2. misc-audio
  3. 1018626236

Do "Tube Rings" really work?

When I say tube ring, I am referring to bands placed around tubes to reduce microphonics. If they do work, where on-line can I buy some.

Thanks.

m-
mdomnick
twl
3,251 posts
 
They work, but some people do not like the result. Some say it makes the music sound sterile and lifeless. Others are very happy with them. The only way to really know is to try some and see(hear). The Hal-O brand that is advertised here on the Audiogon has gotten good comments on several threads in the past. I'm sure others have their favorites, too. I do not use any myself as my system doesn't seem to be very sensitive to microphonics.
sdcampbell
2,136 posts
 
Tube rings are like many tweaks: NOT hearing an improvement in the sound creates a "cognitive dissonance", and the more money spent on the tweak, the greater the need to hear an improvement. The only way to accurately gauge whether tube rings really improve the sound quality is by A-B blind testing, and in high-end audio these days, the subjectivists have the upper hand over the objectivists (quite a change from 20 years ago). My personal belief is that if your tube preamp and amp are reasonable well isolated from acoustic and mechanical vibration, there shouldn't be much need for tube rings, since any "microphonics" would buried at a level far below the signal.
danner
202 posts
 
I put Hal-Os on an AES AE3 preamp and did not hear a difference. I do, however, have the preamp on a Bright Star Air Mass 3 isolation platform and that did make a differnce when I added it. I don't know if the Hal-Os would have made a difference without the platform since I didn't try that.
sugarbrie
3,854 posts
 
Sometimes a tiny bit of microphonics is not all bad (makes music sterile/lifeless with the rings). It may really depend on whether you have a microphonic problem. If not, then you'll may not notice anything with the rings. No different than those with clean AC power to start with find no benefit with AC filters; those with a very stable rack find no benefit with issolation devices; those with a well made CD player find to benefit from a separate jitter device; and so on.
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