recommendations for tube dampers???

I use the Pearl Tube Coolers on some of my small-signal tubes (as well as all of my power tubes), but I can tell you that though they seem to be effective at the job they're named for, they should not be looked upon as damping devices, and will in many cases add their own resonances to those of the tube itself. Sometimes they will shift a tube's inherent resonance in frequency, but will not absorb it, even with their woven synthetic jackets underneath the finned metal heat sink and the "rubber bands" around the exterior. Sometimes they seem to vibrate in sympathy with a particular resonant mode, and actually extend the vibration longer in time after the initial stimulus. Sometimes they do none of the above, and many times (in certain applications) none of this will seem to make an audible difference anyway. But with critical tubes in hi-gain blocks, another type of device is probably the way to go. BTW, I have found that I have no real way of knowing whether or not the Tube Coolers are actually extending the life of my tubes, but they do seem capable of rapidly acquiring and dissipating a high degree (ha!) of heat. The only other downside I have found is on the power tubes only, the very high temperatures involved will bake the "rubber bands" into a hardened state, rendering them useless when you have to change tubesets, so stocking up in advance is a good idea (try Michael Percy Audio).

Top hats work well, but because you use a tube damper don't expect an improvement, and you may go backwards.

I had a guy grind me for an answer...will he like "X" tube damper?

First of all, in some positions, depending on the job of the tube, you may not hear a single difference in any way shape or form.

If it's the front end tube of a preamp or poweramp, you will hear a difference, but it depends on the tube in question. If the tube is already pretty tight, you may want to leave it. A smidge of microphony can be a good thing, and lead to a sense of "air" for right or wrong reasons.

There's nothing wrong with that. So the answer is nobody can tell you what to expect. We have more on that in our tube FAQ on our website

I tend to agree with Upscale on this. I use Top Hats and find them to be excellent on the principal tubes in my preamp, DACs and amps, but I note that along with better focus their effect can also be to rob a little of the euphonic sonic "glow" of some tubes which you may like. The ARC dampers are pretty cheap, I'd suggest them as a good place to start.

Upscale's comment about covers it. OTOH, for a couple of bucks, you can pick up three "O" rings for each tube at your local Home Depot. Get 'em slightly undersized and slip 'em on. Vary the number and position and listen. I've found them effective, sometimes not. As for Hats, Pearls and Sox, I've tried them all with varying or no success and, frankly, I don't think they're worth the expense. As for Herbie's, no experience with them, but they look interesting.

Hi. The above link to Herbie's Audio Lab is no longer valid. Herbie's new website address is:

http://herbiesaudiolab.net

Thanks!

Steve Herbelin
Herbie's Audio Lab