Help choosing tubes

[WillVT]

Here's the situation. I have an RCA 6BQ5 console pull. Here's the thread about that: http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=650732

It actually has 3 RCA 6BQ5 tubes, and another different one, with faded lettering that says made in Holland. It recently started distorting quite bit, especially on things like vocals and piano.

I also have an old Zenith EL84 console. Here's the thread on that: http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=549438

Well I tried swapping out a tube from the Zenith for the one odd tube in the RCA, and voila, beautiful music.

So, my question is, should I use all 4 Zenith tubes, or just one, with the 3 RCA tubes? I want to sell the Zenith console soon. Is it smart to have 4 matched tubes?

 

[Dandy]

Matched power tubes are good, but they are matched by their plate current draw, not by the brand printed on them. They are usually matched up from a fairly large batch.

 

[sKiZo]

I just got some good feedback from AK & Co on EL84 selection you might find helpful ...

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=673137

Some of the new production tubes look pretty strong and are supposed to hold up well to comparison with NOS. Good prices too. I ended up going with the TAD EL84-STR's for my Eico HF12A.

A matched quad should be around $75.

Matched power tubes are good, but they are matched by their plate current draw, not by the brand printed on them. They are usually matched up from a fairly large batch.

Gotta give you that, but different brands also have different structure and tone, and some just don't play well together, especially in a push/pull circuit. Best to stick with matching tubes unless you like to experiment.

That said, I'm currently running an RCA black plate and a Sylvania in my amp and it sounds real decent. Should be interesting comparing those to the shiny new TADs when they get here.

 

[WillVT]

Thanks, guys. I'm listening right now with the 4 Zenith tubes in, and it sounds pretty great. Not that I would really know the difference between good and not good tubes, as I'm fairly new to the whole tube thing. All I know is that it sounds much better than it did with that one bad tube. What happened to that tube, did it just reach the end of it's life?

Anyway, now I need to figure out what to do with that hulking console. My wife wants it gone, mostly because it smells musty. It is in really great shape though. Is there a market for a working, cosmetically great, tube console? Especially now that it has a bad tube in it?

And on another note, as far as buying tubes, are there brands to avoid? From browsing a few threads, it seems that folks have good things to say about most of the brands I've ever heard of.