I have a quad of EH 6L6's that were supposed to be matched, but I tried them as pairs in my RM50 and any two together were between 6MV and 9MV different. The manual says should be less than 5MV. I shouldn't use these in this amp, correct?
Power tubes matching - How far off is ok?
- Thread starter warlok
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Mattfig
Well-known member
In the end, it doesn't really matter a ton...But I'm like you and that kinda thing bugs me...Big tube places tend to try to match 5 to 0 claiming 1-3 as the norm...I have had similar results unfortunately...You can send them back and get a better matched set...Most places do that...
In the future, when you place a power tube order, make sure you tell them you are picky about the tubes being as closely matched as possible...I find it helps...
In the future, when you place a power tube order, make sure you tell them you are picky about the tubes being as closely matched as possible...I find it helps...
Good tip Matt.. But I didn't buy these. They were the "new" ones that came with my RM100 when I bought it here in 2010. There was a mix up and they were sent afterwards, I had already installed a matched JJ set I had, so they just sat in the spare tubes box.. I may put these in my RM100 as I can bias them individually and use the matched JJ's in the RM50.
Honestly, it's not that huge a deal. I really just want to see the difference between the Mullard EL34 pair that came with this RM50 and a pair of 6L6's. This is the first time I've ever had EL34's. The EL34's sound really smooth and clean. I tend to lean towards a more raw crunchy sound. But it may not make much of a difference anyway as I don't play that loud. Could be pissing in the wind, where as I should just play it and stop messing around.. lol
Honestly, it's not that huge a deal. I really just want to see the difference between the Mullard EL34 pair that came with this RM50 and a pair of 6L6's. This is the first time I've ever had EL34's. The EL34's sound really smooth and clean. I tend to lean towards a more raw crunchy sound. But it may not make much of a difference anyway as I don't play that loud. Could be pissing in the wind, where as I should just play it and stop messing around.. lol
Jaded Faith
Well-known member
It all depends on who you ask and how much of an "expert" they think they are. Or if they are in the business of selling you tubes....
I go through hundreds of tubes here a year and talk to players of all walks about them. Keep in mind back in the day, the quad of tubes that went into a given amp at the factory just happened to be the four that the tech setting the amp up happened to grab first out of the box.
While I would say 5-7mA apart is a good enough match, there are plenty of guys I work with that freak out over 1-2mA difference. Then there are many a "matched pair" that are 9-10mA off and sound FANTASTIC. You really need to use your ears and not your eyes. Like the hype over the need for a balanced PI tube (which I don't subscribe to at all), you have to remember one key truth: You are sweating a perfect match for something that's going to go into an imperfect circuit!
If you have something like an RM100 with independent bias pots, it won't matter at all if the set's matched because you simply tune them up as needed to work together.
I go through hundreds of tubes here a year and talk to players of all walks about them. Keep in mind back in the day, the quad of tubes that went into a given amp at the factory just happened to be the four that the tech setting the amp up happened to grab first out of the box.
While I would say 5-7mA apart is a good enough match, there are plenty of guys I work with that freak out over 1-2mA difference. Then there are many a "matched pair" that are 9-10mA off and sound FANTASTIC. You really need to use your ears and not your eyes. Like the hype over the need for a balanced PI tube (which I don't subscribe to at all), you have to remember one key truth: You are sweating a perfect match for something that's going to go into an imperfect circuit!
If you have something like an RM100 with independent bias pots, it won't matter at all if the set's matched because you simply tune them up as needed to work together.
Jaded Faith
Well-known member
Not at all.warlok said:
