This issue of "burning-in" a rectifier tube is NONSENSE! It either works right away - or it doesn't! I speak from experience as a longtime tube user! As long as a rectifier tube is operated within its current/voltage rating, all is good! Different rectifiers drop the B+ voltage by different amounts. This affects overall circuit parameters. A rectifier tube has no "sound" per se! Expecting it to sound "better" after hundreds of hours is lunacy!
Bendix 6106 burn-in behavior
I've read that the Bendix 6106 can be a very good rectifier tube, but that it takes a couple hundred hours to burn in. And that during that time it can misbehave.
I've been burning in an NOS JAN Bendix 6106 for about 50 hours or so. Today I notice a slight hum on my phono channel, and the volume on the left phono channel is way down. However, on other sources, both channels are hum-free and have appropriate volume matching.
Do I have a bum tube? Or is this a normal behavior during 6106 burn-in? Preamp is Supratek Cortese with LCR phono stage. The seller has said he's willing to swap tubes to ensure my satisfaction...
Thanks, in advance, to anyone who has some experience to share.
Markus
I've been burning in an NOS JAN Bendix 6106 for about 50 hours or so. Today I notice a slight hum on my phono channel, and the volume on the left phono channel is way down. However, on other sources, both channels are hum-free and have appropriate volume matching.
Do I have a bum tube? Or is this a normal behavior during 6106 burn-in? Preamp is Supratek Cortese with LCR phono stage. The seller has said he's willing to swap tubes to ensure my satisfaction...
Thanks, in advance, to anyone who has some experience to share.
Markus
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- 10 posts total
@markusthenaimnut- If the tube is being used in the preamp, any abnormalities will be noticed on all sources. If your preamp has a tubed phono stage, swap that stage’s tubes, to see if they’re causing the problem. If not: reverse the interconnects from the arm/cart, to the phono stage and the imbalance should follow. |
Thanks to both of you for your responses. Here's a little more information - The builder of my preamp has advised that the tube is faulty. Replacing the Bendix 6106 with the stock tube immediately eliminated the problem, and the seller has issued a complete refund. Regarding the topic of burn-in, the tube originally functioned with no problems. I claim no expertise with respect to burn-in of this tube; quite the opposite. I had read on this forum another individual's experience with this type of tube in an earlier version of my preamp. I based my expectation on the need for burn-in on his comments. However, the phono stage in this latest design is extremely resolving and that might mean that this tube is no longer a good match for the preamp. From here on out I plan to stay with the stock tubes. |
- 10 posts total