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274B Rectifier Tube for Zen Triode?... (Read 6012 times)
Mark
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274B Rectifier Tube for Zen Triode?...
08/29/12 at 00:26:42
 
I see that one of the options for rectification on the Zen Triode is the venerable 274B... I was wondering if this had any deleterious effects on the amplifier...

Some 274Bs are quite expensive... The original Western Electric and current Sophia being two examples... I mean, why would a rectifier cost this much?... Would it make that much of a difference?...

Could the amp be modded to better accomodate the 274B?...  (m.)
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If a rabbit defined intelligence the way man does, then the most intelligent animal would be a rabbit, followed by the animal most willing to obey the commands of a rabbit. -Robert Brault, writer (b. 1938)
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Steve Deckert
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Re: 274B Rectifier Tube for Zen Triode?...
Reply #1 - 09/01/12 at 06:41:32
 
Hi Mark,

No negative effects on the amplifier,  no.  The 274B from old and many of the current remakes of the tube, like many rectifier tubes,  likes to see no more than about 6 or 8 uf capacitors in the first section of the power supply filter.  They also like a choke most of the time...   Exceeding this value with what many amps today use, like Decware, 33uf, it can make the 274B arc upon startup and shorten it's life.  Not all 274B's have this issue.   My recommendation is to try the Chinese 274B that costs about 15 dollars.  It works well without arching and doesn't cost enough to loose any sleep over if it DOES blow up prematurely.  I sent one to Lon, a regular on this forum, just to give him something different to play with...  he said it gave his preamp a bigger bolder sound.

Steve
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Lon
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Re: 274B Rectifier Tube for Zen Triode?...
Reply #2 - 09/01/12 at 14:31:12
 
Thanks for the experience Steve (in my new CSP2+). I tried it and so far prefer what sounds to me as the more accurate sounds of the 5Y3GT tube type in that component. The 274B from Valve Art DOES have a big and bold sound, unnaturally so to my ears with the recordings of acoustic instruments (jazz and classical) I mainly listen to. But may be just the thing for electric and electronic music. Sure does light the tubes in the amp up like Xmas!

I'll pop it in the CSP2+ again in a while, when I tried it the component was very new! It's sounding very nice now by the way, lovely sound. If only it had one more input it would be the perfect preamp for me.
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Mark
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Re: 274B Rectifier Tube for Zen Triode?...
Reply #3 - 09/01/12 at 21:52:49
 
Hello: I went ahead and ordered a Valve Art 274B assuming it was a rebranded Shuguang tube, which has gotten favorable reviews from actual users... That was before I saw Lon's post (above)... I'll just consider it one more option for voicing the amp to my taste...

I could have gotten a Shuguang, but all I could find were shipped from China, with a long wait... The VA, I can get from a stateside supplier in a week...

BTW, my Zen Triode has shipped, and I'm feeling pretty good about that... Thank you both for your comments here...  (m.) ps: I did check the pricing of some Western Electric NOS 274Bs, and got sticker shock... I'm not quite ready to spend more for a single tube than I spent for the entire amplifier!...
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If a rabbit defined intelligence the way man does, then the most intelligent animal would be a rabbit, followed by the animal most willing to obey the commands of a rabbit. -Robert Brault, writer (b. 1938)
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Mark
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Re: 274B Rectifier Tube for Zen Triode?...
Reply #4 - 09/26/12 at 22:37:22
 
Just a short addendum to this topic: I tried dropping the 274B into my Zen Triode today, and it does some interesting things: I have full-range speakers that are a bit ramped up in the treble, and the 274B does even out the overall response somewhat... I mean the speakers don't spit at you like before... Caveats?... Yes, It loses a bit of air on top... Which also affects the soundstaging a bit... But it's definitely a voicing tool...

So there we are... No more to report... Mark out...
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If a rabbit defined intelligence the way man does, then the most intelligent animal would be a rabbit, followed by the animal most willing to obey the commands of a rabbit. -Robert Brault, writer (b. 1938)
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