sKiZo
Hates received: 92644 43.20°N 85.50°W
Just got a sweet little Eico HF14A mono amp. Factory built, and not a scratch on it! :thmbsp:
Sounds nice as is, but unfortunately the original Eico (Mullard) tubes didn't come with. :grumpy: Instead, there's a hodgepodge of decent old school this and that, but I figure to at least replace the power tubes with a matched set. Prices of NOS of the "premium" audiophile grade tubes is redonkulous, so looking into new production.
EL84/6BQ5/7189
Some I've found that look interesting - all prices are for a matched pair:
- The new TungSol 6BQ5 is supposed to be reliably bulletproof with good tone. Price is nice, at around $35.
- TAD EL84STR ... these are supposed to be equivalent to a 7189 for durability and strength. Haven't seen a lot about them, but I've got some TADs here (KT88 and 12AU7) that sound real good and are built heavy. $40
- Reflektor 6N14N-EP. The 1990ish production is supposed to be quite nice. Also military grade and long life, and also around $40.
- I also found some Psvane EL84T that are supposed to be a "treasure" version of the Shuguang production tube. Haven't heard much about those, but I really liked their KT88's before wearing them out. Kinda pricey compared to the other offerings though, at $75.
* Some confusion as to what the amp is rated at - most say 12 watt, but it's got 18 watt printed right on the faceplate. I expect that's a good range from a push/pull pair of your basic EL84's compared to what you can push out of some heavy duty 7189's or equivalent.
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12AX7
Haven't a clue ... never worked with them. I don't believe they need to be matched in this amp. Only concern I've found is that the amp needs a really low noise tube in the pre driver, and a spiral filament is HIGHLY recommended for that. Looks like the Sovtek 12AX7LPS fits the bill, and is a real deal at less than $15. Not sure if getting all three the same is the way to go, or use different tubes in the driver stage for tone. I plan to use the amp to provide power for a center channel speaker, so I assUme something that would handle vocals well would be the primary concern.
It's working and sounds good now, and I figure it's also got some bench time coming as it's pretty much a virgin except for the tubes. So, take your time ... no big rush ... (tap tap tap)
Sounds nice as is, but unfortunately the original Eico (Mullard) tubes didn't come with. :grumpy: Instead, there's a hodgepodge of decent old school this and that, but I figure to at least replace the power tubes with a matched set. Prices of NOS of the "premium" audiophile grade tubes is redonkulous, so looking into new production.
EL84/6BQ5/7189
Some I've found that look interesting - all prices are for a matched pair:
- The new TungSol 6BQ5 is supposed to be reliably bulletproof with good tone. Price is nice, at around $35.
- TAD EL84STR ... these are supposed to be equivalent to a 7189 for durability and strength. Haven't seen a lot about them, but I've got some TADs here (KT88 and 12AU7) that sound real good and are built heavy. $40
- Reflektor 6N14N-EP. The 1990ish production is supposed to be quite nice. Also military grade and long life, and also around $40.
- I also found some Psvane EL84T that are supposed to be a "treasure" version of the Shuguang production tube. Haven't heard much about those, but I really liked their KT88's before wearing them out. Kinda pricey compared to the other offerings though, at $75.
* Some confusion as to what the amp is rated at - most say 12 watt, but it's got 18 watt printed right on the faceplate. I expect that's a good range from a push/pull pair of your basic EL84's compared to what you can push out of some heavy duty 7189's or equivalent.
********
12AX7
Haven't a clue ... never worked with them. I don't believe they need to be matched in this amp. Only concern I've found is that the amp needs a really low noise tube in the pre driver, and a spiral filament is HIGHLY recommended for that. Looks like the Sovtek 12AX7LPS fits the bill, and is a real deal at less than $15. Not sure if getting all three the same is the way to go, or use different tubes in the driver stage for tone. I plan to use the amp to provide power for a center channel speaker, so I assUme something that would handle vocals well would be the primary concern.
It's working and sounds good now, and I figure it's also got some bench time coming as it's pretty much a virgin except for the tubes. So, take your time ... no big rush ... (tap tap tap)
:beer:
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