Home » Audio » Thermionic Emissions » Electro-Harmonix 2A3 replacement for Valve Art 2A3
Electro-Harmonix 2A3 replacement for Valve Art 2A3 [message #10580] Mon, 29 March 2004 02:41 Go to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18791
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)

In two words:

Do it.

The gold grid Electro-Harmonix 2A3 build quality is much better, and the cost isn't that much more in dollars. As a percentage, the Electro-Harmonix tube is about double the cost of the Valve Art 2A3, but that's only about fifty bucks difference for a matched pair. The improvement in quality is well worth the small additional cost.

A matched pair of Valve Art 2A3's is about forty bucks street price, where a matched pair of Electro-Harmonix is about ninety. That's nothing like a pair of Tung-Sol's or new-old-stock RCA's at $300.00. While we're quoting prices, a matched pair of TJ Meshplate 2A3's is $240.00 and a matched pair of Sovtec 2A3's is about $60.00. So those represent price points in between.

I can't really comment about the sound much because I haven't spent much time with them. I've listened to all of one album side; This morning I listened to the first side of "Alan Parson's Project Pyramid".

My first impression was that the Electro-Harmonix tubes sounded immediately better than the Valve Art's, but that is probably largerly because their obvious build quality makes me expect them to sound better. That combined with the fact that it the Electro-Harmonix are less noisy makes them seem to sound better, right off the bat. But the noise difference isn't any sort of psychological thing - The Electro-Harmonix tube is definitely less noisy.

I'm comparing these tubes in an otherwise stock pair of Paramour monoblocks, each containing the C4S regulator. The stock Paramours hum a little bit even in their best trim, but it isn't particularly bad. But when a Valve Art tube pops like a Geiger counter, that really gets on your nerves.

One of my Valve Art tubes pops this way constantly, and I am told it's a common symptom of about half of the Valve Art 2A3 tubes produced. I guess I'm batting average, 'cause one of my Valve Art's is clean and the other sounds like a Geiger counter until you've played it for about an hour. So half of my Valve Art tubes have this symptom, true to the rumor.

Anyway, the noise issue alone makes the Electro-Harmonix 2A3 worth the extra $25.00 to me. No question. I think it's a better sounding part too, without respect to the issue of noise. But whether or not the tubes are equal in all other respects, the noise issue alone is worth the additional cost.

There's only one thing I liked better about the Valve Art 2A3, and it is probably pretty sophomoric. The Blue Glow. The Electro-Harmonic tube doesn't have it. Its filaments are orange as you would expect, and there may be the faintest hint of blue tint surrounding them. But the Valve Arts are brilliant blue, almost like a deep blue neon bulb. So when I pulled out my orange vinyl copy of "Alan Parson's Project Pyramid", it was the only unusual color in the audio chain.

Blue Glow [message #10581 is a reply to message #10580] Mon, 29 March 2004 16:32 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Seeker is currently offline  Seeker
Messages: 48
Registered: May 2009
Baron
HI Wayne, I see you received your Electro-Harmonix tubes; since I recommened them, I'm glad you like them. That blue glow you mentioned will appear as the tubes break in.

Re: Blue Glow [message #10582 is a reply to message #10581] Tue, 30 March 2004 04:31 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18791
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)
Sounds good. I really like the Electro-Harmonix 2A3 much better than the Valve Arts. Which other 2A3's have you tried? Ever heard those RCA's or Tung-Sol's?

Re: Blue Glow [message #10583 is a reply to message #10582] Tue, 30 March 2004 07:39 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Seeker is currently offline  Seeker
Messages: 48
Registered: May 2009
Baron
Hi Wayne, no I haven't purchased the RCA's or Tung-Sol's - the price is at a point that I call diminishing return on investment. I've heard them, but I don't beleive there is a night and day difference between them and the Electro-Harmonix or Sovtek tubes. I use Welborne Lab's Moondog mono amps and have placed an RCA and a Tung-Sol in one amp and left the other with an Electro-Harmonix or a Sovtek; in my amps there just isn't enough difference to justify the price.

I prefer the Electro-Harmonix 2A3's to the Sovtek's, but can happily listen to either.

Re: Blue Glow [message #10611 is a reply to message #10583] Fri, 07 May 2004 17:33 Go to previous message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18791
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)
I just found out that a blue glow is caused by electrons escaping the plate and hitting the glass, not gas within the tube as I thought might be the case. A light blue glow results from electrons striking gas, dark blue is from hitting glass. Interesting.

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