It looks like I ran the Casts in my burnin thing for 3-4 days, then in the system several days. So I guess they are close to 100 hours when I pulled them. But the Fry Baby is not just the same as music...so maybe another day or two will tell the tale.

At this point, they are too "in the face" for me, but they do sound quite interesting other than being too powered up. Hopefully this will settle down. I did have an enjoyable "trip" into the music last night with them!

The Mullard GZ32 in the CSP3 was I think "about 90%" when I got it, having been used in a guitar amp. It cost about nothing and was a '59 so I wanted to hear it. I got it about 1.5 years ago, and going strong. Before that I used several different GZ32s, an early ST shape Mazda like I have used in my Torii a long time, but mostly fat bottle types, also Mazda labelled, one Dario that looks like Telefunken fat bottles. I never went long enough to say how long they may last. Many years though according to the Mazdas in the Torii... my eBay history does not go back far enough to say when I got those.

I have had 3! fail in the CSP3. One was labelled Adzam, and two Telefunken. Those were also early, and all NOS. They shorted out within a day or less...No idea why...shipping damage??? Rough history in the boxes. Don't know, but the only rectifiers that have gone on me at all have been shorts, blowing the fuse.

Another interesting tube is 5V4G, the US "equivalent" of a GZ32. Not necessarily the same, some more different, and some closer to Phillips STs. Especially early fat bottles with D getters (older) can be nice. I just put in a Tungsol, and it sounds great.

Sounds exciting to me!

The Tungsol is a little rounder and more textured than the Mullard, while being quite open and defined. Clearer in some ways, and deeper in others... the way it does spaciousness seems to round out the Casts nicely. It is all so much about what is with what!

Guys, I have to chime in here. Any conversation that 'degenerates' into a discussion of tubes is a very worthy conversation.

I must confess I am something of a rectifier collector. But somehow, I've never owned the GZ32. I've always thought of it as most similar to the 5Y3, though I am not exactly sure what the differences are in electrical specs off hand.

I've tested most of the following rectifiers, or at least own them, in the SE84CKC amp, which is ruthlessly revealing, or the Taboo III with the HD800 or Hifiman HE6. My pre-amp also takes 5Y3, so I have alot of those.
- Philips metal base 5AR4/GZ34
- USAF 596/5U4G equivalent
- Marconi U50/5Y3 black base, inverted cup getter
- Marconi U50/5Y3 brown base, D getter
- Neotron 5Y3 mesh plate
- Sophia 274B meshplate, current production
- Ken Rad 5Y3GY with donut mica and fishing pole filaments
- Bendix 6106/5Y3
- RCA 5U4GB top getter
- Cossor 53KU/5U4G
- Brimar brown base 5R4G^
- Brimar labeled 5U4G/believed to be RCA, bottom getter
- RCA 5R4GY, tan base
- Mullard GZ30 (5Y3 equivalent?)
- Radiotechnique 5Y3 tall bottle

I can pretty much tell you the characteristics of each from memory, if you were so interested. I should probably right them down at some point. However, I can tell you that using the ERR speakers, or the HD800 with classical music, the Brimar 5R4GY stands out. Some folks who are not used to tubes, perhaps might describe this tube as overly 'warm' or even syrupy, but I personally love it. As a former classical musician, to me this makes the orchestra just sound right. I also really liked the RCA 5R4GY, and you can find some really cool old samples in their original boxes, from the 1950's on eBay. In terms of 5Y3, the Neotron mesh plate I got, wow....forget it though, it's so rare - I bought it from a dude in France I met online. I also really like the Marconi U50 tubes which are 5Y3 equivalents electrically. They have great sound!!! Some are make in UK, others in Italy. It does seem there are some ITalian made Marconi tubes - they are not all GEC/Osram made. My first one was the brown base D getter with Marconi sticker (see picture below) and I enjoyed it so much I sought out backups. Also great with classical and jazz ensembles. I ended up getting alot from a gentleman in the UK of U50 tubes, and some have the inverted cup getter. One is in my preamp right now - these are really great too. I found the BEndix 6106 ruler flat neutral. Not romantic enough for my tastes, but definitely neutral. I also really liked the Philips metal base 5AR4 - listened to my tube for the first time in my Taboo with Hifiman HE6 headphones at a meet - it blew my mind. I want those headphones now just so I can listen to that combo all day long. So textured, the most microdetail of any tube and headphone combo I've heard. Expensive tube. Right now the Cossor 53KU is in my amp. I believe it's a 5U4G equivalent. Have you rectifier lovers seen the thread on Headfi about rectifiers?

http://www.head-fi.org/t/694525/dubstep-girls-massive-5ar4-5r4-5u4g-rectifier-re...

Will,
Can I ask what your personal favorite rectifiers might include? Looks like I should scoop up some GZ32 tubes. There are Mullards floating around for <$50 and plenty of other brands too like the Mazda and Philips. I may try some.
Can I ask what 7DJ8 you like? I've got a pair of Telefunken I have not listened to yet and also a GEC pinched waist 7DJ8 that I bought from a gentleman in Spain (I've spent way too much money on tubes this lat year). At first I did not care for the GEC in my Decware Taboo amp, but really like it now in my Dennis Had KT88 amp.
Sorry for the massive amount of posting...I just have a few minutes on my hands with the wife and kid asleep...shhhh.

doukhobar. I forgot to respond to your saying you had Clarity caps in the ERRs. If they are from the last three to four years, I am guessing Clarity SA. It is a pretty nice cap, having a lot of what we want...but a little over blown and affected in detailed texture aspects in the HR1s if I recall, probably contributing to your sense of brightness...I wanted smoother and more refined detail.

Mundorf Supremes, powerful with smooth, and, at least bypassed with Russian K40-Ys PIOs, more warm/big body with plenty of more refined detail after the long burnin.... That is one notable level up to me.

Double the price, and you have Jupiter VTs, ...a friendly and atmospheric cap that is not dark or dense, but warm in a natural way....but not dulled by darkness.... having good speed and refined detail in beautiful space...refined enough not to really sound like "detail" if you know what I mean...just real.

Then double the price again, you have the Jupiter Coppers, at sonicraft's current price anyway. I would love to hear these in my speakers, but just did not want to pay (400 at the time I bought the VTs). As it is as a coupling cap, I imagine this cap would be pretty flawless for tweeters. I love the VTs, guessing they are probably more atmospheric than the Coppers, but can only guess. VT stands for vintage. Based on coupling sound, I would think the Coppers would more-or-less disappear, leaving nothing out, and adding nothing in particular, but doing it in a spacious, natural feeling way.

As to rectifiers and inputs, I would have to think some on that. Seems the "best" is a lot about what else we have in our system/room, but there sure are nicer tubes within that.

Interesting side note I just found my clarity cap capacitors that came with my ERR's and they 3.9's. I thought the whole time they were 3.3, makes more sense why I went with the 3.9 mundorfs. Bought some Jupiter VT 3.3 to compare. At first listen they definitely sound different. Simple music sounds fantastic but more complex and it is really bright. Will burn in and check back in.

JD

Thanks for that info Will. I had them "regular" and they were way too bright. "Backwards" or towards the hot are fantastic. They are extremely rich and detailed and not overwhelming at all. Listening to an acoustic fm music program this morning and really enjoying. I did have to cut a prior pair of resistor wires to attach/rig to the end of these to make them fit/connect, they are huge.


JD

By the way. I ran the Black Duelund Carbon Cast 3.0 Resistors for weeks, and really did end up appreciating them. I found the same as Joman, they take a while to burn in fully, and once they do, the intensity compared to the 3.0 Standards does calm down some. And there is no doubt to me the Casts sound amazing. I could make them work beautifully if I did not have the Standards to fall back on. At this point, I still find them very impressive, but "too there" ...a little too demanding for my system/room and tastes.

Putting back in the Standards after getting used to the Casts, I was a little non-plussed. I had adjusted the system a bit to integrate the more forceful Casts, so changing back, at first the Standards seemed a little too "not there." But at the same time, I felt a big relief. Finally, to me, the Standards are pretty much neutral and transparent, and the Casts have everything the Standards have, more powerfully/forcefully conveyed.....Good choices to have!

Hello ERR guru friends:

I hope some of you are still around. I realize others of you have moved on...sniff, sniff.

Anyway, I finally purchased the Jupiter 3.3uF copper foil caps. However, I can't seem to figure out how to install them without modifying wiring. They are so much larger than the old caps, and the leads are just about the same length they don't nearly reach the binding posts. How do you guys suggest running the leads to this cap to the binding posts?

I've even included a picture!

Thanks Lon. I know JOMAN did it successfully awhile back. I've attached his picture.

It looks like he epoxied the capacitor to a piece of cork which was cut to the correct dimensions giving clearence to the capacitor and providing enough room to fiddle with the leads. Then he epoxied the cork to the ERR speaker itself.

Also looks like someone, possibly JOMAN used resistor wire to go between the capacitor and binding post. I guess that was simply tested together then shrink wrapped over it. Just my guesses!

Yeah...I don't have a soldering gun on me, and was hoping not to have to solder anything, but I guess I could go get a new one if necessary. Any thoughts on the wiring used to extend the leads?

Thanks!
I am wondering if old speaker wire is what I should use, considering much of this conversation has centered around differences between 0.68 and 0.82 ohm resistors! I was thinking perhaps some specialty solder and wire was needed? PartsConnexion recommendations welcome!

OK. I don't mean any offense, but I don't think that is a useful response. I appreciate the input though. Good day, Sir!

Yep, I can come off as a jerk when I'm trying to be funny.
Anyway, I understand what you are trying to do, change the crossover point from 2922 hz to 2423 hz. , that is if you are using a 8 ohm tweeter.
I may be a jerk, but I'm real good with math.

Thanks JD!

I really gleamed alot out of your back and forth with will. I studied this page for months, basically.

Also, what was your approach to mounting the Jupiter caps to the back baseplate?

FYI I paid $300 for the 3.3uF pair from Sonicraft. Thought that was a reasonable price, as it was lower than other websites and it arrived in 48 hrs.

I posted my review of the ERRx speakers over in the reviews section (see link below).  That said, I wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone on this forum.  Your experimentation, observations and insights really helped me along my journey...

https://www.decware.com/cgi-bin/yabb22/YaBB.pl?num=1511836131