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EAT Tube Damper

Just sharing one person's experience with EAT tube dampers. Wow. A great experience!

System:
- Zanden DAC 5000Sig
- CJ Act 2 Pre
- Gryphon Antileon
- SF Strads
- Velodyne DD18 (in parallel)
- Transp Ref Cabling
- PAD Ann Contego and Dominus Ferox PCs
- PS Audio Quintet (DAC/pre only)

Love my DAC but the Jan Phillips 6922 tube is exceedingly microphonic!!!...snap your fingers across the room, and the speakers ring! I had my DAC tilted on sandbags at a 30-degree angle to get it not to ring.

I replaced with a Mullard 6DJ8...better soundstage, dynamics, bass and NO microphony...but LESS musical to my ear...vocals not as organic...so I went back to the Jan Phillips and tilting the DAC.

Then a distributor recommended EAT tube dampers...just put it in...voila!

No microphony (so far) even on movie tracks with the Velodyne kicking. And sound technicals have improved:
- much greater instrument separation...like upgrading cables
- much clearer vocals
- greater soundstage and image solidity

So now I feel like I got the best of both worlds---the musicality of the phillips and the detail, presence, soundstage and depth of the mullard...now what would happen if I put in a mullard 7308 or a phillips holland 7308??? ;)

Thanks, EAT!!!
lloydelee21
lloydelee21 OP
1,202 posts
 
Hi Samhar,

Thank you. Yes, my speaker cables are reversed at the speaker end of the termination (correct at the back of the Gryphon amp). This compensates for the Act 2 inverting. This is what is suggested by CJ. (Just need to double check that the amp does not also reverse...which in my case it does not). Any more word on the cables? Thanks!!!
samhar
1,034 posts
 
Lloyd
I posted the P/C info on my system site.
samhar
1,034 posts
 
Were you able to force yourself to pull the Mullard and try the Amperex? If you did what are your observations and conclusions of the two.
lloydelee21 OP
1,202 posts
 
This weekend, I will focus on both the Amperex and the PAD Dom Ferox PC for my CJ Act 2.

I have only just finished breaking in the PAD past the 100hr mark which is an "ok" point at which to start listening. So far, I find it very hard to want to change the system because I am enjoying the music so much. I find it difficult to switch tracks because I just want to finish the whole track...a good sign. Hey, that's what we're in it for! Will post soon! Thanks, Samhar.
samhar
1,034 posts
 
That's what I thought might be happening.
I love it! I bought new amp stands yesterday and could not stop listening for nine hours !!!
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