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Vintage Tubes - Berning EA-230

nailer

nailer

audionerd
Need vintage tube recommendations for my EA-230. Its tube complement per channel is 2 X 12AT7, 1 X 6SN7, and 2 X 6JN6 (outputs). Already have the 12AT7s covered with my vintage preamp tubes. Current 6SN7 and 6JN6 are GE’s and probably the amp’s originals. I understand that some owners are partial to the Sylvania 6JN6. Thanks.
 
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Any output tube brand is good, but yeh, Sylvys are what I settled on in my homebrew. Hell of an amp, with balls to spare.:music: BTW, the output tubes last forever unless you run it wide open all the time. When mine is idling, or playing at a normal listening level, I can lay my finger on the side of the output tube and keep it there. Try that with a ST70. The 6JN6s idle at 3ma, so they don't even get hot untill you start cranking some juice through them.
 
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My personal experience is that the input and driver tubes make a lot more difference than the output tubes in the EA-230 (or any of Berning's amps for that matter) - I've tried Zenith, Sylvania, GE and Amperex, and they're all about the same. For the drivers, I always preferred RCA 6SN7GTB black plate, with side getter - don't bother with straight 6SN7s, as the amp needs the higher plate voltage capacity of the GTA/GTB/WGT series. For input tubes, I like old black plate Sylvanias with the square getter, but they are pretty hard to find in good shape. Happy rolling!
 
palasr said:
My personal experience is that the input and driver tubes make a lot more difference than the output tubes in the EA-230 (or any of Berning's amps for that matter) - I've tried Zenith, Sylvania, GE and Amperex, and they're all about the same. For the drivers, I always preferred RCA 6SN7GTB black plate, with side getter - don't bother with straight 6SN7s, as the amp needs the higher plate voltage capacity of the GTA/GTB/WGT series. For input tubes, I like old black plate Sylvanias with the square getter, but they are pretty hard to find in good shape. Happy rolling!
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This. Exactly my experience too. Especially the 6SN7GTB. GTs or plain 6SN7s won't handle 430v very well, but GTBs will do it no problem.

Regards,
Gordon.
 
palasr said:
My personal experience is that the input and driver tubes make a lot more difference than the output tubes in the EA-230 (or any of Berning's amps for that matter) - I've tried Zenith, Sylvania, GE and Amperex, and they're all about the same. For the drivers, I always preferred RCA 6SN7GTB black plate, with side getter - don't bother with straight 6SN7s, as the amp needs the higher plate voltage capacity of the GTA/GTB/WGT series. For input tubes, I like old black plate Sylvanias with the square getter, but they are pretty hard to find in good shape. Happy rolling!
Click to expand...

I'd say that goes for any tube amp. I run either JAN Tungsol or RCA 5962 red base or combo there of.
 
Hiya,

Actually I am digging the staggered plate black bottle bottom getter Ken-Rad 6SN7GT's ATM. I found a couple in a pile of 6SN7's and they sound pretty darn good.

EDIT: Of course I post something before I read the 430v B+ concerns. Slaps self.

Frannie
 
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