The KillerDAC Audio forum
Tech Corner => Tubes => Topic started by: crazikid on September 12, 2010, 06:03:36 PM
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I'm in the market for some more rectifier tubes for the KillerDAC.
I'm after peoples experiences of what rectifier tubes they would recommend and also ones to stay away from.
Many thanks..
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u52,5u4g tung sol,type 80 tung sol(need adapter with this one)
stay away from sylvania disk getter or any other disk getter valve they are more hifi.
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thanks kajak... i have a 5u4g in mine... would like to try genelex u52 or we 274b would be good though very $$$$ and rare
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I'm using a GEC brown base U52 5u4g black plate.
Very expensive, but very nice!
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thanks kajak... i have a 5u4g in mine... would like to try genelex u52 or we 274b would be good though very $$$$ and rare
i like my 5u4g for the money its a bargain always looking for more
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Has anyone tried 5R4GY? rca brown base black plates from the 1940's to 1950's.. ;D
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Has anyone tried 5R4GY?
i use 2 of them in my amp (power supply)
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I have a pair of them that will be used in my amp too :)
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http://cgi.ebay.com.au/5U4GA-5U4GB-TELEFUNKEN-RARE-U52-5U4G-/310236962227?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item483b905db3
big bucks never heard one
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http://cgi.ebay.com.au/5U4GA-5U4GB-TELEFUNKEN-RARE-U52-5U4G-/310236962227?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item483b905db3
big bucks never heard one
not cheap :o
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http://cgi.ebay.com.au/gec-u52-vintage-valve-tube-bakelite-bottom-vgc-/150501987642?pt=UK_Consumer_VintageAudio_RL&hash=item230a9e153a#ht_500wt_940
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http://cgi.ebay.com.au/gec-u52-vintage-valve-tube-bakelite-bottom-vgc-/150501987642?pt=UK_Consumer_VintageAudio_RL&hash=item230a9e153a#ht_500wt_940
no measurements its a risk
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http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180570053051#ht_500wt_942
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it will go for big $$$$$
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it will go for big $$$$$
true...
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http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180570053051#ht_500wt_942
I have four of these, and they are superb rectifiers, but for some reason do not sound as good as they should in the killer. Great in my amps though. Why maybe because of the low voltage in the DAC. buy higher voltage in the amps, they are a high voltage high performance rectifier.
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Can someone tell me if we can use 274b's in the kdac?
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Can someone tell me if we can use 274b's in the kdac?
Hens. You can use WESTERN ELECTRIC 274B and 274A, one is 4 pin and other is 8. both 5V filament. But they go for idiot money. The best one is the engraved base 1930s. Do you want to get serious with your DACs now, and hot them up some more.
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No a western electric one steve, one of the current spec reissues. There is a EML one going for reasonable money.
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No a western electric one steve, one of the current spec reissues. There is a EML one going for reasonable money.
Hi Hens.
I've had some issues with two EML274B rectifiers (in a preamplifier so they were only used lightly).
The first capacitor must be less than 4uf, but more importantly the output impedance of the power transformer must be high.
With your DAC unplugged from the mains the rectifier tube removed measure the DC resistance between the two HT wires (pins 2 and 8 ) of the rectifier socket) If this is less than 160 ohms (DCR) use resistors in series with the HT wire to increase the DCR. In my preamps I use 5 watt 100 ohm wire wound on each pin ( 2 & 8 ) to limit the in-rush current. It's a bit of overkill but with a preamp the current draw is quite minimal so there is hardly any voltage drop across the resistors.
Another issue with EML I found was warranty. I returned both tubes and sent several emails, in the end they just ignored me, and never sent any replacements. I notice they now have many warnings on their web-page regarding the use of their rectifier tubes.
I initially had the rectifier setup with a 2.2uf pio then 10henry choke, another 2.2uf pio followed by a 20h henry choke, then a 47uf electro. Any known rectifier should have coped with this setup as I was only running 275-0-275 vac less than 20ma.
Personally I'd go for a 5R4 brown base, or CV417
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Mullard-5R4GY-274B-CV717-carbon-plates-MINT-suit-Leak-/300495282959?pt=UK_Consumer_VintageAudio_RL&hash=item45f6ea230f
Cheers, Earle.
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No a western electric one steve, one of the current spec reissues. There is a EML one going for reasonable money.
Hens, earle has some good advice. I use a unique setup for the rectifier tube, and is not kind to the rectifier tubes. Cannot tell you here how it works here, it but sounds by far the best. But as i said is not kind to the tube, luckly there are some great NOS rectifiers around for cheap money, and they sound better with this rectifier setup than expensive tubes setup in a more conventional way. The rectifier tube you have is very good. but there is always better. i will PM you with the tube to use.
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No a western electric one steve, one of the current spec reissues. There is a EML one going for reasonable money.
Hi Hens.
I've had some issues with two EML274B rectifiers (in a preamplifier so they were only used lightly).
The first capacitor must be less than 4uf, but more importantly the output impedance of the power transformer must be high.
With your DAC unplugged from the mains the rectifier tube removed measure the DC resistance between the two HT wires (pins 2 and 8 ) of the rectifier socket) If this is less than 160 ohms (DCR) use resistors in series with the HT wire to increase the DCR. In my preamps I use 5 watt 100 ohm wire wound on each pin ( 2 & 8 ) to limit the in-rush current. It's a bit of overkill but with a preamp the current draw is quite minimal so there is hardly any voltage drop across the resistors.
