Groove Tubes 12AX7-Ms, you can't go wrong. Later on, if you want to upgrade the power tubes, you can get a matched quad set of the SED 6L6GC power tubes.
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