Tube Rolling w/Crack

[Colin]

We do understand your question, and the answer is still not to use the adapter, but rather to plug a single 6BL7 into the 6080 socket.

Iam still confuse for this. So we can directly change 6080 eith 6BL7? Any change for the sircuit? I have read some article we must seperate the jumper from pin 4 & 5 then run a wire to them from pin9. So all wire that connect to pin 4 & 5 must be disconnect(open the solder)?

Sorry for this newbie question.

[howzz1854]

hi guys, i recently just started trying a different output tube, after 1.5 year of Crack ownership.

i ordered the so much talked about 6H13C winged C Russian tube and tried it with my new HD800S purchase. surprisingly i wasn't all that impressed. there "may" have been a bit more spaciousness, but i don't know if i am dreaming, but i felt like quite a bit of clarity and crispness and cleaness is lost compare to my stock Crack 6080. overall the Russian 6H13C just feels smokier and less precise than the stock 6080. when i switched back to the stock tube, it sounded more engaging and exciting. in terms of spaciousness/soundstage, i am not sure. it might be the same or the Russian tube might be bigger in space, but i am not really sure.

now the problem is, i can't for the life of me find out what my stock tube is. i know it's a 6080 variant. but i can't seem to find any info on it other than that it arrived with my crack in a bubble wrap and it only has a small marking of "FKHK USA" on the glass.

i took several pictures and hoping that some of you pros can help me identify. i would like to order a few more of this stock tube for backup and use it as a baseline.

[mcandmar]

Thats very odd, not come across one of those before.  With the triple mica supports i would have said its a 6080WA or WB ruggedized version, and the white base is common for Raytheon tubes.

[howzz1854]

oh my... does that i mean i have one of the kind 6080. lol.

i tried googling but couldn't find ANY info about the markings...

[Lee Hankins]

Pretty sure it is a Sylvania 6080 WB, the white base Raytheon looks nothing like this tube.

[howzz1854]

Pretty sure it is a Sylvania 6080 WB, the white base Raytheon looks nothing like this tube.

Thanks Lee!

how positive are you about this. i did a google for Sylvania 6080WB and it does seem pretty close. but sometimes it's hard to tell when people don't take close-up pictures.

either case, thanks for chiming in.

and if anyone else can confirm that'll be even greater.

[Lee Hankins]

I have 5 Sylvania 6080 WB and one Sylvania 6080 Gold Brand, they are identical to your tube, except the Gold Brand has .25" taller glass.  Guts are identical.  The Sylvania 6080 also have numbered pins.

[howzz1854]

I have 5 Sylvania 6080 WB and one Sylvania 6080 Gold Brand, they are identical to your tube, except the Gold Brand has .25" taller glass.  Guts are identical.  The Sylvania 6080 also have numbered pins.

thanks!.

looks like i'll order 2 or 3 of those for backup. my current stock tube has clocked in about 2k hours roughly.

[Lee Hankins]

You need to purchase a better sounding tube instead of spending your money on a Sylvania 6080 WB.  The only 6080 style tube that sounds close to the 5998 is the 7236, it is a computer grade 5998A tube shaped like the 6080.  The 6520 is another wonderful sounding tube but you should be saving your money for the Tung-Sol 5998 or Chatham 2399, same tube.   

[mcandmar]

What he said.  I thought the Sylvania GB 6080 was the best of the US made 6080's, but i think the UK made variants are better.  The 5998 family is another ball game though, just unfortunate the prices they go for these days.

[howzz1854]

thanks for the input guys.

but not that many people have the HD800 S yet. most reviews that i've read are either based on pairing with HD650 and HD800, which is why i was surprised to find the 6AS7G Winged C Russian tube to be underwhelming and muddy.

do you guys think the 5998/7236/6520 will pair well tho?

also, is there a difference between 5998 and 5998A? i see that at Tubestore they sell the 5998A for $30 a pop.
http://www.thetubestore.com/Tubes/1000-to-5999-Types/5998A

[JamieMcC]

The 5998 and 5998a are totally different tubes


http://the-key.enix.org/~krystal/review-tube-bottlehead.html

[howzz1854]

The 5998 and 5998a are totally different tubes


http://the-key.enix.org/~krystal/review-tube-bottlehead.html

Thanks Jamie,

that's very good to know. wow... that article just opened up another can of worms for me. i have a lot of research to do. but i spent a couple hours last night looking up some of those mid~high tier tubes, and the problem right now seems to be availability. you can't find any retailers selling those tubes. i for example wanted to source a 7236 but can't for the life of me find a retailer that sells it.

do most people now-a-days just buy them from ebay?

and the cheapest 5998 i could find on ebay, which inevitably was used, and rated at 45/45; 40/41 (not sure what those numbers mean), for $125 a pair. maybe if i can just buy ONE tube for $75, but couldn't even locate a seller that sells a single rather than a pair. some even go up to $250 a pair.

this is giving me a headache. 

[Lee Hankins]

Welcome to the world of tube rolling.  Wait until you try to find the best driver tube, way more options!!!!

[howzz1854]

i am looking at this tube on ebay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Good-TungSol-6080WB-Graphite-Anode-Twin-Triode-Vacuum-Tube-5-/151673051637?hash=item23506b19f5:g:ZhoAAOSwpDdVSuGU

basically after reading the review on this site:
http://the-key.enix.org/~krystal/review-tube-bottlehead.html

i decided to give the Bendix 6080wb Slotted Graphite Cross Column a try. (since i am really going for the large sound stage). but the original review photos are no longer available. so i don't know if the tube in the auction above is indeed the "slotted graphite Cross colum" or just a solid graphite.

can someone confirm?

thanks