Melos Tubes

[postjack]

Ahoy mateys!

Paging jpak & hirsch, and anyone else who cares to chime in.

Looks like I've got a touch of the microfonick in the left channel. Don't notice it at all when music is playing, but when I plug in the cans I can hear it, and after the cans are plugged in, I can tap the volume knob and hear it. No worries though, gave me an excuse to crack open the SHA and see what was going on inside.

First, off topic, this amp is dusty as hell, boy. What is a safe way to get rid of this dust? Just some standard compressed air (pc duster)?

But on topic, the tubes that were in there were some JAN Phillips 6922s, which sounded fine, but of course I'd like to experiment. New production tubes I'm considering are the Ei Elite 6dj8/6922 (I can find NOTHING on this tube, but folks rave about the 12ax7 Ei Gold Pin, which I have in my phono preamp), and the JJ Tesla 6922, which are cheap as hell and get decent reviews in the old Melos tube rolling thread at HF.

NOS considerations are some bugle boys or amperex 6922 pqs, the US versions.

[deepak]

I'm not very experienced with rolling this amp, but my favs are the Amperex Orange Globe A frames.

Be careful buying 6DJ8/7DJ8/7308 tubes off ebay, they're incredibly popular preamp tubes and thus there are many counterfeits.

[postjack]

I'm not very experienced with rolling this amp, but my favs are the Amperex Orange Globe A frames.

Be careful buying 6DJ8/7DJ8/7308 tubes off ebay, they're incredibly popular preamp tubes and thus there are many counterfeits.

I just ordered some of the new production Ei's from The Tube Store, at least as a temporary stop gap until I can explore more exotic options. Thanks for the eBay tip, I'll probably steer clear of there for these purchases.

[mirumu]

I've never seen or heard a Melos but I have experimented with some 6922 compatible tubes in my Xiang Sheng and thought it might still be worth describing my experience. I liked the current production JJ ECC88 but in my amp they tended to have the stereotypical warm tubey sound. I wouldn't describe them as slow but they definitely imposed their own signature on the sound. They were very noise free and the sound was full and rich but I found their character just too forced. My amp came with some Chinese Shuguang 6922s by default and I also tried some Chinese Golden Dragon 6922s, Sovtek 6922s and some supposed military grade Sovtek 6922s but all of these sounded insipid and lifeless and were quickly removed once I considered I'd given them enough time. Really they all sounded quite similar and didn't seem to have the same extension the JJs had.

The tube I eventually settled on was the NOS Tesla ECC88. These are the old Tesla tubes and have a yellow label, not the red JJ logo like the modern "JJ Tesla" ones. At first these did not stand out to me as anything special. There was nothing wrong, in fact they sounded very good in every way, but they didn't jump out in any way either. Over time though I realised that this very characteristic was their biggest strength. They just get out of the way and let the music shine through. I doubt they'll beat the top tier tubes like the Amperex Bugle Boys, etc but as a basic/cheap tube I wouldn't hesitate in recommending them.

[postjack]

I'm running the Ei's right now, but its with unfamiliar gear, namely the new AT440MLa cart, so I can't tag down any certain signature. But so far, they aren't doing anything wrong.

[hirsch]

I've been running the same pair of Telefunken PCC88's (7DJ8) forever (or at least 3-4 years) in the SHA-1. I did a bunch of tube-rolling at one point, but those are the ones I stayed with. At the time, fewer people knew that the PCC88 would work in an ECC88 (6DJ8) circuit, and they could be obtained for a song. No longer true unless you get lucky, alas.

[thrice]

First, off topic, this amp is dusty as hell, boy. What is a safe way to get rid of this dust? Just some standard compressed air (pc duster)?

Yes, that's fine. I like Radioshack's compressed air cans the best....they tend to have higher preasure over a longer period of use per can. This is compared to some canned air I've used from Staples and Office Depot. I like Radioshack's the best.

[postjack]

So after just over a month of daily use, the Ei 6dj8s crapped out on me. Wow. As a stopgap I put the Sylvania JAN 6922s back in, even though one is slightly microphonic. Surprisingly. the SQ increase is definitely noticeable. I didn't realize quite how much poorer the Ei's sounded until I put the Syl's back in. Funny how that works.

I just one an auction for some Bugle Boys, even though the impressions I've read of them in the old Melos tube rolling thread are lukewarm. My snipe was set so low I was positive I wouldn't win them, but I guess I did. I've also got a snipe setup for a pair of Amperex PQ 7308s, which I'm hoping will become my primary tubes in my Melos for a long time to come.

