Favorite 5AR4 Rectifier?

[Believe High Fidelity]

Interested to know which version of this tube is the most popular as a replacement or rolled tube...

 

[rbbert]

There is at least one Web page with some comparative rankings, and like so many NOS tubes it may all come down to how much you want to spend. My favorites in the under $200 range are late '50's - early '60's Mullard GZ34 and the Philips 5R4GYS that appears to be exclusive to Upscale Audio at this time.

 

[DaveC]

I've got a bunch of them, a few different Mullards, Amperex, RCA copper plate, RCA/Sylvania Big Bottle, Sovtek, etc... Currently using a Japanese seam-top that's made w/ Mullard equipment and is a great value.

Honestly, any of the old stock tubes are fine, I don't hear night and day differences w/ my EL34 SET but a PP A/B amp will probably be more sensitive. I can't say any have been totally reliable over the years, I had a fat base Mullard go out and an RCA BB. One Mullard has lost it's getter over time, I assume it leaked. I also had a couple new tubes go out, one taking out it's PT with it, before I swore off new production 5AR4s.

If I had to choose... Amperex or Mullard.

edit... got one name wrong.

 

[Brf]

Late 50's early 60's Mullard Blackburn factory made f32 fat base GZ34 are my go to rectifiers. Imho, same sound performance as the much more expensive metal base Mullard/Philips tubes.

 

[Believe High Fidelity]

Picked up some spare Mullards last week. Glad to see this is still a popular choice.

the Philips 5R4GYS that appears to be exclusive to Upscale Audio at this time.

Have you tried the Upscale Audio Phillips brand?

 

[rbbert]

Picked up some spare Mullards last week. Glad to see this is still a popular choice.
Have you tried the Upscale Audio Phillips brand?

This is a NOS tube, from the '60's or early '70's I believe. As noted, I have one of these and a fat base Mullard, and I can't say I can tell the difference (the Philips is less expensive). They are a little better than the Matsushita-branded Mullard from the '70's that DaveC mentions above (I have one of those also), and a lot better than current production Sovtek's (comparing an old Mullard to a current Sovtek is a good example of what a good rectifier does for the sound!)

 

[wisnon]

Dubstep has a HUGE recti thread over at Head-fi forum.

The double mica 5r4gy rectis are a big value play...Fivre brand is overpriced, but Haltron, Zaerix, CEi, and Brimar can be had for small $$$ online. Look for the ceramic spacer.

 

[DaveC]

...Philips 5R4GYS that appears to be exclusive to Upscale Audio at this time.

5R4 is not a direct replacement for 5AR4, it has more voltage drop so it will lower B+ and change the bias. Replacing a 5AR4 with this is doing a whole lot more than changing the sag characteristics...

I've heard it just doesn't work in some applications where the voltage drop will increase with time, not sure why but it was reported on a Dynaco forum. And, I saw parts connexion was selling it for $40 before upscale hyped it and raised prices. Good marketing by them...

 

[Believe High Fidelity]

5R4 is not a direct replacement for 5AR4, it has more voltage drop so it will lower B+ and change the bias. Replacing a 5AR4 with this is doing a whole lot more than changing the sag characteristics...

I've heard it just doesn't work in some applications where the voltage drop will increase with time, not sure why but it was reported on a Dynaco forum. And, I saw parts connexion was selling it for $40 before upscale hyped it and raised prices. Good marketing by them...

One of the reasons I dont tend to roll and deviate from what works or I am used to.

 

[Aries Cerat]

Hey Josh

The Japanese i send you are top notch.They are actually based on the GE design,which is amazingly good.
I find Philips and Mullards way over-hyped,not just for the money.
How much did you purchase the Mullards for? I have little hopes they are not second(or third ) hand...

Cheers
Stavros

 

[Believe High Fidelity]

Hey Josh

The Japanese i send you are top notch.They are actually based on the GE design,which is amazingly good.
I find Philips and Mullards way over-hyped,not just for the money.
How much did you purchase the Mullards for? I have little hopes they are not second(or third ) hand...

Cheers
Stavros

You always think your tubes are the best and youre right, but this is for a different amp

 

[wisnon]

One of the reasons I dont tend to roll and deviate from what works or I am used to.

This comment is not really justified.

You can roll to see what suits you best. As long as it works, its fair game to try.

Philips GZ34 bakelite and metal base sound different, for example.

 

[Believe High Fidelity]

This comment is not really justified.

You can roll to see what suits you best. As long as it works, its fair game to try.

Philips GZ34 bakelite and metal base sound different, for example.

Meh. For a rectifier tube it doesn't matter that much to me, which is why I asked out of curiosity

 

[wisnon]

In your amp maybe. Big difference in my Dac.

I have 14 rectis to roll vs 9 prs of DHTs.

 

[microstrip]

(...) You can roll to see what suits you best. As long as it works, its fair game to try.

Philips GZ34 bakelite and metal base sound different, for example.

When you change the type of tube rectifier you are changing the operating voltage of the circuit and its regulation - and sometimes very significantly. BTW, the Philips GZ34 bakelite and metal base are different tubes - I used them in a Leak Stereo 20 amplifier. One more amplifier I regret having sold ...

 

[wisnon]

I sold my Leak 20 3 months ago. I have black base, brown base, metal base Philips gz34. Daytron/Mullard gz34, Mullard GZ37, Brimar or Tungsram Gz32 too.

I am using the Lampi GG Dac and the circuit adapts to any 5v recti. I roll to match recti to DHTs used as the pairing matters.

 

[Aries Cerat]

The mentioned rect is better than most hyped >200e each rectis out there,but please do give feedback when you stumble on a better one

B

 

[Audiocrack]

Meh. For a rectifier tube it doesn't matter that much to me, which is why I asked out of curiosity

Rectifiers can make a huge difference with certain audio components. Tried and used various ones in my Kondo Gakuoh set and push pull amps (including Mullard CV378 valves) before I lately inserted a Philips gz34 metal base from the ninetien fifties. (Btw, I am told that the same applies to the Kondo Kagura amps).

The differences in my Tital La Assoluta set up could very easily be recognized and were profound.

 

[Audiocrack]

Btw, I forgot to add the following: according to some Kondo and tube connoisseurs the rectifiers are after the input tubes the most important valves, that is apart from the input tubes the rectifiers influence the (quality of the) sound the most. That means that in the view of these tube experts the recti's are more important that the power tubes like the 300b (Gakuohs) and the 211 valves (Ongaku/Gakuon/Kagura)!

 

[wisnon]

Btw, I forgot to add the following: according to some Kondo and tube connoisseurs the rectifiers are after the input tubes the most important valves, that is apart from the input tubes the rectifiers influence the (quality of the) sound the most. That means that in the view of these tube experts the recti's are more important that the power tubes like the 300b (Gakuohs) and the 211 valves (Ongaku/Gakuon/Kagura)!

AC, AL in NYC has a ton of rectis and recently stated using EML mesh 2a3 DHTs which he loves...saying that they are the best ever in his GG. He started using them with his TAJK 274b which was KING along with vintage WE 274b. I asked him to roll in some rectis the DHTs break in and low and behold the cheap Chinese rectis outshine his Tak now. He cant believe it. It also plays well with the Mazda UK made 5R4GY with the double mica, ceramic spacer. All tuned upside down.

He is loving these 2A3s and the combination with different rectis changes the sound.