ckhirnigs113
Headphoneus Supremus
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I was looking at some of these “potato masher” 5R4WGA rectifiers. How important is it to have the GM1 and GM2 closely matched on these?
ZMF Aegis Official Thread
- Thread starter AnyDave
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The two halves don't have to be closely matched, anything ballpark is fine.
Has anyone have experience with new production Sophia Electric tubes with an Aegis? KT88, EL34 or 5U4G.
I have a pair of KT88s which worked well on my old Cayin HA-6A but curious how they compare to NOS on this amp before I go down the rolling rabbit hole if I end up buying this
I have a pair of KT88s which worked well on my old Cayin HA-6A but curious how they compare to NOS on this amp before I go down the rolling rabbit hole if I end up buying this
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All your fault that I now have one of these potato mashers in the collectionSo many tubes, and so little time. . .
Here are a couple of output tubes worth a look.
The Mullard 6L6G is already a winner in my book. This tube does super deep and tight bass and lifelike mids incredibly well, with crazy holographic staging. The bass with the CC's is freaking awesome. This tube is awesome for Folk, Bluegrass, acoustic stuff and anything with female vocals. Agnes Obel sounds incredible with these tubes.
These Russian 6P3S are also fantastic and can be had for cheap. These are more of a fun V-shape with big bass albeit a bit loose, decent mids and extended yet smooths highs. This tube is a lot of fun with Electronica.
A couple of Rectifiers worth owning.
The Mullard GZ32 Black Plate. Compared to the stock Sovtek 5AR4, the GZ32 relaxes the sound a bit, and opens up the stage. The bass becomes fuller, and the level of realism in the mids goes up substantially. I have the earlier black plate version that is a bit rare, but I would assume the more widely available grey plate GZ32 is close.
Next we have a fun one, and highly affordable rectifier the Chatham/Tung-Sol 5R4WGY AKA. "Potato Masher", and this one also opens up the staging and has a grander presentation with good note weight, compared to the stock Sovtek. This tube can be had for around $25, and I think everyone should own one.
Several more are on the way, so more to come.
. £22 delivered! Built like a brick sh#**@&£¥.
Nice! That is a very pristine looking tube.All your fault that I now have one of these potato mashers in the collection
Heck yeah! Glad these tubes work so well, and I just got shipping notification that my pair had arrived in the states. Won't be long, and I will be able to compare my Mullard 6L6G vs. EL33.Next up, the Mullard EL33.
Another nice pair, good condition. Same envelope as the EL37.
Okay so in terms of biasing, these bias really nicely in this circuit. With a GZ34, they are right near their maximum ratings, not quite there, but close. So you could technically run them with a GZ34. For longevity reasons, I would probably run them with just about anything BUT the GZ34 to get a little more voltage drop. So even GZ32 / 5V4 will be fine. If you want to treat them very nicely, GZ37, 5U4, 5R4, or 5Y3 types.
These sound really nice, better than I expected. Tonally, they remind me a lot of the EL37, probably not surprising since they likely use the same materials. A little less airy and a little less body than the EL37, but still very great tone and air, still very smooth. I think these could make for a nice budget alternative to EL37.
Thanks for the update!
Here's a pair of Hytron 6F6G (suspect they are made by RCA). These bias too hot with a GZ34, work great with a 5R4. Another one that would be best with higher Vdrop rectifiers, like 5U4, 5R4, 5Y3. Same for KT63.
I would advise to try EL81. A very cheap tube which sounds spectacular. Adapters needed, of course. There are several variations there (3-4 types including 6DR6) which work in the same adapter and sound exceptional. Of course, do not forget that 6K6 works natively on the amplifier. Tung Sol 6K6 are something special.
Just bought a pair of Tung-Sol 6K6GT to test. Should work but want to confirm with real world numbers.
EL81 I cannot find any triode data. Plate dissipation is 8W and screen dissipation is 4.5W, could work but I can't say for sure. If someone really wants to use this tube, they can send me a pair and I'll trace the triode curves. Of course these will need a weird adapter.
Oh thanks! Unfortunately those aren't going to work, will bias beyond max ratings.
I understand, in that case most probably also EL36 is in the same situation.
In this case I have to warn Aegis users that PE06/40N I was speaking yesterday that it works in the same adapters used for 807 will not work either.
ckhirnigs113
Headphoneus Supremus
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I’m looking into getting some GE 6550 output tubes. Is there any issue using a 5R4WGA rectifier with them? I’ve already ordered one of these “potato mashers” because it was so cheap, so I want to make sure it’s ok to use with any type of output tubes in the Aegis.
To make it a more general question, do I need to stick with the GZ34 or GZ32 families of rectifiers for the higher-power output tubes? I know it’s been said that it’s wise to use higher Vdrop rectifiers with lower-power output tubes like EL84 and 6V6, but I’m wondering if the reverse is also true.
To make it a more general question, do I need to stick with the GZ34 or GZ32 families of rectifiers for the higher-power output tubes? I know it’s been said that it’s wise to use higher Vdrop rectifiers with lower-power output tubes like EL84 and 6V6, but I’m wondering if the reverse is also true.
5R4 types will work with anything. No you don't need to stick with GZ34 or GZ32 for higher power stuff, you can use other rectifiers. Just need to be mindful of using GZ34 or GZ32 with certain low power output tubes.
