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RCA OA3 NOS Regulator tube sources needed (Read 5054 times)
HockessinKid
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RCA OA3 NOS Regulator tube sources needed
08/24/20 at 20:55:20
 
Hi folks,

I am looking to purchase a couple backup pair of NOS, tested RCA OA3 regulator tubes for my ZMA. If anyone could provide information or a link to reliable sellers or have an extra pair they're willing to sell, please let me know.

Thanks in advance.

HK
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will
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Re: RCA OA3 NOS Regulator tube sources needed
Reply #1 - 08/24/20 at 21:47:49
 
Hey HK,

Looks like they are not all that easy to find today. But check these out. I bought a number of OB3 VRs here over time.

https://tubeworldexpress.com/collections/gas-regulators/0A3

Looks like Brent Jessee likely has them too. If you email or call him I would ask specifically for the matching construction and look.

http://www.audiotubes.com/bjtubes.htm#main%20list
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CAJames
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Re: RCA OA3 NOS Regulator tube sources needed
Reply #2 - 08/24/20 at 23:01:11
 
I've had good luck here:

http://www.vacuumtubes.com/

Michael usually gets back to me faster than Brent.
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Rivieraranch
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Re: RCA OA3 NOS Regulator tube sources needed
Reply #3 - 08/24/20 at 23:17:44
 
I sent you a message about these.
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HockessinKid
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Re: RCA OA3 NOS Regulator tube sources needed
Reply #4 - 08/24/20 at 23:57:46
 
Thanks for the suggestions guys. Rivieraranch, I responded to your PM.

HK
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Nottingham Interspace TT w/ Audio Technica AT-OC9XML cart + Modwright PH 9.0XT phono OR Modwright modded Cambridge CNX V2 > CSP3-25th Ann. preamp > ZMA-25th Ann. amp > PI Audio UberBUSS > Caintuck Audio Lii15 Magnum speakers > Snake River Audio & ZenWave cables
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Lon
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Re: RCA OA3 NOS Regulator tube sources needed
Reply #5 - 08/25/20 at 16:34:40
 
will wrote on 08/24/20 at 21:47:49:
But check these out. I bought a number of OB3 VRs here over time.

https://tubeworldexpress.com/collections/gas-regulators/0A3


Thanks for posting that link Will, I had forgotten about this source. I ordered two pair of Sylvania 0B3 from him. These older Sylvania are the closest I've found to favorite 0B3, a pair of Arcturus. (They may have been made by Sylvania, hard to say, they look a little different and don't sound identical.) I'll keep the numerous pairs of 0A3 that I have, they do work well with one pair of rectifiers, but 0B3 work with most all the rectifiers I roll.
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will
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Re: RCA OA3 NOS Regulator tube sources needed
Reply #6 - 08/25/20 at 23:28:42
 
You are welcome Lon. I had about forgotten Brendan too. Over time I bought quite a few OC3, OB3 and OA3 from him, but not for quite a few years. Pretty much narrowing down to OB3s, then eBay becoming so easy, I bought a pair now and then on eBay. But then, I guess maybe 5 years ago, I realized I had quite a few more OB3s than I would likely use, so I stopped buying them and thinking about sources until HK asked for a decent one.

You might recall Brendan was the one who told me he thought most all OB3s were Sylvania made. I had noticed the two basic ST shaped construction styles as a choice for sound, and he associated those with earlier, and slightly later vintages. One group's construction, the middle of three wires running through the solid interior glass blob was off center, and the other group, the middle wire was centered, most everything else being quite close. Associated, I had found one style was generally a little warmer and softer, more texture oriented, and one was more solid sounding and more open/spacious. I wonder if the Arcturus fits into this.

Some months ago I did some cursory tests, and as I bet you have, I found amp modifications had overruled the rolling benefits of a lot of the warmer versus cleaner aspects from the different constructions. Though still noticeable as I recall, they all sounded so good I stopped thinking of the differences as the tool it once was for tailoring the sound. At the same time, each individual tube from within a given construction style/vintage sounds more different from each other to me than I remembered, but all good. Still choices, but less distinctly important.

Right now I am really liking some labelled Marconi, and they have the centered middle wire. And before that, I used my first Sylvania labelled OB3s, that pair having the off-center middle wire.

Tubes are so amazing to me. Especially after successful modifications, about all of them sound notably different, but also most sound pretty great, while also allowing more varied tube combinations than I once used. Right now I am having fun with a few of my old 5U4GBs, most of my favs fat, straight sided bottle tubes I had "left behind" many years ago! Some of them are likely my bassist rectifiers in general, and to balance them I am really liking some GZ30s/5Z4s, some of my leaner/faster rectifiers. Just now, the bigger sounding bassier ones in the CSP3, and the leaner, more open ones in the Torii, it is pretty magical.
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Lon
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Re: RCA OA3 NOS Regulator tube sources needed
Reply #7 - 08/26/20 at 02:17:27
 
It is amazing how a tube is so revealed in these components and how each element of a complement influences all the others.

