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Question About Tube Dampers

I have a Joule Electra tube preamp that I purchased here and it came with tube dampers on all the tubes. We all know of the advantages of using tube dampers on resonances and noise with tubes. Something I was thinking:

Are there any possible disadvantages to the sonics or performance of a preamp that you are aware of or have experienced with the use of tube dampers? Or is this always a performance positive?
foster_9
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,862 posts
 
If the dampers impair the tube's ability to get rid of heat then you can expect a shortened service life out of the tube. But usually they are a good thing sonically.

I have heard people say that there is a problem with loss of air due to the tubes being overdamped. Such a thing is not actually possible, FWIW.
hifigeek1
770 posts
 
It depends on the material the damper is made from, and the location you put them on the tube. Dampening rings should never be placed over the plate assembly of a small signal tube
as that's where the greatest heat is generated.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
It is not always a performance positive. It has been my experience that most tube dampers actually hurt the sound, albeit subtly. They seem like such a good idea, too. Experimentation is the order of the day.
hornguys
180 posts
 
I've not heard any tube damper that actually helped the sound.

IMO, they do change it. But not for the better.

But I've not heard them all.
michael02467
64 posts
 
If the dampers helped the sound so much, why wouldn't manufacturers of amps or pre-amps use them? Dampers are, relative to the finished product, quite cheap.
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