Tube dampeners on ARC gear ... FREE TWEAK


Here's a cheap (free) tweak for owners of ARC gear using the black tube dampeners. If you move both dampeners as far up toward the top of the tube as possible without having the top one fall off, taking care that both dampeners are solidly touching each other, you will get better dynamics, bass, mids, highs and a lower noise floor. Try it ... you'll like it.
128x128oregonpapa
I suspect most people will find that Herbies tube dampers are quite sensitive to where on a particular tube they are placed. For example, on medium/large output tubes like 6SN7 the Herbies damper should sound correct/best when placed where the getter is located, which for bottom getters means on the lower portion of the tube. Also suggest trying placing the Herbies damper on the base itself instead of the glass. For small tubes the ideal location is usually but not always about 2/3 of the way up the tube. Also, when using many Herbies can I suggest trying one at a time, evaluating the sound incrementally. Otherwise, it's like tying to solve three simultaneous equations in four unknowns.

Geoff,

Thanks for your suggestion.  I did play around with the position for the Herbies dampers but nothing seemed to release the high/mid back to my system.  I guess my case is a little different than most of you here in the forum where you guys are using them on traditional preamps and power amps.  I am using them on a pair of PCC88s acting as a input stage for the PS Audio BHK 250 power amp.  It is not really a tube amp but a hybrid.  I guess I will send them back.

Frank,
I am placing an order of 4 Red fuses to replace the rest of the rail fuses in my amp since they are on sale now.  I am not sure if the Black fuses are twice as good as the Reds.  What do you think?

Allan

^^^ Allan ...

The Black fuses are a significant improvement over the Reds. I had my entire system completed with the Reds when the Blacks hit the market. I now have the system completed with the Blacks. There is no way I would want to go back to the Reds unless I had to use one as a spare. I would suggest that if cost is a factory that you do one fuse at a time, but make it black. :-)

Frank



Frank,

do you happen to have any 5x20 fast blow 10 amp red fuses that I can buy from you?

Allan