Tube Rolling w/Crack
- Thread starter Dr. Toobz
- Start date
howzz1854
New member
attmci said:
i just got the 5814A tube today, all the way from Holland.
i must say i am not a fan. the sound stage is a lot smaller than the RCA 5963 that i fell in love with. i guess if you're more into the more intimate stage, the 5814A would be the one for you and it is also slightly softer/warmer more tubey than the 5963, which actually is a good thing consider there's still a slight sharpness with HD800s. but since i am all about the wider soundstage, i am going to have to settle for the RCA 5963, which now i have total 3 of them (2 as backup). there is just a huge layer of air with 5963 RCA that i can't let go of.
thanks for the reco tho, it's always good to try different tubes. they're not BAD by any means. i like that they're tubey and smooth. just doesn't have the level of wide sound stage and air that i love provided by the 5963 RCA, i do wish the RCA 5963 would have 5814A's kind of tubey smoothness tho. guess you can't have everything.
Paul Joppa
Moderator
For what it's worth, the 5963 has a higher-purity cathode, making it suitable for computer operations where the tube may be cut off for extended periods. Often in audio, these oddball requirements make a tube that sounds better; this is one of those times.
And yes, I did learn to program an IBM 709 computer which was tube-based - the 7094 was the transistorized version. This would have been the early sixties, when I was in high school. The computer occupied the basement of the Mechanical Engineering building at the University of Washington. Legend had it that there was one person whose full-time job was to go up and down the aisles with a shopping cart of spares, replacing tubes before they wore out. I never met the person, so I can't confirm the story, but I still tell it anyhow. :^)
And yes, I did learn to program an IBM 709 computer which was tube-based - the 7094 was the transistorized version. This would have been the early sixties, when I was in high school. The computer occupied the basement of the Mechanical Engineering building at the University of Washington. Legend had it that there was one person whose full-time job was to go up and down the aisles with a shopping cart of spares, replacing tubes before they wore out. I never met the person, so I can't confirm the story, but I still tell it anyhow. :^)
Paul Joppa
Moderator
In this case, "cutoff" means when the tube has a normal plate voltage and a large negative grid voltage (both relative to the cathode voltage). Thus very little current flows. In a digital computer, the tube is either conducting heavily or not at all. IT was discovered that when a tube is cut off like this for extended periods, the emissive outer layer of the cathode closes down and reduces the available current when it is needed - sometimes called cathode sleeping sickness. The solution is to uses a nickle cathode base material - I don't remember exactly, but I think it's especially low in silicon.
howzz1854
New member
Paul Joppa said:
Thanks for the explanation. I remember reading up on how tubes work and its relation to modern day semi conductor. I was wondering about whether or not in tube audio the negative charged cathold ever stops flowing to the plate or if that only happens on tube based computer environment.
denti alligator
New member
Anyone have anything to say about the DEAFidelity Soviet 6H13Cs available at amazon?
Hey guys, I'm in the process of building the Crack with Speedball and was wondering what tubes to get? I want a fast, detailed and fairly neutral sound from the amp paired with the HD650. I was considering the Tung Sol 7236 (Since the 5998 are out of my price range), Tung Sol 6AS7G or some cheaper Sovtek 6AS7G. Anyone have any input or other suggestions?
Also just double checking that the 7236 can be used with the crack without any mods needed?
Thanks
Also just double checking that the 7236 can be used with the crack without any mods needed?
Thanks
You'd have to provide a picture. Tronix isn't a tube manufacturer, so the tube in question is likely to be an RCA.calmiswar said:
Build the Crack standard and use it for a while to get it's sound in the brain. Add Speedwell and do the same. Only then think about spending(wasting) money on oddball changes to the good and well considered stock tubes. You can seriously damage your wallet buying tubes that you might just think are better along with those that which are worse. Even the small number of tubes that get praised can vary and not give any useful improvement. Listen to the music, not the equipment. ;Dodi said:
Hey all just got my crack out again after a while. I have a Svetlana 6h13c and an rca clear top on it. My cans are hd 650s, I feel like the sound from this tube combination is quite bright , almost etched at times, and I'm looking for a more spacious slghltly darker sound with lovely midrange, still detailed with good bass. Does anybody have suggestions as to a combination that would yield this type of sound, but does not break the bank, like a Tung sol 5998 for example.
Thanks in advance.☺ï¸
Thanks in advance.☺ï¸
