GoodSoundClub - Romy the Cat's Audio Site

In the Forum: Audio Discussions
In the Thread: Initial thoughts about new/old Lamm ML2s

Post Subject: Demystifying NOSPosted by jessie.dazzle on: 7/19/2012

Romy wrote:
I would like to point out to a very important moment that took place in here. I do presume that Jessie account is very accurate and the Teflon sockets were bad. I even presume that they were bad not only from the perspective of cooling but were bad sonically..."

Not exactly: if you go back and read my initial post where I had just installed the Teflon sockets, I was equally enthusiastic about the sound then. It took some time for the Teflon sockets to get worse and it was progressive so not the sort of thing that immediately stands out. What eventually did stand out was that I found myself more and more not wanting to listen to the system. I initially assumed this was due to my own increasing workload.

"...I absolutely insist that THIS type of change did NOT come from the replacement of the tube sockets..."

And I would agree. When I first bought the amps, they had the original sockets which I eventually changed due to drifting plate current. The change of sockets DID improve the sound but I'm guessing this was ONLY because the new Teflon sockets were now actually gripping the pins (not micro-arcing) and I could correctly set plate current. I do not think the Teflon material had anything to do with the difference in sound.

When I installed the NOS sockets last weekend, the sound was back to where I remembered it being when first installing the Teflon sockets. I did not mean to imply that the NOS sockets improved sound over the sound when the Teflon sockets were first installed. I am definitely not a mystic. If I'm having trouble shutting off the system and going to bed at night, that's simply because I've lived without a system for several months and am now sort of overdosing.

As for Sitch's findings, I can only assume that his sockets are different than the ones I used. All the Teflon sockets I've seen for the 6C33C have the same architecture as the ones I used, regardless of the manufacturer/supplier/price. Some do have different pin receptacles that do without the additional spring-metal crimp ring (visible in my close up photos); they're basically just a metal post with a hole bored down the center and two slots cut at 90° to each other. These might stand up to excessive heat better but that too may change with time. Either way, this architecture places the soldered connection much closer to the heat source. Keep a close watch on plate current.

jd*

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