Steve Williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
As the saying goes, "sometimes the squirrel finds the nut"..........these past few days listening has proved a disaster on one day and an epiphany on the next
FWIW my entire system is tubes. My amps are dual Ono, dual power supply. They use a quad on each side of 6N30P-DR which is the Soviet military grade version of there tube and was the one always supplied by Lamm until a few years ago when the market for these tubes evaporated. If you find them they are at least $600-700/tube and 8 are needed. Lamm also always insisted on a back up set to use if a tube fails. The weakest and strongest point of these amps was the sound from the 6N30P-DR tube. Whenever a tube failed I would put in my back up set and send the set which failed back to Lamm. There he would test the tubes and replace the dead tube. All of this evaporated a few years ago and the tubes now supplied by Lamm wee Sovtek 6N30P-EB. I have had 2 NIB quads from Lamm sitting in my box of tubes dreading the day when my 6N30P-DR would die and I would be forced to use the Soviet tubes. The weakest part of the mp was also the same tube as predictably they would fail after 18-24 months of use.
For those who have never heard am amp tube die upon power up or power off ,my best description is as if someone had taken a machine gun to your speaker. Such was the case 3 days ago when I was powering on my system.....AS for amps, the golden rule is last on and first off. I always have my preamp muted as well as volume off when I tuen on my system. As this was happening the machine gun struck my right speaker. My immediate reaction, after I crapped my pants from the shock was to quickly turn off the amp which I did. My first reaction was damage control. I waited a few minutes and then powered up my system expecting no sound from the right channel. Typically when a 6N30P tube fails, it takes out one of the fuses as well as some of the 6 choke tubes (12AX3) In each power supply
Much to my amazement I had good sound in both channels and I said a little prayer of thanks. All was good. Two days ago I was listening for several hours and suddenly I was just hearing sound from the left channel. I figured the tube ws finally DOA.
Fortunately, I have abundant numbers of each tube for the amp, preamp and power supplies. I no longer had a back up set of 6N30P-DR and I knew the time had run out on the 6N30P-DR. The time had come to use the Sovtek tubes. Along the way , I discovered that the tube failure had also taken out one of the 12AX3 tubes. Also I knew my huge GM-70 was reaching the end of its life span as they had been in for about 2 1/2 yeas . I also had just recently purchased a new set of coper plate GM-70 from Lamm. So yesterday, I decided to completely retube my amplifiers.This took all of 30 minutes and once done a new fuse was placed and I powered the system on
Why do I post all of this here. Well as you all know I use my Lamm preamp for volume control and always kept the Horizon VC at 63 which is Unity Gain and the entire signal is passed to my preamp. Recently with the addition of the TFK c3g/s in place of the Mullard ECC 32 brown base the was a big boost in apparent dynamic, to the point where I had to dial back the Horizon VC to 59. I have also said here several times that for my ears it is always best to pass the "entire" signal through to the preamp for best sonic results. As these tubes burned in and the TP adapter settled, I found that some files had me turning the Horizon VC don to 55-56. Even though the sound was excellent it just wasn't as goos as when the Horizon VC was 63. Until yesterday, I felt this was something I better get used to even though I did. to like it
Well here's the nut......these Sovtek 6N30P-EB tubes are beautiful. They were a few shades softer and much rounder sound. There was no assault on my tympanic membranes. Simply put this was on initial power up with NIB tubes in both amps. I wasn't ready for what I heard but the bottom line was when I began adjusting the Horizon volume control, I found once again that 9 out of 10 files I played were easily heard with the Horizon at 63. My Lamm preamp is at the 5th lowest detente position.
So yesterday after changing my tubes when my right speaker apparently blew up has brought me to a point that I can enjoy the music with the VC on my Horizon at 63. The difference is not subtle. In fact, I could tell the difference between 62 and 63. There was just a complete fullness to the sound at 63. Of course this was the first listen with new tubes and I expect changes but I am of the hope that the change from 6N30P-DR to Sovtek 6N30P-EB will continue to shine. Yesterday's listening session was that case of this squirrel finding the nut.
There is no question that the evolution in my tube kit to more dynamic tubes (SRS551, Valvo G2504 and TFKN c3g/s)has brought me to an end game position and with the Sovtek I can happily use the entire signal to my preamp which to my ears is essential if you are going to control the sound with your own preamp
More to follow as hopefully we see a TP adapter for the G2504. I understand it is impossible to make adapters for the SS551 as original sockets are necessary and they are no longer available.
