• Please note that there are a few updates and clarifications made in the Audiokarma Rules, mostly relating to advertising and the addition of the new "Paying it Forward" & "Giving back" forums in the AudioKarma Audio Marketplace section.

Anybody recently with hands on exp. w/ JJ 5AR4?

Dave_in_Va.

Dave_in_Va.

AK Subscriber
Subscriber
I know the JJs have a bad rep but I don't know if that's from an old batch or just re-telling of internet stories. I need to hear hands on experiences.

My Manley 300B mono blocks are early production and came with 5U4GBs. Manley changed over to 5AR4s when they could get good ones consistently (about 2012). They started using Ruby.
I want to change over to the 5AR4s for a little gentler start up on my WE 300Bs.

I just can't see paying $50 a pop for Russian 5AR4s. I just started looking but haven't actually seen Chinese 5AR4s (GZ34).
(Normally I'd be looking for some NOS but each mono block uses TWO rectifiers.)

I appreciate your advice. Sorry for bringing up an old tired subject.
 
Register to hide this ad
I've had two fail on me. Both had just a few hours on them. One in my 300B SET amp, and another in my VTA ST-70 PP amp. I won't buy another.
The second one was bought a few years after the other.
 
No, but there have been reports here on AK about them failing more recently than when I used them. One failed about 11 years ago, the other a couple years after that. JJ does make some good power tubes and signal tubes though. Personally I wouldn't take the chance on a JJ rectifier.
 
Dave_in_Va. said:
I know the JJs have a bad rep but I don't know if that's from an old batch or just re-telling of internet stories. I need to hear hands on experiences.

My Manley 300B mono blocks are early production and came with 5U4GBs. Manley changed over to 5AR4s when they could get good ones consistently (about 2012). They started using Ruby.
I want to change over to the 5AR4s for a little gentler start up on my WE 300Bs.

I just can't see paying $50 a pop for Russian 5AR4s. I just started looking but haven't actually seen Chinese 5AR4s (GZ34).
(Normally I'd be looking for some NOS but each mono block uses TWO rectifiers.)

I appreciate your advice. Sorry for bringing up an old tired subject.
Click to expand...

Dave_in_Va, I'm not trying to be snarky--really, I'm not. But with $12K monoblocks and $3K worth of 300Bs, is $250 really too much to spend on rectifier tubes? Seriously. Why go cheap and risk a meltdown in those beautiful amps? Plus, they *do* make a difference in the sound. I find the Genelex sound very nice in my Williamson monoblocks and are very reliable. It seems to me that the cost/benefit ratio is rather low here. I mean, if you *really* want a bargain, spend $500-600 on Mullards. I have a pair that came out of a 60 year-old Scott receiver and measure almost like new. There isn't a GZ34 made today that will last more than five years, if that. From one tube-lover to another, I honestly don't understand why you would risk those amps with bargain rectifiers, or settle for less than exemplary performance and sound. Next to output transformers, rectifier tubes are near the heartbeat of a good amp.

I'd even recommend the TAD 5AR4 as a bit more of a bargain at $35, but one of those failed on me in a 150mA circuit. Just doesn't seem worth it to me.
 
TAD 5AR4's are Chinese made if I'm not mistaken. TAD supposedly has them made to thete specs. The reason why you see the red base instead of the brown base they use to have put on there 5AR4's, is be ause that Chinese factory that made them burnt down. The new tubes with red bases are made in another factory.
I haven't had any problems with the TAD brown base 5AR4 so far.
 
Zack, it's not the high price of the Russian tubes, it's the reason they're high priced. With a choice between Slovakian, Russian or Chinese tubes, Russian is my last.
I'll just leave it at that.

I'll google that DC/VA/MD group. I'd never heard of it. Thanks.

Manley told me it would be okay to make the swap but I'm waiting for confirmation that the filter caps are okay with the smaller voltage drop.
 
Dave_in_Va. said:
Zack, it's not the high price of the Russian tubes, it's the reason they're high priced. With a choice between Slovakian, Russian or Chinese tubes, Russian is my last.
I'll just leave it at that.

I'll google that DC/VA/MD group. I'd never heard of it. Thanks.

Manley told me it would be okay to make the swap but I'm waiting for confirmation that the filter caps are okay with the smaller voltage drop.
Click to expand...

Okay, fair enough. You might check eBay for Sylvania or GE 5AR4s, they're twice the price of Chinese ones but half the price of Mullards, and they're tough as nails. The large-bottle Sylvanias are very good, as are the "copper plate" GEs.

Otherwise the TAD is probably your best bet, at least they are selected and most people have seem to have had no problems. Since they're doubled in the Manley they'll probably be fine.
 
Last edited:
There's always the "yellow sheet" mod, if it's compatible with the Manley amps. Are these amps wired point-point?

jeff
 
I can get the red base Rubys from Manley or order the red base TADs from Germany for around the same price (i. e. WAY too much for Chinese tubes).
I'm assuming they are the same tube?

Thanks vinylkid but I wouldn't chance the "yellow sheet" mod in the Manleys. They were designed to use two rectifier tubes each and I should stick with what the designer used.
 
I had 2 of those JJ 5AR4 tubes arc over/fail within a week of use, une was a few years ago, one we recently in an amp a customer brought for repairs. Maybe if you have a low current application they are OK? I've had good luck with Sovtek and TAD branded ones. For my personal amps I pony up for NOS ones.
 
I looked through my stash and found two good (real) Mullards so I'm just going to buy a couple more NOS Mullards and be done with it.
It just hurt too much to think of paying $50 for a $15 Chinese tube. A shame about the JJs.
I appreciate everyone's advice.
 
Last edited:
Dave_in_Va. said:
Zack, it's not the high price of the Russian tubes, it's the reason they're high priced. With a choice between Slovakian, Russian or Chinese tubes, Russian is my last.
Click to expand...
I've had good luck with Sovtek 5AR4. You might look around to see if any U.S. sellers still have some old stock.

Jack
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom