Lampizator Valve / Tube Rolling Review Thread

[christoph]

Or sell them to someone who would use them
These tubes were the best in several systems that I tried them in with the exception of one. It was both in Lampizator Golden Gate 1 and Pacific. Only in one system did another tube worked much better. In my own system they are my favorite by far, not the 242, not the PX25, not the 300B or PX4 or 101D. And they beat all my other 45's including the vintage collection of RCA's and the Cunningham parashutes from the 1930s.

I still have the hope that one day they will bowl me over like they bowl you over
Out of curiosity, what tube was the one exception where the EML 45 mesh Anni Globes where not the best?

 

[Zero000]

Ein, zwei, drei, vier...

The real 242 showed up yesterday.

Need to get these working so I will flip the lid on my DAC tomorrow and work out if I am capable of putting the required resistors in the right place. If I reckon I can do it I will get the resistors ordered.

I can solder but I am not great at it.

 

[Zero000]

I still have the hope that one day they will bowl me over like they bowl you over
Out of curiosity, what tube was the one exception where the EML 45 mesh Anni Globes where not the best?

I don't use mine much either. I prefer EML AD1 but I also don't use that much these days.

For some reason Tesla RD27AS seems to just be getting better and better the more I use them. I think they must coming back to life. Or I am just getting use to what they can do. Or a combination of both.

My wife was saying they sounded too harsh but she just isn't saying that anymore.

I told Goran a while ago.

 

[dminches]

After spending a lot of time with a pair of 112As I have gone back to my RD27AS. Man, these sound really good!

I currently have them paired with a Tak 274B. What other rectifiers have people liked with them?

 

[Golum]

After spending a lot of time with a pair of 112As I have gone back to my RD27AS. Man, these sound really good!

I currently have them paired with a Tak 274B. What other rectifiers have people liked with them?

Good ha? My beloved RD27 kicks a..
I liked a lot NOS ones 5R4GY (Brimar, Fivre), WW2 5u4g top getter - try those for the sake of fun if you have them

 

[dminches]

Good ha? My beloved RD27 kicks a..
I liked a lot NOS ones 5R4GY (Brimar, Fivre), WW2 5u4g top getter - try those for the sake of fun if you have them

I don't think I have one of the 5R4GYs. Maybe an STC?

Who made the WW2 5U4G top getter ones?

 

[Golum]

I don't think I have one of the 5R4GYs. Maybe an STC?

Who made the WW2 5U4G top getter ones?

Try whichever 5R4GY you have - just to get the basic flavor..
TungSol should be cream of the cream for those WW2 5u4g - I don't have that one, but RCA top getter I like a lot as well, and you don't need to sell a kidney for that one..

 

[dminches]

All my Tung Sols are bottom getter. I do have these 2:

 

[Golum]

All my Tung Sols are bottom getter. I do have these 2:


View attachment 76989

Never seen ones like this - they look great...try them out

 

[dminches]

@Sfox7076 , didn’t you recommend these rectifiers to me? I need some help remembering what I have!

 

[Zero000]

All my Tung Sols are bottom getter. I do have these 2:


View attachment 76989

Very nice indeed.

 

[Sfox7076]

Did someone invoke my name? I highly recommended the 5R4GY on the right and we took a flyer on the one on the left. The one on the right is a dessert island tube for me. A military STC 5R4GY made in the Footscray factory. Datasheet here: http://www.r-type.org/pdfs/cv717.pdf It is amazing (to my ears) with the WE 275As. On the left is the STC 5R4GY that was likely made in the Oldway factory. It was also sold as an STC 274B. It is good, but not as good as the Footscray made tubes.

 

[Sfox7076]

Glad you guys are loving the O1As. I have had a few more tubes of the old variety go through my GG1 recently. One I love, but had a filament failure, so I am being a bit cautious. Tried a 47 wired as a triode. Still prefer the 46. Note that I don't use an 01A in the Lampi as I use it in my preamp and I don't like the sound of them in two stages. My favorite ones are the globe Songbird branded ones. But, well, I think that some have too many failures due to their either being made poorly (in the 20s/30s) or just use. Thoriated Tungsten has more failures than oxide generally.

 

[Zero000]

Hello Lucasz.

This is markedly and I mean markedly better than your original effort Big 7 now at the fourth revision.

No humming grannies LOL.

Version 5 soon.

 

[Zero000]

I just did the resistor mod...

Added two 0.75 Ohm resistors onto the 6 wafer switch and released one end of the ceramics as advised by the competent engineer

So Visseaux TMBF1 is currently playing. Telefunken RS242 next.

TMBF1 seems very nice so far. But it's not very far yet. Three tracks so far.

 

[Zero000]

Proof of correctness.

TMBF1 is low microphony. The small size and small horizontal grid definitely helps I think. It's cute, me likey.

Unfortunately one of the RS 242 is noisy. Will probably have to go back. Shame, the other seems bang on. Will check on the tester.

 

[jbrrp1]

Hello Lucasz.

This is markedly and I mean markedly better than your original effort Big 7 now at the fourth revision.

No humming grannies LOL.

Version 5 soon.

View attachment 77116

View attachment 77115

So, how did you tame the humming transformers? That is my one rap on all Lampi DAC's I have owned (Big 7, GG I, and now Pacific). If I could banish that, oh, I'd be ecstatic!

 

[Zero000]

So, how did you tame the humming transformers? That is my one rap on all Lampi DAC's I have owned (Big 7, GG I, and now Pacific). If I could banish that, oh, I'd be ecstatic!

Put a good engineer on the job, basically. Ripped out faultly transformers and put some high quality Toroidy in, moved to Rod Coleman filament supply and re-positioned wiring that was adding to hum. There's plenty of info if you read back in this thread covering changes to the original Lampi B7 I started off with.

He's fixing one of my Accuphase M-60s as we write. Blown soft start resistor.

Good news. The noisy RS242 seems to have snapped out of making noises. Disuse since 1944 maybe? Some piece of crap has burnt of the filament? I don't know.

They measure well and.may measure even better after some more use. They are certainly putting in a very admirable performance as I type.

 

[Zero000]

RS242 filament voltage on the noisy tube was moving around quite a bit but is now sitting stably where it should. A very good sign and it's nice to be able to see what's going on with the voltmeter.

There was what looked like white paint marks covering up some print on the 242s. I tried to remove it but it appears to have etched itself into the glass itself. God knows what it was or why it was done.

Any ideas anyone?

 

[jbrrp1]

Put a good engineer on the job, basically. Ripped out faultly transformers and put some high quality Toroidy in, moved to Rod Coleman filament supply and re-positioned wiring that was adding to hum. There's plenty of info if you read back in this thread covering changes to the original Lampi B7 I started off with.

He's fixing one of my Accuphase M-60s as we write. Blown soft start resistor.

Good news. The noisy RS242 seems to have snapped out of making noises. Disuse since 1944 maybe? Some piece of crap has burnt of the filament? I don't know.

They measure well and.may measure even better after some more use. They are certainly putting in a very admirable performance as I type.

Thanks for that synopsis. That sounds like some real work that might be beyond me.