Tube Rolling w/Crack

[Maxhawk]

I've got HD800 and for output I use either a Bendix/Chatham graphite plate 6080 or Sylvania Gold Brand 6080GB with a Sylvania 5687 input tube. The 5687 is a different pin out (I installed a switch to let me use different tubes) and I personally like it better than the 12BH7, ECC80, and other 12AU7 variants. I recently got an Amperex and Mullard 12AU7 which I'll try with my 5998 at some point.

[adydula]

Got the Sylvania 5863's NOS for $14 a matched pair...and they work and sound lovely with a RCA 6AS7G Coke Bottle...absolutely a great sound without spending mega-bucks on WE's and 5998's!

Alex

[AllanMarcus]

I just got a Thompson - CSF 6080WA made in france  from, parts connexion in Canada...

$11 with shipping to my door!! A great deal...

Is very solid and stable no bad tendenacies at all.

Not microphonic, no buzzing or wierd noises in the background...

It sounds like the other tubes to me.....no real difference.

Alex

I ordered this tube and they wanted 10 for shipping.  On a $10 tube, I thought was ridiculous, so I canceled the order.

[adydula]

Sorry about that I got free, but slow shipping with no tracking but that was fine for me.
Where are u located..

Alex

[mcandmar]

Sheez, i couldn't ship a tube from England for $10

[AllanMarcus]

Sorry about that I got free, but slow shipping with no tracking but that was fine for me.
Where are u located..

Alex

New Mexico, USA

[adydula]

Just got an Amperex Bugle Boy 12AU7..ebay auction for $32....the most I have spent to date on tubes...

Its playing now and its really sounding very good with my favorite 6AS7G coke bottle.

I can swear that this is the best sound I have ever heard from my T90's to date....very 3 dimensional ....wow what
a nice soundstage!!

I would buy this tube again!

Alex

[denti alligator]

Has anyone tried the NOS National Union Radio Corporation tubes for sale over at osageaudio (http://www.osageaudio.com/Clearance.html)?

[menbom]

Anyone using HD800's? If so wondering what's your tube compliment.

I always come back to a combo of RCA clear top 12AU7 and a Winged C 6H13C(6N13S).
The Winged C is slightly darker sounding than the 6080s I have tried, I like the synergy with the HD800.

I have a Siemens silver plate ECC82 which sounds very nice and detailed(maybe a tad much top end for a HD800 pairing), but unfortunately it's a bit noisy so I can't stand it in the long run.
Have a Mazda ECC82 on order, will be fun to see what it can do. 

[drewh1]

Alex. Glad to hear your report on the bugleboy.  I just ordered a 50s NOS bugleboy for my crack and am looking forward to trying it out.

[adydula]

Lately one of my RCA 6AS7G's with a old 5963 Sylvania have been magical to me at a very low cost compared to the RARE NOS stuff.

The bugle boy is in the same great class to me, I got it for $32 in a eBay auction which I never seem to win, too cheap here this is the most I have ever spent on a 12AU7 type tube!!

But I was a sucker for that Amperex!!! Ha!

The NOS Sylvania 5963 was $7.50!

Alex

[Samsquatch]

I've got about 25 hours on my Crack and Crackphones now. Initially there was a very slight low level 'ring' in the left channel, for lack of a better term. Last night I swapped out the 6080 (at least I think that's the tube, there are no markings on it whatsoever) that came with the kit for a Winged 'C' 6H13C I got from the tubestore. The amp is now dead quiet and I am blown away by how good this thing sounds. I've got the boards all soldered up for the Speedball but I'm going to try and put 100 - 150 hours on the Crack stock before I install it. I may not make it that far though.

[adydula]

One very important observation I made was after the speedball was any of the tubes I had that was noisy or had small idiosynchroncies all became quiet, normal , no ringing, no buzzing, no small noises etch... it seems to make things more stable for all kinds of tubes supported but the crack design.

To me this is incredible, I had a 6AS7G that was very finicky and now its a solid performer!

Great upgrade for tubes for me!

Alex

[AllanMarcus]

Well, I got my first tube! A RCA 6AS7G vacuum tube - top getter - black

I got it from Leeds on etsy for $18 shipped. I had a slight channel imbalance with my first tube, and that is gone with this new tube.

I do notice that the tube is extremely sensitive to vibration. The amp sits on my desk, and if I tap my desk, I can hear some distortion through my headphones.  I put some DiversiTech 3" square HVAC vibration isolators under the crack, and it really helped. Note, these isolators come in 2, 3, and 4 in sizes, are really inexpensive, and are great. At any rate, is it common for tubes to be ultra sensitive to vibrations?

[adydula]

Allan,

When I first started listening to the crack I had many sensitivity issues....I could lightly tap on the table near or on the sides of the crack or top plate and hear the knocks or pings from this light tapping.

I had a few 6AS7G tubes that seemed very sensitive as well to any slight bumps of the amp or table....

Some after several minutes of warm up (30 or so) seemed to "mellow" out and not be as sensitive....I chalked it up to vacuum tubes etc.

However lately after installing the speedball update all these tubes now seem not sensitive at all.....I am listening now and can hit the table hard or tap the crack wood panels with absolutely no impact on the sound at all.

I also just found a cold joint in the signal tube and reflowed that and this may have been a part of all this as well.

So you might want to check or reflow the tube socket pins on both tubes to make sure your not getting any impact from a bad or marginal solder junction.

Especially if more than one tube is acting this way.

Alex