Do tube dampers really work?

Yes but you also have to add a weight to the top of the tube. There were a few companies selling these a few years back but you can make your own by going to the arts and craft store and buying some lead ribbon and making a little circle to fit on top of your tubes. Cheap and effective.

Smacking the tubes while running is not an effective test of microphonics. Just a stupid thing to do.

-Ed

I'm using a set of 6 Hal-O tube dampers from Herbie's Audio Lab (on both preamp and amp). The cost was $95 with a 90 day money back guarantee. There's no way mine are going back. The change in my system was dramatic.

Karls,
If you remember I was posting about microphonics in tubes since I had them in freequent practice for quite a-bit working with powerfull UHF radio transmitter.

Tapping tubes is NOT a microphonic test since it exceeds air pressure gazillion times. I urge NOT to do that test.

What you can do is tap on chassis or interconnect wires and if you hear clicks-pops than you have a case with bad tube you need to examine.

As to dampers they eliminate vibrations of "bottle" but found tube coolers at www.percyaudio.com can prolong a tube life. Still not sure how it affects sonics since it's simply to say a teaspoon in the ocean to the different components speakers room, temperature and even air content.

Like chicken soup for a cold: it can't hoit!