Forums - Tube wiggleing

Dana

Seasoned Member

Posts: 720

Tube wiggleing
04/24/22 at 18:24:18

I've had my SE84UFO for a while now and am currently happy with my tube choices. The problem is as the system becomes more resolving I'm starting to hear background distortions. I'm can't tell if they are real or imagined, my system or the recording.

Wiggling the tubes to reestablish the pin connections seems to help but it could also just be a placebo effect.

I don't use socket savers but is there a downside to occasionally wiggling the tube as opposed to removing and reseating them?

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Tom Waits:
And the newspapers were fooling,
And the ash-trays have retired
'Cause the piano has been drinking,
The piano has been drinking
The piano has been drinking,
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CAJames

Seasoned Member

"I've run every
red light on memory
lane."

Posts: 2447

Re: Tube wiggleing
Reply #1 - 04/24/22 at 22:57:34

I don't know that "wiggling" a tube re-establishes the connection with the socket, if anything I'd say it loosens the connection. The sockets in the amp are high quality, but they have a finite lifetime, and wiggling tubes seems like a good way to hasten their demise. I'm a big believer in socket savers and Deoxit and leaving tubes alone until I want to swap them out. Also using a pin straightener before I put any 9 pin tube in the system.

If you're hearing, or think you're hearing, distortion play it back and listen again. Play it back a little louder or softer. There are certainly distortions in some of my recordings I couldn't hear until I got my Decware system, but I'd guess a lot of times its just a glitch in your front end, esp. if you are streaming.

Just my 2 cents.

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[FOOBAR2000 | Jay's CDT2 MRK3] -> Denafrips Terminator 2 + Gaia
Sumiko Pearwood -> Mapleknoll Athena -> Luxman SUT -> Mapletree Phono 3E
STR-1002 -> Woo WA22 -> 2x UFO25s, balanced monos
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Archie Seasoned Member Posts: 2731	Re: Tube wiggleing Reply #2 - 04/24/22 at 23:49:46 That reminds me of when I first noticed the amplifier hum in the Doors' When The Music's Over. I thought I had equipment hum but it was in the recording. lol
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Dana

Seasoned Member

Posts: 720

Re: Tube wiggleing
Reply #3 - 04/25/22 at 18:21:59

All right,

Previously I used the red DeOxIt on the tube pins but didn't wipe it off thinking it would air dry or something. I pulled the tubes and cleaned the pins and the input tube had a slight black residue but the power tubes left green streaks when I cleaned them. Those pins aren't gold plated and I'm not sure where the green came from but must be corrosion from the socket receptacles. I reapplied the DeOxIt but this time wiped all the pins off and haven't noticed the distortion so I hope I got it.

I need to start marketing PLACEBO as a sound enhancer.... the stereo has never sounded better Smiley

Thanks James

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Tom Waits:
And the newspapers were fooling,
And the ash-trays have retired
'Cause the piano has been drinking,
The piano has been drinking
The piano has been drinking,
Not me, not me, not me, not me, not me

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spyder1

Ex Member

Re: Tube wiggleing
Reply #4 - 04/25/22 at 18:56:34

Dana,

Deoxit "Red" cleaning products are not meant for cleaning vacuum tube pins.(High Heat Applications). The {Deoxit Red} will leave a black soot coating on vacuum tube pins. I use 90% Isopropyl Alcohol first using cotton swabs, followed by Deoxit "Gold GX100L-UV." The "Gold GX100L-UV" is expensive, but it is meant to be used with vacuum tube pins, and high heat applications. I coat pins with the Gold GX100L-UV product using cotton swab, make shure there is no excess product left on pins with clean end of swab.

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Lin Ex Member	Re: Tube wiggleing Reply #5 - 04/25/22 at 19:25:17 Jim McShane recommends using DeoxIt D5 and pipe cleaners or dental brushes for smaller tubes.
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Dana Seasoned Member Posts: 720	Re: Tube wiggleing Reply #6 - 04/25/22 at 19:34:09 I found this CLEANING TUBE SOCKETS https://vintagefenderamprepair.com/blogs/maintenance-tips/cleaning-tube-sockets Thank God for the lifetime warranty.
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CAJames Seasoned Member "I've run every red light on memory lane." Posts: 2447	Re: Tube wiggleing Reply #7 - 04/25/22 at 20:00:14 I've been using D100L for years, FWIW.
Back to top	[FOOBAR2000 \| Jay's CDT2 MRK3] -> Denafrips Terminator 2 + Gaia Sumiko Pearwood -> Mapleknoll Athena -> Luxman SUT -> Mapletree Phono 3E STR-1002 -> Woo WA22 -> 2x UFO25s, balanced monos Omega SAM , Hifiman Arya, Audeze LCD-XC IP Logged