Tube Amp Recommendation

[darkless]

Interestingly, I have bugged him for almost a year to do adapters for the 6c33 and he genuinely seems to be worried about using the tube. Before Mikey01's Zana ever appeared I talked to Mikhail about using the 6c33 but he didnt want to do an amp with one .... but I am not sure why? I know he has used the tube transfomer coupled for power amps.

Mikhail has recently been experimenting with using that tube in my Supreme XLR. It works perfectly, as does the crazy powerful 6336/6337, 7241/7242, 6528 plus all the regular Extreme candidates. Maybe you could bug him about it?

[Guest sacd lover]

Mikhail has recently been experimenting with using that tube in my Supreme XLR. It works perfectly, as does the crazy powerful 6336/6337, 7241/7242, 6528 plus all the regular Extreme candidates. Maybe you could bug him about it?

Good! I hope I see some 6c33 adapters soon.

[Guest sacd lover]

what is a Singlepower "Supreme?" yet another variation?

I bet he meant Supra. \

[PFKMan23]

The Supreme is what he calls his custom amp.

[darkless]

The Supreme XLR is another of Mikhail's one-off creations that he has been working on since November last year. It started out as a balanced version of tkam's already powerful "The Dragon", but it has since evolved to a very powerful balanced amp that can handle the extreme (pun intended) heater draw from using the 4x 6528 output tubes (about 25 Ampere) as well as the even more powerful tubes I mentioned previously. According to Mikhail, this is as powerful as it gets.

With the 6528 output tubes it can output up to about 7W/channel in 8 Ohm. With the more powerful tubes having an even lower impedance of just 5 Ohm, it can output even more... The 6337 can handle a plate current up to about one Ampere per tube, capable of dissipating about 120W per tube.

IIRC he compared the sound of Voltron's devil amp to a "fine summer cloud" (very refined) with the Supreme being an "angry thunder cloud" (extremely clear and dynamic).

[n_maher]

cool.

With 4x 6528's it'll hardly be cool, it'll probably be hotter than a bastard actually. Shit, my Wheatfield ran surface temps over 130 deg F with the single 6528. He better have done some serious planning with regard to heat management or users can plan on a life of cooked caps and torched resistors. And given the cost and rarity of 6528's I pity the fool who tries to run four (likely requiring two matched pairs), yikes.

[darkless]

With 4x 6528's it'll hardly be cool, it'll probably be hotter than a bastard actually. Shit, my Wheatfield ran surface temps over 130 deg F with the single 6528. He better have done some serious planning with regard to heat management or users can plan on a life of cooked caps and torched resistors. And given the cost and rarity of 6528's I pity the fool who tries to run four (likely requiring two matched pairs), yikes.

AFAIK he's done a lot of work to ensure that it could run properly with 4x 6528 tubes, revising both the power supply and output part of the audio section several times. Regarding the heat issue, maybe tkam could shed some light on how hot his Dragon was with 2x 6528 tubes installed?

And yes, it would require two matched pairs, but the upside is that it shouldn't be neccessary to drive the tubes hard because of the amount of power they're able to dish out.

Also, some of the more powerful tubes previously mentioned are both easier to come across and cheaper as well, so it's not like you need 6528 tubes to make the amp perform at its best.

[tkam]

The power supply (specifically the power diodes) got pretty toasty but the amp itself didn't run hot at all really. Essentially Mikhail had to use the power supply case as a heatsink for the diodes since they had so much current running through them.

[tkam]

And given the cost and rarity of 6528's I pity the fool who tries to run four (likely requiring two matched pairs), yikes.

I agree that he needs to watch out and plan for dissipating the heat from the power supply correctly. But I don't think the 6528's are that rare at all or all that expensive. They are pretty easily found for about $60/each I know of at least 3 tube dealers that sell them at that price and they all have plenty in stock.

[n_maher]

Todd,

Based on what I read on a couple of tube sites the 6528 was considered pretty rare and is not currently produced by anyone but I hear what you're saying, you can find them pretty easily right now. I know of at least one manufacturer who was considering using them in a new design and abandoned them after their initial research on availability.

As far as the PS is concerned with each heater drawing around 5A it'll take more than just a little planning to keep it running cool.

[tkam]

Actually they are still produced, but the prices of the current production ones makes them not worth even considering.

[n_maher]

Actually they are still produced, but the prices of the current production ones makes them not worth even considering.

That would directly contradict at least one source I read, specifically Vacuum Tube Valley.

[tom_hankins]

I would bet that Mikhail has a quite a few of the 6528s to be used as replacements for the amps he builds.

[n_maher]

I would bet that Mikhail has a quite a few of the 6528s to be used as replacements for the amps he builds.

Given his response times he'd be the last place I'd want to look for tubes.

[tom_hankins]

Given his response times he'd be the last place I'd want to look for tubes.

I was thinking have some extras shipped out with the amp. Of course others might do things different than me.

[grawk]

Given his response times he'd be the last place I'd want to look for tubes.

No, mikhail is plenty fast about shipping tubes, he doesn't have to build those. He has a million of em. (Literally, I believe).

[n_maher]

I was thinking have some extras shipped out with the amp. Of course others might do things different than me.

I was more referring to if you had an amp from another man'f that used that tube he might not be the best place to get them from. I tried to order parts from him once, after several attempts I gave up. I want to be clear though, I can easily understand how selling parts to another builder would be a seriously low priority for him and that I chose not to pursue it, it's not like he refused.

[tom_hankins]

No, mikhail is plenty fast about shipping tubes, he doesn't have to build those. He has a million of em. (Literally, I believe).

I think that stash he scored yast year was around 5 million. My wife stopped by to check out the warehouse when she was in Denver on business. Said it was freaking crazy. Boxes of tubes floor to ceiling everywhere.

[n_maher]

Yeah, he mentioned the last time I saw him that he had to build a building to house them all. That's just an insane # of tubes, I can't imagine trying to track that much inventory with a small business.

[tom_hankins]

Yeah, he mentioned the last time I saw him that he had to build a building to house them all. That's just an insane # of tubes, I can't imagine trying to track that much inventory with a small business.

No kidding. I would have to take a canteen and overnight bag of food just to go get the tubes I wanted to try. Go in friday and come out on monday with the weekly stash.

[boomana]

Mikhail sometimes send tubes right away and sometimes not. I requested more 6528s after mine had an accident at a meet, and after numerous back and forth emails, gave up. I was also looking for some Amperex pinch-waists for my CDP, which he said he had, and would send, but nada. Yet, with other tubes, he's sent them out immediately. Hit and miss, but I really didn't expect anything different.

[hungrych]

I've been waiting for quite a few months to get the tubes I bought from him...

[Frihed89]

He told me, just before tanksgiving, he was going to take a short vacation in Texas. I also have an outstanding tube order.

I have no idea what he has. I don't think he really does either, there are so many tubes. His prices are 50% more than anyone elses, though.

Lately, the market for NOS/NIB 6SN7GTs has dried up. Many are not even available. A pair of Raytheon Tupe 1s used to go for $80. Now Tube Monger wants $180 and doesn't even have any. Len is also dry.

This tube is one of my favourites.

[PFKMan23]

Keep in mind that Mikhail really isn't a tube dealer, so it's almost to be expected that his prices are higher than others.

[grawk]

Keep in mind that Mikhail really isn't a tube dealer, so it's almost to be expected that his prices are higher than others.

With millions of tubes in stock, I was always under the impression that his amps were just a way to get people to buy tubes from him.