Technician put these values on my preamp tubes - What do they represent?

Bob_in_OKC

Addicted Member
I'm interested in finding out what the values written on these tubes, mostly as a learning experience. Maybe a little also to see if they were fairly represented by the seller. I bought them new, with the hope they might help resolve a noise the integrated amp was making. I eventually sent the amp off to Audio Research for repair. It came back repaired, with a new set of preamp tubes. These were removed and returned to me.

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I am making an educated guess but this kinda makes sense to me. the numbers are obviously the tube tester readings. I am guessing that the first number since it is lower than the second pair, is the readings at a lower filament voltage. The second pair is at the nominal 6.3v for what looks like your 6dj8 or 6922? The reason one does this is that when a tube is new and strong it will ouput the same at reduced filament voltage as it does at regular heater voltage. As tubes age and the cathodes wear out then the low voltage shows that the tube has less life left.
 
Hmm, the last tube does not follow the trend as the other 3.
Maybe, he tested the tubes on 2 different testers. Sometimes different testers will read differently. The last tube could have had a contact issue with the pins.
 
Hmm, the last tube does not follow the trend as the other 3.
Maybe, he tested the tubes on 2 different testers. Sometimes different testers will read differently. The last tube could have had a contact issue with the pins.
I wondered if maybe he just forgot to follow the convention on that tube.
 
I wondered if maybe he just forgot to follow the convention on that tube.
If he flipped the first set of numbers of the last tube , if it was supposed to be 75/96 over 108/110 ???
Is he on holiday and you can not ask him what is with the 2 pairs of numbers?
 
If he flipped the first set of numbers of the last tube , if it was supposed to be 75/96 over 108/110 ???
Is he on holiday and you can not ask him what is with the 2 pairs of numbers?
I may try that. The thought to ask about this just occurred to me tonight, after work hours.
 
There are two triodes in the one glass envelope. Very likely the second set of numbers represents the readings for the second triode, first set for the first triode. Exactly what the numbers mean, I don't know, but I might speculate and say they are a measure of transconductance perhaps at two different bias points, but that is just a guess. It may not matter ultimately because all you really care about is matching. The closer the numbers the better matched the triode sections are.
 
unfortunately without knowing what sort of tester he used, its a complete guess as to what they mean. Give him a ring and ask. I'm sure he'd be happy to explain it.

Usually when I've seen multiple numbers on a twin triode, it will be results for each section and maybe the minimum acceptable number. A 6DJ8 has both sections the same inside, so the minimum number would be identical for both, and for all tubes. I don't see a constant number there so thats probably not what you've got.
 
unfortunately without knowing what sort of tester he used, its a complete guess as to what they mean. Give him a ring and ask. I'm sure he'd be happy to explain it.

Usually when I've seen multiple numbers on a twin triode, it will be results for each section and maybe the minimum acceptable number. A 6DJ8 has both sections the same inside, so the minimum number would be identical for both, and for all tubes. I don't see a constant number there so thats probably not what you've got.
These are EH 6922.
 
There are two triodes in the one glass envelope. Very likely the second set of numbers represents the readings for the second triode, first set for the first triode. Exactly what the numbers mean, I don't know, but I might speculate and say they are a measure of transconductance perhaps at two different bias points, but that is just a guess. It may not matter ultimately because all you really care about is matching. The closer the numbers the better matched the triode sections are.
I had been wondering about how well matched they were and how quiet, and then took them out of the box for the first time since they came back. The numbers for each tube are so different I wondered if that tells me about the matching or the noise.

Thanks everyone for the replies. I will have to do a little digging to see who I communicated with at Audio Research. This was a few months ago.
 
I'd be willing to bet it's %emissions / % transconductance for each triode. My Amplitrex gives me similar readings if I use the tester and not hook it to the computer.
 
At leased he tested and marked them. Did he mark the boxes of the new tubes? Maybe he tested them as well.
 
At leased he tested and marked them. Did he mark the boxes of the new tubes? Maybe he tested them as well.
There’s a large block of foam that fits snugly inside the amp. It has a hole to stash each tube in the block for shipment. I sent the old tubes in the foam. Audio Research sent the new tubes in the foam, no boxes included.
 
the numbers are probably from a tube tester. it is only useful if you believe in that system.
there dozens of tube testers and the numbers among brands/vendors don't correlate
like Hickok abc/def doesn't equal Russian tube tester xyz/nbc.

you'd need to ask the tube seller which brand and which model and whether it was calibrated,
etc.

do note that most tube testers (commercial versus custom made) do not test nor have
varying test conditions, they test at whatever their designers decided decades ago. They
do not test at the design centers nor for the actual operating environment. and some
equipment pushes them to the limit, and sometimes the tubes don't last long and
in some equipment the tubes last forever (12AX7s in dynaco PAS units).

i'd either save them for replacement/testing if the SQ changes or sell them.

I use a sencor to test for aberrations (shorts, gas, low conductance, gas in shorts,...)
and depending on strength (and more importantly belief) go into pushpull amps, then
SE amps, then test, then maybe tube voltage regulators if I have one at the time.

Your ARC should be running fine for a long time, your tubes were not used to prevent
them warranting them for operation that they did not control its past, and their testing.
 
I would also expect they will tell you what they use if you ask. Its not exactly a "dude in a garage under a cloak of great mysticism" sort of operation.
 
ARC probably has a automated system for tube test, burn-in, and a database. their testing is probably at
operational test points for all the equipment using that particular tube type. and especially going back to
the 1970s and increasing inventory space for the newer tubes 6H30s, etc.

I recall some manufacturer using the sub-miniature 6111 tubes and all of a sudden, the price of
that tube rose, etc.

my sencore is like bringing a paper knife to a M4 gun fight.
 
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