Your feelings on vintage audio.

Having been in this hobby since the early 1960s, I have owned much classic equipment. After years with tube equipment and harsh solid state gear, I no longer own any tube components. I sold my stash of about a thousand tubes also.

There are outstanding tube components today, such as the Ypsilons, but they are very expensive and are hardly classic gear.

Tbg,

If you describe the SS gear as harsh, why no longer owning any tubed components?

Curious.

Best,

Dave

Corazon, Sorry, I did not complete what I sought to say. I have found several manufacturers of excellent ss equipment. The Ypsilon and Bridge Audio equipment is certainly exemplary, but solid state no longer sounds as my Crown gear used to sound. When I hear my old tube gear, I hear the faults of tubes as well as its virtues, lush midrange. But they lack the soundstaging that so thrills me now. And I no longer have to face the harshness.

OK Boys and Girls....

Got a call today from the shop I took my 299 to for restoration and it is done. Hope to get up to Austin soon to pick it up. Can't wait to hear it!

The gentlemen told me it sounds great and a few of the tubes while still quite viable could be considered as candidates for replacement in the future.

So I have a few questions...

1. ECF80/6BL8: Driver tubes correct? European/American designations correct? Have been to the HH Scott site and verified these tubes are specific to the amp. Are there some other tubes that can be substituted for these that run as the originals would in the unit, voltages, temperatures, biasing etc?

2. 6BQ5/7189: Output tubes? European/American designations? Are there some other tubes that can be substituted for these? Have been to the HH Scott site and verified these tubes. I have read at Franks Electron site that the EL84 many claim to be a substitue for these is not correct and in fact could cause problems. It is the EL84M that would be the correct substitution. Apparently the 6BQ5/7189 runs at higher voltages than the EL84 does preventing it from being compatible.

I have been to Tubes and More and Upscale Audio looking around tonight. They seem to list the EL84 as a compatible substitute. What do you all know/think about this?

So.. substitute recommendations, sites/sources to find these tubes, the 7189 and 6BL8 seem to be a little scarce.
NOS vs. new? Brand recommendations and why. European vs. American.

I realize I am asking a lot but after perusing the forums here and with all the wealth of information posted and knowledge many of you have, I thought it prudent to post and ask.

Thanks in advance, I'll continue to update as my journey in vintage progresses!

Best,

Dave

Hi Dave,

Your findings are mostly correct. The 7189 and EL84M output tubes are rated to handle significantly higher plate and screen voltages than the 6BQ5 and EL84, and the Scott 299A and 299B designs run them at voltages that are above the limits for the 6BQ5/EL84.

The 6LN8 is listed in my old Sams Tube Substitution Handbook as being a substitute for the 6BL8/ECF80. I compared the technical specs of the 6LN8 and the 6BL8 in an old GE Tube Manual I have. The only difference was that the filament voltages that were listed were 6.0V for the 6LN8 and 6.3V for the 6BL8. I would not expect that 5% difference to be significant, especially considering that all of the other specs are the same, and the Sams listing.

(For the record, though, I'll mention that the Sams handbook indicates that the converse substitution, 6BL8 for 6LN8, would not be suitable in circuits having series wired filaments requiring controlled warmup times. That has no relevance to the Scott application, though).

Continued good luck!

Best regards,
-- Al