Tube dampers ?

RichardA1

RichardA1

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Does anybody use thes on tube amplifiers? I have seen these but do not know much about them.
Does anyone have any opinions good or bad ?
 
Great question!!! I was thinking about the exact same thing a few days ago after I traded for an Audio Research VSi60 that hadnsome dampers on the pre tubes.

I've played around with dampers several different times, and I just can't seem to tell if they make a difference or not.
 
I tried a pair on the 6V6 tubes in my BAT VK-3i preamp and to my ear, they altered the sound and not in a positive way. Seemed like it closed every thing in. Lost the open, airy sound. Took them off and it opened back up. The tubes were not microphonic so I didn't really need them. I heard a system once that consisted of great gear but every thing that could have a damping device added to it did. It sounded lifeless. I think sometimes we over do it.
 
i use Herbies on my recti and DHT. They help with microphonics of certain tubes.
 
I've used the red silicone rings, and felt they deadened the sound. Then I switched to Herbies and am very satisfied - you get what you pay for.
 
So far, most all dampers that I've tried did the job - only too well.

Sound seemed to lose life & energy.

IMO..
 
Jim.......I agree. Recently I purchased four high-temp silicon o-rings from McMaster-Carr in the size that would be snug on my 12AT7 (Siemens ECC801S) driver tubes in a pair of McIntosh MC2301 tube power amps. I have been curious about tube dampers for years and decided to give them a whirl. Each MC2301 has two 12AT7's, one per channel. I tried positioning the dampers toward the bottom of the tubes, in the middle of the tubes, and near the top of the tubes. No matter where the dampers were positioned I experienced a slight reduction of upper mid-range clarity, slightly less air around voices and instruments. I spent a day with the dampers in each position before removing them and rediscovering the midrange air and energy that seemingly had been "damped". The o-rings now sit in my desk drawer and my curiosity has been satisfied.
 
There are only two Philips PCC88's in my CJ GAT2, but the UK importer/distributor recommends listening without the supplied damping rings in situ.

It's subtle, but I agree with his advice!
 
I used some Herbie's on my KT-88 tubes, couldn't tell much difference. I probably ought to try some on the 6922's.
 
I also use the Herbie’s on all tubes of my Quicksilver full function preamp. Even the rectifier 6x4’s. My first impression was that they quieted down the preamp slightly. But to be honest, I could not say they provided any real improvement. Hey, they don’t degrade either. Like many tweaks, I gave them a try. They were cheap enough. I keep them in the preamp nonetheless. My Bedini CD demagnetizer is collecting dust in some nebulous draw though.
 
Last night and again this afternoon, I tried Herbie’s RX-50 dampers around the thick parts of a pair of Philips 5R4GYS rectis in a PrimaLuna Dialogue preamp. I found they lowered the pitch not for the better and generally sucked the life out of the music. Tapping on those tubes, I heard “dead” glass, no ringing or microphonics.
 
Any thoughts on Pearl Tube Coolers?

I'm using them in my Sonic Frontiers Line 1. I can't say yet whether they have any effect on the sound. Pearl sells them mainly on that they cool the tubes and/or disperse the heat over more of the tube service, supposedly lengthening the life of the tube. I can't comment on that either, but I suspect any positive effect would be greater for power tubes than for low current tubes.

However I suspect it's valid to say the mass of the Pearl Coolers is sufficient to make them decent dampers too.
 
jdandy said:
Jim.......I agree. Recently I purchased four high-temp silicon o-rings from McMaster-Carr in the size that would be snug on my 12AT7 (Siemens ECC801S) driver tubes in a pair of McIntosh MC2301 tube power amps. I have been curious about tube dampers for years and decided to give them a whirl. Each MC2301 has two 12AT7's, one per channel. I tried positioning the dampers toward the bottom of the tubes, in the middle of the tubes, and near the top of the tubes. No matter where the dampers were positioned I experienced a slight reduction of upper mid-range clarity, slightly less air around voices and instruments. I spent a day with the dampers in each position before removing them and rediscovering the midrange air and energy that seemingly had been "damped". The o-rings now sit in my desk drawer and my curiosity has been satisfied.
Click to expand...

What am I hearing here? Is it that the pleasant spatial ambience or "holographic" effect from tubes is, indeed, caused by microphonics -- as some critics have insisted over the years?
 
Feanor said:
Any thoughts on Pearl Tube Coolers?

I'm using them in my Sonic Frontiers Line 1. I can't say yet whether they have any effect on the sound. Pearl sells them mainly on that they cool the tubes and/or disperse the heat over more of the tube service, supposedly lengthening the life of the tube. I can't comment on that either, but I suspect any positive effect would be greater for power tubes than for low current tubes.

However I suspect it's valid to say the mass of the Pearl Coolers is sufficient to make them decent dampers too.
Click to expand...

I call those things tube roasters. They don't have enough contact area to allow heat dissipation, and enclosing the tube in a sleeve doesn't allow proper air flow.
 
I think it is system-dependent, I never liked them, but they may work on an overly "bloomy" system.
 
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