Dennis Had Inspire Amps

[rmlowz]

Yes I bought the JJs 6V6S. I got a reply back from the owner of the Toy Factory he said to use the 5U4 with the JJs

[GeAllan70]

one up for grabs on usaam...

SET KT66

[FloridaBoy]

Originally Posted by bearcity

Me: [emoji12]. You: ��[emoji344][emoji445][emoji7]

I hope the ‘mogies’ show up.

They did.

If you, or anyone else, purchases the 45/2A3 amp, the JJ 2A3-40 are most excellent and won't break the bank. I got them from Euro Tubes in Oregon. They fully test each tube and include the results in the box. With a 5Z3 and the JJ's the amp runs cool. You could leave your hand on it for hours but I'd rather sit back and .

[Jprod]

Originally Posted by FloridaBoy

You can use any 5 volt rectifier with any power tube. The exception is with 6V6G, 6L6G and 6L6GA only use a 5Y3 or an 80 with an adapter.

You may want to check out the Gold Lion KT77.

Don't go nuts buying a lot of different power tubes. IMHO, the 6SL7 is the tube that has the biggest effect on the sound.



Five Volt Fullwave Rectifier Tubes - 10 Feb 2017 - revised 10 Oct 2019

Tube# - Base - Fvolt - Famp - Vdrop - MaxPmA - MaxPv - notes
5AR4/GZ34-5DA - 5.0 - 1.9 - 17 - 250 - 450 - low Vdrop 5U4/5Y3
5AS4-A - 5T - 5.0 - 3.0 - 50 - 275 - 450 - improved 5U4
5AT4 - 5L - 5.0 - 5.5 - 30 - 800 - 550 - higher power 5U4
5AU4 - 5T - 5.0 - 3.75 - 50 - 325 - 400 - high power 5U4
5AW4 - 5T - 5.0 - 3.7 - 46 - 250 - 450 - long life 5U4
5AX4-GT - 5T - 5.0 - 2.5 - 65 - 175 - 350 - high power 5Y3
5AZ3 - 12BR - 5.0 - 3.0 - 44 - 275 - 600 - compactron 5U4
5AZ4 - 5T* - 5.0 - 2.0 - 60 - 125 - 350 - loctal 5Y3
5BC3 - 9QJ - 5.0 - 3.0 - 53 - 300 - 500 - compactron
5CG4 - 5L - 5.0 - 2.0 - ? - 125 - 400
5DJ4 - 8KS - 5.0 - 3.0 - 44 - 300 - 600 - redesigned 5U4 (higher volts)
5R4-G/GY- 5T - 5.0 - 2.0 - 67 - 250 - 750 - high voltage 5U4
5R4-GYA - 5T - 5.0 - 2.0 - 67 - 250 - 750 - high voltage 5U4 (ruggedized)
5R4-GYB - 5T - 5.0 - 2.0 - 63 - 250 - 900 - high voltage 5U4 (ruggedized)
5T4 - 5T - 5.0 - 2.0 - 45 - 225 - 450 - metal 5U4
5U4-G - 5T - 5.0 - 3.0 - 44 - 225 - 450 - octal 5Z3
5U4-GA - 5T - 5.0 - 3.0 - 44 - 250 - 450
5U4-GB - 5T - 5.0 - 3.0 - 50 - 275 - 450
5V3 - 5T - 5.0 - 3.8 - 47 - 350 - 425 - higher power 5U4
5V3-A - 5T - 5.0 - 3.0 - 42 - 415 - 550 - 5V3 reduced filament current
5V4-G/GA- 5L - 5.0 - 2.0 - 25 - 175 - 375 - octal 83-V
5W4-G/GT- 5T - 5.0 - 1.5 - 45 - 100 - 350 - low power 5Y3
5X4-G - 5Q - 5.0 - 3.0 - 58 - 225 - 450 - 5U4 diff pinout
5X4-GA - 5Q - 5.0 - 3.0 - 47 - 250 - 450
5Y3-G/GT- 5T - 5.0 - 2.0 - 60 - 125 - 350 - octal 80
5Y4-G/GT- 5Q - 5.0 - 2.0 - 60 - 125 - 350 - 5Y3 diff pinout
5Z3 - 5T - 5.0 - 3.0 - 58 - 225 - 450 - 4pin 5U4
5Z4 - 5L - 5.0 - 2.0 - 20 - 125 - 350 - low drop 5Y3
80 - 4C - 5.0 - 2.0 - 60 - 125 - 350 - 4pin 5Y3
82 - 4C - 2.5 - 3.0 - 15 - 115 - 450 - lower power type 83
83 - 4C - 5.0 - 3.0 - 15 - 225 - 450 - 4pin mercury vapour
83-V - 4C - 5.0 - 2.0 - 25 - 175 - 375 - 4pin 5V4
1641 - 8E - 5.0 - 3.0 - 44 - 250 - 450 - rabbit ear 5U4
5931 - 5T - 5.0 - 3.0 - 47 - 300 - 600 - industrial 5U4
6004 - 2AJ - 5.0 - 2.0 - 60 - 120 - 375 - rabbit ear 5Y3
6087 - 5L - 5.0 - 2.0 - 50 - 125 - 350
6106 - 5L - 5.0 - 2.0 - 60 - 125 - 350
6853 - 8HE - 5.0 - 1.7 - 60 - 125 - 350
RK60 - 8E - 5.0 - 3.0 - 44 - 250 - 450 - rabbit ear 5U4

Hello. I have a kt88 inspire. You mentioned in this post that the driver tube had the most impact on sound. I have the tung sol. Which driver tube would you recommend? I have the don sachs preamp and listen to a lot of classic rock
Thanks

[FloridaBoy]

Originally Posted by Jprod

Hello. I have a kt88 inspire. You mentioned in this post that the driver tube had the most impact on sound. I have the tung sol. Which driver tube would you recommend? I have the don sachs preamp and listen to a lot of classic rock
Thanks

That depends on the rest of your system. Personal preference is involved also.

