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Experienced the classic "tubey" sound recently - and LOVED it!

Posted by LowRedMoon (A) on May 3, 2007 at 10:48:52

I'd like to preface by reminding you folks that I was born in the late 70's and was raised on cheap transistor equipment. Prior to this hobby, the only exposure I'd had to tube audio (except guitar amps) was a few brief yet memorable moments with my grandfather's Fisher 500C as a young kid. That said --
I've been fiddling with EL34 and EL84 circuits for well over a year now and have been pretty pleased with the results. I've tried several variations of push-pull designs with these tubes - run as triodes and pentodes, with and without feedback, different driver types, etc.
What I've achieved with these tubes so far is what I would describe in simple terms as a very good "hi-fi" sound (I assume we all know what that means 'round here) with more natural tone and timbre than that of any of the SS gear I've heard. It is also important to note that the tube circuits are quite PHYSICALLY pleasing to the ear and brain - I've experienced little to no listener fatigue with the circuits I've tried, which alone makes this hobby worth the effort in my opinion.

Enter the Zenith C845 AM/FM tube radio.

I purchased this radio on eBay. I bought it for a good friend who listens to a lot of radio but had always used whatever cheap little boom box was readily and cheaply available. This was an exciting event for both of us. After a long, hasty unpacking, we both grabbed a bottle of Schneider-Weiss Eidelweiss and plugged in the radio (caps had already been reformed) and tuned in to what just happened to be one of the finest NPR jazz line ups I've ever heard - or was it the finest SOUNDING line up? What I was hearing amazed even me - this big, glorious, colorful sound came effortlessly rolling out of the single 8" speaker with a sort of rich, tonal warmth and presence that I've not heard since...well, those early memories of Grandpa's Fisher. THIS WAS SO FREAKING COOL! My friends and I were in complete awe and ecstasy over the gorgeous sound we were experiencing - and this did not fade as we continued to listen. Were we experiencing what is refered to as "euphonia?" Sure, the top was rolled off pretty low and the bass was a little loose on the ends, but the midrange tone, detail and space were nothing short of supremely musical. The detail and depth were also much better than I would have expected.

The radio's output tube is a single 35C5 pentode -- http://www.tdsl.duncanamps.com/show.php?des=35C5 -- which has some interesting characteristics and high distortion figures. It looks like the thing was made to run its filament directly from wall current in some sort of series circuit. I am aware that what I was hearing, in measurable terms, is what a ferocious gaggle of scope jockeys might deem unacceptable - but DAMN it sounded good!

I'm collecting parts to start experimenting with SET's. I hope that I can achieve some of the magic that I experienced with the Zenith.

Thanks for reading. I'm open to your thoughts.

Adam

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