Silicone Tube Dampers? C'mon...

erco

While searching for vintage (jukebox amplifier) vacuum tubes on Ebay, I saw these silicone O-ring dampers to put around vacuum tubes. Wha...?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2pcs-19mm-Tube-Dampers-Silicone-O-Ring-Fit-12AX7-12AU7-12AT7-EL84-Audio-Vaccum-/251504675369?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item3a8ed8ca29

And here are the big boys: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tube-Damper-Pair-2-9-Pin-Miniature-fit-12AX7-6DJ8-/380149870736?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item5882b2b090

Keeps tubes cooler? Damps microphonics? Gimme a break. Anyone ever hear of these? Are these fodder for the tube freaks?

http://www.harmonycentral.com/forum/forum/guitar/acapella-29/1715837-

http://dynacotubeaudio.forumotion.com/t774-tube-dampers-are-they-for-real

mindrobots

Last time I listened to Inagadadavida, through an amp without dampers, it was a totally different song! ...of course, I didn't have my Monster cables with me.

kwinn

Mostly fodder for the tube freaks, but there is some argument in favor of damping microphonics. Vibration from loud audio, vehicles, stomping audience, etc. can make the tubes vibrate, and if the tube is vibrating so are the cathode, grid, and plate assemblies. That will affect the signal out of the tube.

Cluso99

Next, they will have colored versions with led lighting!

erco

Digging a bit deeper into vacuum tube variations, there are debates on the suitability/superiority of tubes with black plates versus gray plates: http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/archive/index.php/t-399082.html


And D-getters versus halo getters: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getter
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/tubes-valves/86068-why-d-getters.html

Where does the madness end?

One interesting factoid about this 1954 jukebox is that the amplifier always has all the tube filaments preheated to 1.8 volts so that they heat up rapidly to 6 and 12V when someone makes a selection. Also avoids thermal shock to a cold tube, so the tubes have longer life.

pmrobert

I prefer to waste money on more modern accoutrements - http://www.bestbuy.com/site/audioquest-rje-vodka-16-4-in-wall-ethernet-cable-black-blue/5578303.p?id=1218665495074&skuId=5578303 - .
You should hear how much better YouTube and Hulu sound with high quality cabling! These guys have Monster beat I think.....

erco

Stuff and nonsense. Discriminating audiophiles prefer coat hangers from One Hour Martinizing: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/hardware/coat-hanger-wire-is-just-as-good-as-a-high-quality-speaker-cable/19366

Franklin

You can get this http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DLIT8V0?psc=1 for your transistors too.

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

I've seen crazier stuff (only $1999.99) for rich, brainless audiophiles. Microphonics are real, though. But I suspect that wrapping the tube in several ounces of lead solder would be more effective, since the additional mass would keep the tube from vibrating from external shocks in the first place.

-Phil

Heater.

I love thermionic vacuum tubes. Valves as we like to call them. They are big and hot. You can see inside. They light up. And they have the most linear characteristics of any amplifying device ever made.


These auidiofools are an embarrassment to tube lovers everywhere.


Turns out it's not just the HiFi (Whatever happened to that term) fanatics who are suckered:
http://news.sciencemag.org/brain-behavior/2014/04/elite-violinists-fail-distinguish-legendary-violins-modern-fiddles

RDL2004

There truly is a lot of audiophool stuff being sold, but those tube dampers are not priced "phoolishly high" and microphonics are a real phenomenon.

Cables are something where people seem to go off the deep end the worst. They will pay thousands of dollars for interconnects, power cables, and speaker wire. It's insane.

I like the pretty wooden blocks to raise your speaker cables above the carpet so that static electricity (or something) doesn't pollute the signal.

http://www.audioadvisor.com/Cardas-Multi-Blocks/productinfo/CRMCB/

On the other hand, even though wildly over priced, something like the RCA jack caps actually may have some benefit.

http://www.audioadvisor.com/Cardas-Signature-RCA-Caps-Package-of-12/productinfo/CRRCASS/