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Hi! Last month I showed the 6GE5 compactron beam pentode and mentioned it's usability as an output tube in a single ended amp. I went through the compactron series tubes to find a suitable driver. And this is what I found: The 6AG9 Since I have a preference for all triode amps, I concentrated on triodes only. There are quite a few of them in the compactron series. Some combined with other triodes, diodes or pentodes in one bottle. The 6AG9 contains a triode and a pentode. The triode section has an amplification factor of 39 and a plate resistance of 8500 Ohm. Quite similar to the values of the 6N7 which I like to use as driver for small output tubes. This would make it usable in a 2 stage amp with transformer-, LC or RC coupling. The heater current is a bit on the high side for such a triode, but that is because it also needs to supply the heater of the pentode section. A quick glance into the data sheet shows some nice plate curves of the triode section. A check of prices showed a nicely low cost of $3-4 for the tube. It seems to be an ideal companion for the 6GE5! These are the plate curves as shown in the data sheet: And this is how it looks like in real life: Quite alright if the region to the left is avoided! Most 6AG9s in my stock came unmarked in bulk pack like those above. Here a 6AG9 mage by General Electric: The 12-Pin base: Let's have a look how it is constructed inside! Removing the glass reveals a better view of the details: The pentode section takes up most of the space inside. The triode section (top) is separated by some space and a screen from the pentode (silver sheet of metal). A view of the side of the pentode section: The top: The heater wire can be nicely seen coming out of the top and connecting across the tube between the sections. The heater wire removed: The part with more folds heats the pentode. The triode section: The triode electrodes separated: The grid: Cathode: The triode grid is circular shaped: The shield which separates triode and pentode: The pentode section, cathode, control grid and screen grid on the left, plate and suppressor grid on the right: The grids separated from the cathode: The control grid has an extremely fine pitch between the wires: A very well made tube, completely overlooked by audio designers! In the meantime the tube serves as driver in a 6GE5 amp. Stay tuned for a report. Best regards Thomas

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Hifi News - Jadis Release Two New Amplifiers

Sounds awesome. Would love to hear this rig in the opening post! Edited by BeDome 2013-04-28 22:32:03...

The ValveLiTzer: Low-voltage Tube Booster: Here's a little tube booster project for guitarists. It colors the sound with some tube distortion (although it's more an overdrive than a distortion pedal), a little compression, and it boosts the signal, too. It's a "dirty boost," with the flavor …

Hi! More tube porn. This time from the Danish room. Magic blue glow from a set of rectifiers in Bjorns amp: Rectifiers made in Denmark, supplying juice to an amp with Siemens Da DHTs probably made in Berlin. The driver is a Bo, also made by Siemens. Beautiful horizontally mounted mesh plate. The amp: The anode of the Da consists of two separate plates, so the filament is visible from the side. D3a tube in a LCR phono stage: Extraordinary execution of the chassis work, made by Claus: Best regards Thomas

Which power tube is right for your amp? We look at the traits of EL34, EL84, 6l6GC, KT88 and 6550 power tubes in this Guitar Workbench guide.

The appearance might be retro but the performance is right up to date

Wzmacniacz lampowy JBI 9900D/ Tube amplifier

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Hi! Earlier this year I introduced a new phono stage generation with an improved circuit and new design. The first one was based on the EC8020. It can be seen here. It was also used in the system at the High End show. In the meantime I finished one with D3a tubes. The dark wood is the same as used on a set of 45/2A3 amplifiers. The phono will be used in the same system, which is now only missing the line stage in the same style, which is being assembled in July. While the one built with EC8020 uses copper MC step up transformers, this one got silver wire SUTs. Here it is side by side with the EC8020, being tested against it. It shares all of the qualities of the EC8020 version. If the budget doesn't allow for the super rare Telefunkens, this D3a version reaches at least 90-95% of that level. Best regards Thomas

Adventures in Real Sound with Mr. Shirokazu Yazaki

Why are we, as audiophiles, entranced by the reproduction of music using vacuum tubes? As it turns out, noise is traditionally thought of as something to be minimized in all high end audio systems. However the proper reproduction of noise is actually the key characteristic that makes tube amplifiers sound so good. This

One of the tube displays at the Hammond Radio Museum.

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Where electrons used to play... An EF80 rectifier valve using its heater to light it from the inside.

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Hi! In the last article about the UX201A Sound Processor I presented the power supply circuit. Now we will have a look at the assembly process of the PSU. Since the power supply will be used along with the signal section, the chassis style should be similar, so no wooden enclosure but an all metal chassis. Same width and height, but the chassis had to be longer to fit everything in. Here is a photo of the top metal plate which carries the tube sockets and the main power transformer: The rubber damping elements around the break outs on the right will carry the power transformer. There are 4 compactron sockets for 6CG3 tubes and two UX4 sockets for 866A mercury vapour rectifiers. These will be wired such that both versions of the power supply as shown in the previous article can be used. If the 866A/6CG3 version is used, the two 6CG3 sockets in the front are simple left empty. Alternatively only the compactron sockets can be equipped with tubes to use the all vacuum tube bridge. The underside of the top plate: The side panels of the chassis are attached to the top plate by aluminium rails: The back panel is attached in the same manner. Side panels and back plate are screwed together via a shorter aluminium rail: The enclosure with all side panels, back plate and front plate: The main power transformer sits on the top and will later be hidden under a transformer cover: There is a separate filament transformer for the 866As: It is mounted over the tube sockets which are already wired up: Capacitors, chokes and bleeder resistors are added and wired up. The inside of the finished PSU: Closing the chassis with the bottom plate: The finished PSU in operation: More views: The top side: The glow of the tubes in the dark: More blue glow : In the next and final part about the Sound Processor I will write about it's sound effect and how it can be used. After the questions I got about it I realised I did not elaborate enough about the purpose of this device. Stay tuned for more about this. Best regards Thomas

Hi! More tube porn. This time from the Danish room. Magic blue glow from a set of rectifiers in Bjorns amp: Rectifiers made in Denmark, supplying juice to an amp with Siemens Da DHTs probably made in Berlin. The driver is a Bo, also made by Siemens. Beautiful horizontally mounted mesh plate. The amp: The anode of the Da consists of two separate plates, so the filament is visible from the side. D3a tube in a LCR phono stage: Extraordinary execution of the chassis work, made by Claus: Best regards Thomas

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