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I've been using a Maxxed-Out phono stage for almost 8 years now. The original 6H23P-EB tubes are still in it. They seem OK, but I'm wondering if this could be a situation where the sound has degraded so slowly that I'm not aware of it. And if I replaced the tubes, I'd be surprised at how much better it sounds. Does anyone know how many hours these tubes should be good for? Has anyone replaced them and been pleased with the change? The ones I've seen online seem to be $50-$60 each, so I don't want to replace perfectly good tubes.
Thanks.
Joe
Follow Ups:
length of time. Have put in new tubes recently and went back to the originals- the originals sounded just as good if not better.
Mark in NC
"The thought that life could be better is woven indelibly into our hearts and our brains" -Paul Simon
Thanks, Mark. That's great to know. With your comment and Kevin's, I'm in no hurry to replace them.
vs. the stock 6H23s at some point, but that's a different issue.
Mark in NC
"The thought that life could be better is woven indelibly into our hearts and our brains" -Paul Simon
Mark, what were the new tubes you tried (and went back to the originals)? It's my understanding there are basic 6H23 tubes and a higher quality version 6H23P-EB. The 6H23P-EB (Russian make) came in my kit. Thanks.
The new ones I put in briefly are the same standard Russian 6H23- forget which suffix- as the old ones (got them from Kevin as he's located not too far from me). I also have a pair of Voshkod ("Rocket" logo) 6H23's, also from Kevin, which I've not yet tried.
Mark in NC
"The thought that life could be better is woven indelibly into our hearts and our brains" -Paul Simon
I've tried several 6922/E88CC variants over the years in mine, and always come back to the 6H23 FWIW.
nt.
Mark in NC
"The thought that life could be better is woven indelibly into our hearts and our brains" -Paul Simon
I had more than perhaps 1000 hours on my demo MO Phono Preamp (rev 4) before someone insisted on having it so they wouldn't have to wait for 3 weeks to get a new one (what a problem to have...). I put new tubes in a couple of borrows before that and I couldn't hear a difference, so I kept the used ones and put them in the next new one (mine). If yours has 5000 hours (!) on it, then perhaps it's worth trying new ones, but not after 1000 hours.
Kevin Carter
K&K Audio
www.kandkaudio.com
Thanks, Kevin. Your help is always appreciated. I'm sure mine have more than 1000 hours on them, but it's hard to estimate over 7-8 years. Maybe I'll try new tubes at some point, but I'll leave the current ones in for now. They still sound very good!
I know you have a number of responses that support leaving the stock tubes in the unit and I caution against trying to find "better" tubes. I tried some fancy Amperex 6922s, some RCA 6DJ8s and some supposedly phenomenal Seimens 7308s. None had the snap and explosive drive the original K&Ks had. Soundstage became recessed and too syrupy I put in a replacement set from Kevin as well as some rocket logo versions for when these wear out. I play music through them every single day for a couple of hours for a couple of years now. Not the quietest tube in the stable but the sound is head and shoulders above the fancy-pants tubes IMHO
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