Do tube dampers improve sound?

I have no experience with tube dampers, but here is a link to some info about them:

http://www.magnan.com/pages/tweaks/tubedampers.html

You might also do a search on the Audio Asylum "Tubes" forum to get some more opinions. http://www.audioasylum.com/audio/tubes/bbs.html

Holly

I would be lying if I told you that I can hear any difference, but like chicken soup, it can't oit! I have Herb's on my preamp and Audio Research rings on my phono section. Since tubes are microphonic to some extent, it does make some kind of sense to do what can be done to reduce these effects. The other consideration is price: they are normally reasonably priced, so it makes no sense to be without. BTW Herb's are easier to remove; the ARC ones get pretty soft with heat and tend to stick to the tubes a tiny bit. Just one man's opinion.

I've done well with Herbies Halos as well. However, it is important to note that the use of Herbies Halos is not an exact science. While there is a recommended position for them, you can and should experiment with placing the Halos at different positions on the tube to see what works best for you. I have used the rings mentioned in the other thread and while I feel they are a worthwhile choice, the Halos were better for me.

I have found that the very heavy brass tube dampers that Andy Bouwman of Vintage Tube Services sells make an audible and positive difference in the EF 86 tubes in my preamplifier, better focus of images being the primary benefit.

Tube dampers are primarily used to prevent or minimize microphonics in small signal tubes such as 6922's. I would not go overboard here and spend alot of money.