6V6 audio comparison

aphekgreg · Post by **aphekgreg** » Sun 06/18/06 2:18 am

and just for interest, the Yellow Jackets.

lastwinj · Post by **lastwinj** » Sun 06/18/06 9:08 am

distorted clips:

#1 jj
#2 shuguang
#3 yucky
#4 tung sol
#5 sylvania
#6 even worse than #3. maybe why i havent built an 18w....

probably way off here.

cranked, all sounded very similar (other than #3). not shabby. good test, would be an SLO type of circuit.... heheh.

germ

rectifier · Post by **rectifier** » Sun 06/18/06 11:41 am

I still liked #4 the best. I can't wait to find out the results!

Post by **markh** » Sun 06/18/06 1:38 pm

I like #4 the best as well, and agree that the #6 sounds like a Pod on a bad day!

To be fair, the PI values that work well with 6V6 sound substandard with EL84s and vice-versa. I suspect 6V6s would sound worse than EL84s using "reverse yellowjacket" adapters in an 18watt.

--mark

engels · Post by **engels** » Sun 06/18/06 3:04 pm

I like #2!
And #3 is still dead.

The person who invented yellow jackets should be sued. Now I'm thinking about substituting 6V6's in my (unfinished) Spitfire build.

Dynaflow_Donnie · Post by **Dynaflow_Donnie** » Sun 06/18/06 5:00 pm

Yaaa, I'm not tonally deaf! I did hear the difference with the cranked versions. I'm with No.4 myself, has a more balanced sound, good detail, not as flubby. 6 sounds exactly as I expected with Yellowjackets. I bought a pair about a year ago and I've heard them in my ampeg which sounded like *ss in it. About a month ago my other guitarist was just sure he needed less headroom and more grind so we put them in his Vibrolux Reissue (at a gig, I told him that was'nt a smart idea, he's like, nah it'll be cool). Same result, yeah sure reduced headroom, but it added this pipey compressed sound that didn't do a el84 justice at all. How'd he like them? He started whinning about three tunes in that he wanted to change them, I told him I told you so, no dice, no time, ya got 7 more tunes homeboy... He changed them at break. haha...

They do exactly what they say, allow you to put EL84's in octal sockets so they don't lie there, now the sounds great part is from my experience hype, it sounds nothing like a "Class A EL84 Amp", that would be chimey, glassey full of edge, not muffled, buzzy and full of mud

IMHO.

Regards,

Dyna

aphekgreg · Post by **aphekgreg** » Sun 06/18/06 7:43 pm

Fascinating. When should I post the results?

I'm also disappointed with the Yellow Jackets. I've used an AC30 as my main amp since '87, owned other EL84 amps and build an 18 watt and an AC15 type amp and this has elements of that tone, but nothing that makes it great. In their defence, the amp was set for the 6V6s, not the EL84s. I would set the amp differently if using the Yellow Jackets. But I can't see using them much.

Sweetwood · Post by **Sweetwood** » Sun 06/18/06 11:01 pm

post the results now! i'm dying to know...

aphekgreg · Post by **aphekgreg** » Mon 06/19/06 12:07 am

Dynaflow_Donnie · Post by **Dynaflow_Donnie** » Mon 06/19/06 12:22 am

Thats a mocking grin, I just know I picked probably some funky tube with #4 but hey if its good to the ear...

Doh, now I'll have to tune in again to get the answer... Cliffhangers, don't ya love it...

Regards,

Dyna

rectifier · Post by **rectifier** » Mon 06/19/06 5:01 am

No, I hate cliffhangers!

I want to know now!!!

Post by **zaphod_phil** » Mon 06/19/06 6:10 am

lastwinj wrote:#6 even worse than #3. maybe why i havent built an 18w....

No, that's why you *need* to build an 18W - to understand what a real good EL84 amp sounds like.

engels wrote: Now I'm thinking about substituting 6V6's in my (unfinished) Spitfire build.

Definately, do that. EL84s are perfect in an 18W, but 6V6s produce a much thicker tone in a Sptfire - http://members.cox.net/dennisfweb/sound/MSQN2SHRT.mp3

lastwinj · Post by **lastwinj** » Mon 06/19/06 7:01 am

zaphod_phil wrote:No, that's why you *need* to build an 18W - to understand what a real good EL84 amp sounds like.

hehe. yeah. actually, i have heard and played a wonderful example of one (thanx, graydon!!). while it sounded good, it isn;t my cup of tea. but alas, i may build one, just to tweak it out to be the finest one ever done.

germ

lastwinj · Post by **lastwinj** » Mon 06/19/06 7:02 am

results, results, results...

i want to know how far off i was. i am sure i didnt get one right.

germ

aphekgreg · Post by **aphekgreg** » Mon 06/19/06 7:55 am

OK. No more suspense. Here are the answers.

From the first lot

01. JJ
02. Chinese
03. Tung-Sol
04. Sylvania
05. Electro Harmonix

From the cranked ones.

C1. E-H
C2. Tung-Sol
C3. Sylvania
C4. Chinese
C5. JJ

lastwinj · Post by **lastwinj** » Mon 06/19/06 8:12 am

HA!! i knew it. got em all wrong. woohoo!!!

rectifier · Post by **rectifier** » Mon 06/19/06 8:19 am

I guess I'll have to give Chinese tubes a try.

Normster · Post by **Normster** » Mon 06/19/06 8:53 am

Great comparison! Thanks for taking the time to post this experiment. I've only taken the time to try 2 brands in my Express build...JJ and EH. I like the JJ's better, but they bias much colder than the EH. It may just be my particular tubes, but if I set the JJ's at 20mA and then throw in the EH's, they'll be at 35mA!

Dynaflow_Donnie · Post by **Dynaflow_Donnie** » Mon 06/19/06 9:54 am

Doh! The Gods of irony prevail, I must bow to China for that one, I did and do indeed like the sound of 4. I'm surprised, but thats ok, I'd rather be surprised by a tube than a knife wielding fiend anytime..

Regards,

Dyna

Post by **markh** » Mon 06/19/06 12:10 pm

I love it -- single blind testing is the next best thing to double-blind.

Which rebrander were the Chinese tubes?

--mark h

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6V6 audio comparison

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