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Benefit of Tube Dampers/Coolers on 6H30?

A quick search of the forums led me to the belief that the effectiveness of tube dampers and coolers is dependent on the tubes used.

I'm auditiioning an Ayon CD-2, and want to really hear what it's capable of before deciding to keep it (which I'm leaning toward anyway).

I'm curious about how beneficial dampers and coolers are on 6H30 tubes. And if they are helpful, which to use? I saw Mrtennis recommended the EAT coolers/dampers (http://www.elusivedisc.com/prodinfo.asp?number=MHEATDAMP)in another thread, and he stated they tamed some of the mid/treble glare in his unit, which is exactly the issue I have with the performance of the CD-2 right now. OTOH, it seems Herbie's halos (http://herbiesaudiolab.home.att.net/)are the most popular choice, although I sense the EATs are fairly new.

Then there are these, with a choice of brass or copper: http://www.audiotubes.com/damper.htm

These, which look very much like the EATs, but cheaper: http://www.partsconnexion.com/Advertising/audiogon/pearl.html

These for the *really* brave: http://www.realhamradio.com/liquid-cooling.htm

And I recently saw some coolers/dampers somewhere that looked like the EAT and pcX, but longer, covering almost the entire tube, although I can't find them now.

I'm a bit lost. Are any of these products superior to the others? Do any of them change the sound in different ways than the others? Would it be beneficial to combine products, such as Herbie's and the EAT on the tubes?

Are the 6H30 tubes so good they don't suffer from microphonics and other common tube characteristics such that the use of any of these devices would render little if any beneift?

Thanks to all for your thoughts.

HC
aggielaw

Showing 2 responses by aggielaw

aggielaw OP
267 posts
 
Slowly. I've had to travel quite a bit for work, and the unit is headed back to the dealer to have an XLR output repaired that was damaged in shipping to me.

I got the system to sound much better by adjusting the speaker positions. I'm still not sold on the unit, but a few days of listening and tweaking when I get the unit back and am home long enough - which should be about March 11 - and I should know something.
aggielaw OP
267 posts
 
Hmmm. Interesting observations, Samhar. I'm away on business, but you can bet I'll try the stock cord on the CD. I'm using the Cloude 9 speaker cables, but Stealth Dream power cords.

You're spot on about the sonic traits I hear with the CD-2. That concerns me, and leads me to seriously question whether break-in will alleviate this issue. I'll break the unit in as well as I can until my 15 days are up to see what happens.

I've corresponded with others who have owned Ayon CD players, including another person reviewing the CD-2 right now, and no one else seems to hear what I'm hearing. Yet none of my components could be considered bright or harsh. My KCI Silkworms are temporarily replaced by Gabriel Gold Revelation interconnects, as my CD-2 had some shipping damage to one of the XLR connections. I should note I'm using a number of room treatments and don't hear any glare or harshness from the Cary, so I think I can eliminate the room as the cause/a contributor to the undesired sonic traits.

I'm now shying away from tube coolers after reading elsewhere that they may actually cause damage to the tube by displacing and concentrating the heat to small areas of the tube. I've also received some input that dampers don't have the degree of effect on 6H30 tubes that they have on other tubes, but I'll likely still try a quad of Herbie's Ultrasonic 9 dampers nonetheless.

Still interested in input from other users and keeping an open mind. Thanks to those who have already shared thoughts!

HC
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