Tube Rollers! Which has more impact to your sound- Rectifier or Power (and why)?


For those of you that roll- which tubes affect the sound of your system the most when rolling tubes and what changes do you notice or strive for? Which combinations, types or brands have provided the best results?

designsfx

@knotscott 

You’re the second person today that has brought the Tung Sol 7581A to my attention. I haven’t heard them but was told they are higher output than good 6L6’. Have noticed some selling a TS 7591- is that a newer version or just a substitute? They’re also less expensive than the 7581.

Never used a 7591, but I’m pretty sure it’s a different tube altogether with different pin wiring, and not interchangeable with a 7581. The 7581A is the higher output version....KT66 and 6L6 are interchangeable with it AFAIK, but always check your owners manual.

In my case, the TS7581A was a replacement to a very nice sounding GL KT66. They’re approaching 30 hours now, and I’m having little urge to go back to the KT66 at the moment.

On my tube amps, I've always gotten the most noticeable changes rolling the input gain tubes. Power tubes basically boost whatever is fed to them, but they do have their own voice as well and can also bring some change, most usually in the lower range and sometimes in midrange warmth.

In the long run, it's more economical to stick to rolling the small tubes. My rolling MO is to find a power tube I like that is readily available since they consume themselves at a more rapid pace. Current manufacture Tung-Sol's are my go to choice in that regard  I do the same with the small tubes, my reasoning being that I would hate to fall in love with a rare NOS tube and then have to switch to something else because it was too hard or impossible to get future replacements. The best NOS small tubes never get cheaper because there are less of them available as each year passes. The up side is that, depending on how they are driven, they can last upwards of 10,000 hours.

Tube rolling is fun, but it can also be an expensive pain in the keister. A tube amp that offers switching between triode and ultra-linear gives you an additional choice for sound treatment with the same tubes, and IMO, it's a must have. 

Having just changed out the line stage tubes on my McIntosh C2200, I would strongly recommend that you contact Brent Jessee (audiotubes.com) for his expertise and suggestions based on your needs.  

I wish I had contacted him years ago as the difference changing out the tubes to those he suggested has made an incredible difference, and at a very modest price.