[tkam]

When I had a Melos a couple years ago the Amperex PW 7308s were my favorite tubes for it. Shame they've become even more outrageously priced.

[deepak]

So after just over a month of daily use, the Ei 6dj8s crapped out on me. Wow. As a stopgap I put the Sylvania JAN 6922s back in, even though one is slightly microphonic. Surprisingly. the SQ increase is definitely noticeable. I didn't realize quite how much poorer the Ei's sounded until I put the Syl's back in. Funny how that works.

I just one an auction for some Bugle Boys, even though the impressions I've read of them in the old Melos tube rolling thread are lukewarm. My snipe was set so low I was positive I wouldn't win them, but I guess I did. I've also got a snipe setup for a pair of Amperex PQ 7308s, which I'm hoping will become my primary tubes in my Melos for a long time to come.

Make sure those BB's aren't fake. Their market price is around $70-120 a pair on Audiogon.

I'm really skeptical that those 7308s are real.

[postjack]

Make sure those BB's aren't fake. Their market price is around $70-120 a pair on Audiogon.

I'm really skeptical that those 7308s are real.

I've already sent payment for the BBs, I'll take pictures and attempt to verify authenticity when they arrive.

What tips you off about the 7308s?

[deepak]

It's just one of those gut feelings I have. 7308 white label PQs in gorgeous condition lettering almost 100% intact selling for so little (looking at his feedback/past auctions). And then the humble mention of being retired and having a stockpile of them just doesn't feel right.

[Dusty Chalk]

I have a small stash of CCa's. Unfortunately, several amps I own use those kinds of tubes, so there's no way I'd part with any of them, and I bought out my supplier, so...there ya go.

(Musical Fidelity X-CANv2 -- several other MF X-tube components;

Radii HAP-03;

will probably own an EarMax Pro again at some point in the future)

[postjack]

It's just one of those gut feelings I have. 7308 white label PQs in gorgeous condition lettering almost 100% intact selling for so little (looking at his feedback/past auctions). And then the humble mention of being retired and having a stockpile of them just doesn't feel right.

This is true. I'll have to think about it.

[hirsch]

Make sure those BB's aren't fake. Their market price is around $70-120 a pair on Audiogon.

I'm really skeptical that those 7308s are real.

The prices of tubes on Audiogon are normally inflated, and a poor guide to value. Some of those guys make the dealers look positively cheap.

6DJ8's can go high, but rarely do. The 6DJ8 is rated at about 2,000 hours, so they are not long-life tubes. The Bugle Boys appear real. Seller has been around a while with good feedback.

The 7308's appear real, but IMO it's not all that great a tube. The white label 6922 PQ is a much better sound, IMO. jpak, what's the source of your skepticism?

[hirsch]

jpak, what's the source of your skepticism?

Never mind, I saw your previous post. A lot of audiphiles tend to stockpile tubes. They also will let some go when money issues so demand. A retired person reducing a tube stash is not unusual, and probably one of the better ways to get NOS tubes these days.

[postjack]

The 7308's appear real, but IMO it's not all that great a tube. The white label 6922 PQ is a much better sound, IMO. jpak, what's the source of your skepticism?

Really? Hmm. Might have to cancel the snipe and try for some 6922s instead. The reason I aimed for 7308s is I want a tube that will last a good long while in the Melos.

[postjack]

Here are the tubes I'm using now:

Lot of 100 Phillips JAN 6922

And he's got 10 boxes!

[JBLoudG20]

Check one of the other threads... Dr. Gilmore suggest it may be possible to shit Amperex (I think may have been, could be wrong brand) tubes.

[postjack]

Check one of the other threads... Dr. Gilmore suggest it may be possible to shit Amperex (I think may have been, could be wrong brand) tubes.

shit tubes? what?

[JBLoudG20]

Yes. Shit your own $100 t00Bz

[postjack]

Yes. Shit your own $100 t00Bz

what?

[postjack]

son of a bitch. word to the wise, don't forget to delete your snipe when you decide you don't want to bid. now i'm stuck with these. oh well, maybe they'll sound okay. needless to say I'm not springing for the 7308 pqs now, as I just inadvertently shot my tube budget load.

[JBLoudG20]

Amateur

[postjack]

Amateur

what?