Stupid Bellari Q


I just bought a Bellari phono stage and the tube doesn't seem to light up. It gets a bit warm, but it doesn't glow in the dark or anything. Is that right? I figure it wouldn't work if the tube wasn't working - or would it?
chayro
Depends. Some of the new 12ax7 tubes don't glow even when they are working properly. How does it sound?
If the tube is not working, the unit should not be working. And some tubes give off more light than others. It's according to the size and placement of the filaments.
The tube in my Bellari glows, it can be seen even in daylight. The bias in your unit could be set wrong, or perhaps the filaments in your tube are different than mine.
I actually tried a pair of E.H. 12ax7 and actually put my hand on them 10 minutes after light up ( just warm ) and couldn't see any light,but they worked fine.It depends on the tube type,construction etc......
Replaced tube with a EH12AX7. Just barely warm; no glow: sounds great! Sound as good as a "built in " phono stage in cj PV12PH.
Roy Hall says it doesn't glow the way it does in a preamp. I guess it works - I was just surprised it didn't light up is all.

How does it sound? Sounds OK after a day. It's not really fair to judge a new piece of gear without at least a week's break in. As of this point, i'm not hearing any big difference between the Bellari and the $120 Music Hall Phono Pak. That thing is a lot better than it has a right to be.