Five teeth = four notches?
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I can't really see the notches from the pictures provided, am I missing something?
5AR4 rectifier tube question
I am sort of shopping for one or more 5AR4s for a Cary SLP05 power supply because I’d like to have at least one spare and because I’d maybe like to roll two or three ad see if I can hear an improvement or vice versa. I make no claims of knowing much about the vacuum tube game; occasionally I get lucky & stumble on something that really works for me. As far as the 5AR4, I did a hit at Uncle Kevin’s site, and there were some that looked interesting (I am thinking of one in particular, it had a Japanese sounding name that started with a ’M’) but when I click on it, all I get is a picture of Uncle Kevin’s screaming face telling me "not to buy tubes" (later, when I finally took time to read, apparently his tube tester is down).
So I started doing hits on Ebay, and oh my gosh! I was inundated with choices and the variation in prices! Which do I stay away from and which should I be interested in? Would a 5AR4 from Bugera also be suitable for what I’d want to use it for? Could a rectifier tube provide a big sonic upgrade if I spent enough money on it? Can I make a sonic upgrade from what I believe (I haven’t opened up the power supply yet) is the stock EH 5AR4 without breaking the bank? I would be totally good with the $50.00 range and picking up 2 or 3 different ones to play with if those with experience thought I could improve the power supply in that range. If I had to I guess I could go more (the $100.00 range) but I probably wouldn’t be buying too many of them, and I was kind of HOPING not to go much over that.
Anyway, thanks in advance for the input; I always consider it part of my education.
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poor noob being led down primrose path... yep, go for that metal base early dutch 5ar4 for a grand, oh, and pay up for a 4 notch plate blackburn as a back-up, but gotta be f32 in acid lettering... here is the link to the head-fi rectifier shoot out ... https://www.head-fi.org/threads/dubstep-girls-massive-5ar4-5r4-5u4g-rectifier-review-comparison-rectifer-tube-rolling-thread.694525/ ... note the exclusive use of headphones and woo headphone amps, which can roll entirely different rectifiers (not just 5ar4’s), so these are not exactly circuits designed to use the strongest spec 5ar4 over 5u4, 5r4 and others of significantly lower spec... wonderful what the old hands do to the new guy... sometimes we should check whether our own egos do a disservice to others new to the hobby here seeking guidance - well maybe our op is made of money... by the way there is a thread here on $20,000 cables... 😂 |
@jjss49 jjss49
"sometimes our own egos do a disservice to others seeking guidance"
Really? I mean, I gave my honest opinion based on my experience, in a context limited to a particular component and qualified it by the voicing of the overall system.
What did I do wrong, in your estimation? That it cost money to get a true NOS tube as opposed to a pull? |
I have no idea of this guy’s system or room. You know, @jjss49 you gotta be there. Trying to do remote troubleshooting is far from the mark. I am hardly a guru. I just know what I’ve experienced. Which is probably a lot given how old I am, and where I was from 1981-2017 in NY City. I was a member of the NY club (which had an annual dinner with the Chinese club-- sort of dare you to eat that stuff in Chinatown- I wish I had paid better attention in the ’80s). Horns and SETs, vinyl for sure. I’m not a zealot. Whatever gets you there. I’m pretty open to new ideas; I got into digital for the first time just pre-Covid. But vinyl is still my go-to source, both for the material- sometimes, obscure when it should not be, but that’s a matter of taste, and quality of the gear-- admittedly I have not spent money on digital the way I have on vinyl. I would totally understand someone today saying, for most purposes, I’m good with digital and streaming. I’m not gonna diss them. When it becomes a matter of dogma, I stand back. To each their own. |
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