Is the new production Russian TungSol 6SL7 what you have? If so, what do you not like about it?

[Jprod]

Originally Posted by FloridaBoy

That depends on the rest of your system. Personal preference is involved also.

Is the new production Russian TungSol 6SL7 what you have? If so, what do you not like about it?

It is not lacking in any way but I have nothing to compare it to and I’m new to this tube game.

[Comzee]

Originally Posted by FloridaBoy

If you, or anyone else, purchases the 45/2A3 amp, the JJ 2A3-40 are most excellent and won't break the bank.

JJ 2A3-40 are actually 300b tubes spec'd to 2.5v so they can run in a 2a3 amp. Very unique sound among 2a3 tubes.

Another thing that confuses me with Dennis's amps is the 6SN7 vs 6SL7.
My original Fire-Bottle KT88 shipped with 6SN7, my custom pentode headamp from Dennis shipped with 6SL7.

I asked Dennis about this, and he said you can use either 6SN7 or 6SL7. Although 6SL7 have a brighter tilt, more treble, 6SN7 have a more neutral sound. I prefer 6SN7.

But it's interesting, because (I think it was bearcity, can't remember) somebody went to Dennis's house for a listening session, and they said they had to swap resistors values to make the amp perform better with 6SN7 vs 6SL7... Maybe Straitwire can shed some light on this?

As for recommendation for input tubes, it's been said before by me and others in this thread, but I love the psvane cv181-tii. For a 6SN7, it tilts bright, so almost at the brightness level of a 6SL7. It also has outstanding technicals for a new production tube.

[Rosco65]

Originally Posted by Comzee

JJ 2A3-40 are actually 300b tubes spec'd to 2.5v so they can run in a 2a3 amp. Very unique sound among 2a3 tubes.

Another thing that confuses me with Dennis's amps is the 6SN7 vs 6SL7.
My original Fire-Bottle KT88 shipped with 6SN7, my custom pentode headamp from Dennis shipped with 6SL7.

I asked Dennis about this, and he said you can use either 6SN7 or 6SL7. Although 6SL7 have a brighter tilt, more treble, 6SN7 have a more neutral sound. I prefer 6SN7.

But it's interesting, because (I think it was bearcity, can't remember) somebody went to Dennis's house for a listening session, and they said they had to swap resistors values to make the amp perform better with 6SN7 vs 6SL7... Maybe Straitwire can shed some light on this?

As for recommendation for input tubes, it's been said before by me and others in this thread, but I love the psvane cv181-tii. For a 6SN7, it tilts bright, so almost at the brightness level of a 6SL7. It also has outstanding technicals for a new production tube.

The 6SL7 and 6SN7 can often be substituted but are not the same tube. The 6SN7 has a gain of 20 whereas the 6SL7 has a gain of 70. Depending on the amp, you may need to make adjustments to avoid overloading the output tubes.

[FloridaBoy]

Originally Posted by Jprod

It is not lacking in any way but I have nothing to compare it too and I’m new to this tube game.

Okay, then simply try a few different tubes and if you find one you like better great. Once your rig sounds really good to you enjoy.


http://ken-gilbert.com/images/pdf/taste_of_tubes.pdf

[FloridaBoy]

Originally Posted by Comzee

JJ 2A3-40 are actually 300b tubes spec'd to 2.5v so they can run in a 2a3 amp. Very unique sound among 2a3 tubes.

Another thing that confuses me with Dennis's amps is the 6SN7 vs 6SL7.
My original Fire-Bottle KT88 shipped with 6SN7, my custom pentode headamp from Dennis shipped with 6SL7.

I asked Dennis about this, and he said you can use either 6SN7 or 6SL7. Although 6SL7 have a brighter tilt, more treble, 6SN7 have a more neutral sound. I prefer 6SN7.

But it's interesting, because (I think it was bearcity, can't remember) somebody went to Dennis's house for a listening session, and they said they had to swap resistors values to make the amp perform better with 6SN7 vs 6SL7... Maybe Straitwire can shed some light on this?

As for recommendation for input tubes, it's been said before by me and others in this thread, but I love the psvane cv181-tii. For a 6SN7, it tilts bright, so almost at the brightness level of a 6SL7. It also has outstanding technicals for a new production tube.

The 45/2A3 came with a 6SL7 and I'm not sure if a 6SN7 can be used. The additional gain of the 6SL7 may be part of the design.

Yes, the JJ 2A3 is a 2.5v 300B. A well made a good sounding tube and I like the bloom. I was looking at old production 2A3's but good examples have gotten expensive.

There are some interesting 2A3's in the Psvane line but they appear to be hybrids too.

The EML 45 is electrically identicle to a ST45 but it sounds much more powerful. I used them in early 2000's and they had issues with loosing vacuum. The mesh plates were also problematic. This appears to have been resolved and EML now has a 5 year warranty. The solid plates are now $600 or so.