Posted by Damir [ 213.202.96.55 ] on May 23, 2006 at 08:13:59:
In Reply to: But I'm still on step 9... posted by 2wo on May 22, 2006 at 23:35:03:
Hey, I`m interested - it`s a DRD amp, yes?
If you can find a pair, try E180F, too - it seems to me that D3a "sounds" a little more "raw/rough", although very similar like E180F. (In my application/system and with just a few tubes I tried:-)).
E186F is a low michrophony/noise version of E180F - didn`t try it yet.
Unbypassed cathode (although I use CCS+low imp. out) sounds to me somehow "flat, warm, soft, rolled off, undynamic"... And various caps bypasses have their own "sounds" - currently experimenting with this.
And one more thing just remembered - it`s a better to stay away from 0V bias "border"; according to the M. Jones, significant grid-current flows when Ugk < -1,1V - distortion on signal peaks. I tried various OPs, from -1,7V to -2,5V and "higher" bias sounds better to me, but it`s sometimes not easy - the new D3a tubes I get have Ua>260V when Ugk=-2,4V! Out of specs (about 217V with -2,4V/11mA OP), but it`s a common with those high-gm tubes, where fraction of the Ugk volts means tens of Ua volts change with constant Ia.
C3g is interesting, too - but "softer" then both E180F and D3a - good for some music, bad for the other... 
Anyway, those are my "listening tests results" for now, I`m glad to hear other experiences with these tubes...
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