Another issue with EML I found was warranty. I returned both tubes and sent several emails, in the end they just ignored me, and never sent any replacements. I notice they now have many warnings on their web-page regarding the use of their rectifier tubes.
I initially had the rectifier setup with a 2.2uf pio then 10henry choke, another 2.2uf pio followed by a 20h henry choke, then a 47uf electro. Any known rectifier should have coped with this setup as I was only running 275-0-275 vac less than 20ma.
Personally I'd go for a 5R4 brown base, or CV417
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Mullard-5R4GY-274B-CV717-carbon-plates-MINT-suit-Leak-/300495282959?pt=UK_Consumer_VintageAudio_RL&hash=item45f6ea230f
Cheers, Earle.
Yes. One good thing about the 5R4GY is the tube can take it, very rugged tube.
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Thanks for the responses Earl and Steve. I had a feeling it may have been an issue anyway. The spec sheet for the 274b tube does state that it requires no greater than a 4uf cap directly after the tube, and I'm fairly certain that quite a few of our dacs are running 8uf dubliers.
Scratch that idea then.
Steve, would you recommend those tubes Earl linked me to above the current tungsol's that I have? I'm still waiting for some 5u4g u52s to come up.
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I am using vintage U52 brown base black plate in DAC at the moment. It did cost me nearly $200 posted from England though. But so far the best sounding power rect tube I've had in the dac.
Are the RCA brown base 5r4gy tubes as good? I'm using 2 of them in my amp..
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http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170567052116&ssPageName=ADME:B:WNA:AU:1123#ht_1018wt_927
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180588872172&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_500wt_942
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260694855141&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_500wt_942
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I am using vintage U52 brown base black plate in DAC at the moment. It did cost me nearly $200 posted from England though. But so far the best sounding power rect tube I've had in the dac.
Are the RCA brown base 5r4gy tubes as good? I'm using 2 of them in my amp..
Hens, that is the tube to get. Vintage Brown base U52-5u4g
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I recieved an interesting tube today...
It has the u52 shape but I believe it predates the u52.... it looks exactly like this one
Does anyone have any info?
(https://www.tubeworld.com/cv1071.jpg)
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I recieved an interesting tube today...
It has the u52 shape but I believe it predates the u52.... it looks exactly like this one
Does anyone have any info?
(https://www.tubeworld.com/cv1071.jpg)
https://www.tubeworld.com/5u4g.htm enjoy hens
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haha, thanks Mario, thats where I linked the pic from, I was just seeing if there was any other info, maybe from someone who may have used one.
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haha, thanks Mario, thats where I linked the pic from, I was just seeing if there was any other info, maybe from someone who may have used one.
where is the pic of the actual tube?
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Im lazy to take one, it has same bottle, same plate structure, same writing on the tube, only difference is that the glass is slightly misaligned to the base.
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Well the tube is dead anyway :( Hate you ebay.
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Any of you guys bidding on Ebay 250802610743 "U52 / 5U4G BRITISH MILITARY rectifier tube, tested"
let us know, don't want to inflate the price if someone really needs it.
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Any of you guys bidding on Ebay 250802610743 "U52 / 5U4G BRITISH MILITARY rectifier tube, tested"
let us know, don't want to inflate the price if someone really needs it.
I usually bid on these. This is the one to get. Been watching it for days. Price usually is about $150=$200.
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Will Leave it to you Steven looks like there a a lot of bidders. Good luck with it :)
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type 80 tung sol(need adapter with this one)
Does anyone have any recommendations about the adapter? Been looking for a good quality one but I'm not sure which one to get.
Some adapters I've found so far:
1. TS-CM04-08VA (link: http://www.vt4c.com/shop/program/main.php?group_id=6&cat_id=19#202), out of stock at the moment unfortunately
2. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2PC-Tube-Adapters-8pin-4pin-Ceramic-Gold-Socket-S8C4-/260695267821?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item3cb2a619ed
3. http://angela.com/eightpinbottomtofourpintoptubeadapterforrectifiers.aspx
Thanks,
William
PS. I am aware about the U52 is the holy grail but I'm on a budget, been using Radiotron 5AS4 (very good and prominent bass) and Tung Sol 5U4G (better midrange, very slightly loose bass compared to 5AS4), I prefer the Tung Sol, spoke to Steven and he recommended type 80, hence looking for an adapter now.
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type 80 tung sol(need adapter with this one)
Does anyone have any recommendations about the adapter? Been looking for a good quality one but I'm not sure which one to get.
Some adapters I've found so far:
1. TS-CM04-08VA (link: http://www.vt4c.com/shop/program/main.php?group_id=6&cat_id=19#202), out of stock at the moment unfortunately
2. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2PC-Tube-Adapters-8pin-4pin-Ceramic-Gold-Socket-S8C4-/260695267821?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item3cb2a619ed
3. http://angela.com/eightpinbottomtofourpintoptubeadapterforrectifiers.aspx
Thanks,
William
PS. I am aware about the U52 is the holy grail but I'm on a budget, been using Radiotron 5AS4 (very good and prominent bass) and Tung Sol 5U4G (better midrange, very slightly loose bass compared to 5AS4), I prefer the Tung Sol, spoke to Steven and he recommended type 80, hence looking for an adapter now.
TS-CM04-08VB get this one its what i used the other version teflon has been out of stock for about 2 years (TS-CM04-08VA)
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Thanks mate... 2 years out of stock! :o They should take that off their website!