FWIW my entire system is tubes. My amps are dual Ono, dual power supply. They use a quad on each side of 6N30P-DR which is the Soviet military grade version of there tube and was the one always supplied by Lamm until a few years ago when the market for these tubes evaporated. If you find them they are at least $600-700/tube and 8 are needed. Lamm also always insisted on a back up set to use if a tube fails. The weakest and strongest point of these amps was the sound from the 6N30P-DR tube. Whenever a tube failed I would put in my back up set and send the set which failed back to Lamm. There he would test the tubes and replace the dead tube. All of this evaporated a few years ago and the tubes now supplied by Lamm wee Sovtek 6N30P-EB. I have had 2 NIB quads from Lamm sitting in my box of tubes dreading the day when my 6N30P-DR would die and I would be forced to use the Soviet tubes. The weakest part of the mp was also the same tube as predictably they would fail after 18-24 months of use.
For those who have never heard am amp tube die upon power up or power off ,my best description is as if someone had taken a machine gun to your speaker. Such was the case 3 days ago when I was powering on my system.....AS for amps, the golden rule is last on and first off. I always have my preamp muted as well as volume off when I tuen on my system. As this was happening the machine gun struck my right speaker. My immediate reaction, after I crapped my pants from the shock was to quickly turn off the amp which I did. My first reaction was damage control. I waited a few minutes and then powered up my system expecting no sound from the right channel. Typically when a 6N30P tube fails, it takes out one of the fuses as well as some of the 6 choke tubes (12AX3) In each power supply
Much to my amazement I had good sound in both channels and I said a little prayer of thanks. All was good. Two days ago I was listening for several hours and suddenly I was just hearing sound from the left channel. I figured the tube ws finally DOA.
Fortunately, I have abundant numbers of each tube for the amp, preamp and power supplies. I no longer had a back up set of 6N30P-DR and I knew the time had run out on the 6N30P-DR. The time had come to use the Sovtek tubes. Along the way , I discovered that the tube failure had also taken out one of the 12AX3 tubes. Also I knew my huge GM-70 was reaching the end of its life span as they had been in for about 2 1/2 yeas . I also had just recently purchased a new set of coper plate GM-70 from Lamm. So yesterday, I decided to completely retube my amplifiers.This took all of 30 minutes and once done a new fuse was placed and I powered the system on
Why do I post all of this here. Well as you all know I use my Lamm preamp for volume control and always kept the Horizon VC at 63 which is Unity Gain and the entire signal is passed to my preamp. Recently with the addition of the TFK c3g/s in place of the Mullard ECC 32 brown base the was a big boost in apparent dynamic, to the point where I had to dial back the Horizon VC to 59. I have also said here several times that for my ears it is always best to pass the "entire" signal through to the preamp for best sonic results. As these tubes burned in and the TP adapter settled, I found that some files had me turning the Horizon VC don to 55-56. Even though the sound was excellent it just wasn't as goos as when the Horizon VC was 63. Until yesterday, I felt this was something I better get used to even though I did. to like it
Well here's the nut......these Sovtek 6N30P-EB tubes are beautiful. They were a few shades softer and much rounder sound. There was no assault on my tympanic membranes. Simply put this was on initial power up with NIB tubes in both amps. I wasn't ready for what I heard but the bottom line was when I began adjusting the Horizon volume control, I found once again that 9 out of 10 files I played were easily heard with the Horizon at 63. My Lamm preamp is at the 5th lowest detente position.
So yesterday after changing my tubes when my right speaker apparently blew up has brought me to a point that I can enjoy the music with the VC on my Horizon at 63. The difference is not subtle. In fact, I could tell the difference between 62 and 63. There was just a complete fullness to the sound at 63. Of course this was the first listen with new tubes and I expect changes but I am of the hope that the change from 6N30P-DR to Sovtek 6N30P-EB will continue to shine. Yesterday's listening session was that case of this squirrel finding the nut.
There is no question that the evolution in my tube kit to more dynamic tubes (SRS551, Valvo G2504 and TFKN c3g/s)has brought me to an end game position and with the Sovtek I can happily use the entire signal to my preamp which to my ears is essential if you are going to control the sound with your own preamp
More to follow as hopefully we see a TP adapter for the G2504. I understand it is impossible to make adapters for the SS551 as original sockets are necessary and they are no longer available.