I seem to prefer the off-center 0B3 but can also enjoy the centered with other tubes in the complement. I keep shifting around between the different "amplifiers" I can make from my Monoblocks with different sets of tubes! I do tend to center around 0B3, but I might well go badck for a spell to 0D3, especially the rugged "W" type. . .as there is a real benefit to this tube. (I have a pair of Marconi bottle-shaped that are really nice. . .).
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will
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Re: RCA OA3 NOS Regulator tube sources needed
Reply #8 - 08/26/20 at 06:25:22
 
Interesting.  I really liked OC3Ws off and on with my Torii III. I think my favorites were late 40s Chathams. But finding coke bottle OD3s a little lean in that setup, I never tried the OD3Ws. Makes sense though, their more serious structure making Ws smoother and warmer in general, I can imagine that this could compensate.

The Ws, whether VRs or 5R4WGYs (also a favorite for a while), do have a nice solid and warmish sound. But last I tried, they tended to be a little overly-damped for me, especially noticeable in the lower mids and mid-bass, masking some of the amazing spacial qualities I am loving from my amps these days. I am used to noticing complex detail and spacial information sort of together, how they reveal and intermingle to create complex edges, decays, and senses of the space the players are in.... I find this fine detail in space complex a great read for completeness of the source, and how well it carries through the speakers and interacts with the room... Including everything on the way, this read is a nice simple tool for me.

Lately, I am noticing and paying attention to ambient space complexity on its own more, and treasure it as long as the overall sound is not so clear as to tend away from natural and live sounding musicality....toward lacking complexity, or being too lean or hard.

But I should try the Ws again, everything always changing.
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Lon
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Re: RCA OA3 NOS Regulator tube sources needed
Reply #9 - 09/03/20 at 15:17:25
 
There's a whole lot of RCA 0A3 (that seems to be the right nomenclature, not OA3) on ebay this morning!
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Lon
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Re: RCA OA3 NOS Regulator tube sources needed
Reply #10 - 09/03/20 at 15:29:00
 
By the way Will--I think that the Arcturus 0B3 that I love so much may be an RCA build. I have one pair of RCA 0B3 that I forgot about, stumbled upon them this morning, put them in. . .and the sound is so similar to the Arcturus that I compared them and they look to be the same build. Which has me now looking for RCA 0A3, which are not plentiful. . . .
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HR-1,ZTPRE,ZBIT,ZROCK2,SEWE300B,CSP3-25mod,Taboo MkIV;Rega RP3 all GrooveTracer mods;PSAudio:PST+DSD,P15,NPC,PowerBases,AC-12 pwr cbls,Reference spkrcbls;Mapleshade SamsonV3;VooDoo:Cremona+Amati interconnects, IsoPods; headphones:Sennheiser HD800S,ZMF Ori,Oppo PM1
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HockessinKid
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Re: RCA OA3 NOS Regulator tube sources needed
Reply #11 - 09/03/20 at 15:53:38
 
Lon,

Thanks for the information about eBay. I contacted several of these sellers, desiring match dated, tested pairs. Only one had the real goods, so I bought that pair and another from a fellow Decware forum member.

eBay can be hit or miss with tube sellers and quality. There are a couple Eastern European and Russian tube sellers I will buy 6NP1, 6NP5, and other signal tubes from. The only problem now is the very long shipping wait - last batch of NOS 6NP1 tubes took 2 months. Anyway my stash of replacements for my ZMA, CSP3+, and ZRock is pretty full now. I've got back ups for back ups😁.

Also, a shout out for the new production New Sensor (Gold Lion, TungSol, Millard,  etc.) tubes produced at the former Reflektor plant in Saratov. For the most part very high quality tubes at reasonable prices. Given the need to replace ZMA power tubes every couple years, I really appreciate these readily available tubes.

HK
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Nottingham Interspace TT w/ Audio Technica AT-OC9XML cart + Modwright PH 9.0XT phono OR Modwright modded Cambridge CNX V2 > CSP3-25th Ann. preamp > ZMA-25th Ann. amp > PI Audio UberBUSS > Caintuck Audio Lii15 Magnum speakers > Snake River Audio & ZenWave cables
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Lon
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Re: RCA OA3 NOS Regulator tube sources needed
Reply #12 - 09/03/20 at 16:43:09
 
Cool. I have had very good luck on eBay with tubes and have drawers of tubes to roll. It's a good situation.
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HR-1,ZTPRE,ZBIT,ZROCK2,SEWE300B,CSP3-25mod,Taboo MkIV;Rega RP3 all GrooveTracer mods;PSAudio:PST+DSD,P15,NPC,PowerBases,AC-12 pwr cbls,Reference spkrcbls;Mapleshade SamsonV3;VooDoo:Cremona+Amati interconnects, IsoPods; headphones:Sennheiser HD800S,ZMF Ori,Oppo PM1
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