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Thread: Tube vibration damping rings

  1. #11
    Join Date: Jan 2013

    Location: Birmingham

    Posts: 6,772
    I'm James.

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    I am probably being ripped off again! They were £8 for 4 rings.

  2. #12
    Join Date: Nov 2011

    Location: Romford

    Posts: 11,057
    I'm sorted.

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    I was going to ask the self same question!

    What difference do they make to the sound Oliver?

  3. #13
    Bigman80 Guest

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    Quote Originally Posted by Roy S View Post
    I was going to ask the self same question!

    What difference do they make to the sound Oliver?
    It's only my opinion but when we first put the phonostage together, the cheap Chinese Transformer buzzed like hell. It was so bad I could actually hear it the back ground. We mounted it on a piece of absorbance board and things massively improved. The noise in the background got a lot better. I then put 3 damper rings on each valve and again, everything just sounded a lot cleaner. Resolution improved. I'm not suggesting that in well designed units, they will have the exact same impact but in my DIY phonostage, they certainly have contributed to a very clean and hi resolution sound.

  4. #14
    Join Date: Nov 2011

    Location: Romford

    Posts: 11,057
    I'm sorted.

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    Thanks Oliver.

  5. #15
    Join Date: Jan 2013

    Location: Birmingham

    Posts: 6,772
    I'm James.

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    I think they stop microphonics in theory and as Oliver has found they result in a cleaner sound.

  6. #16
    Bigman80 Guest

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jimbo View Post
    I think they stop microphonics in theory and as Oliver has found they result in a cleaner sound.
    Thats it maybe reduce them rather than stop them entirely. They do work in that respect though.

  7. #17
    Bigman80 Guest

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    Quote Originally Posted by RothwellAudio View Post
    Personally, I think they're useless. The problem is that the metal parts within the glass envelope can vibrate and ring and that is certainly audible, at least when the volume is cranked. The vibration comes up through the valve base, but damping the glass envelope has barely any effect on that. I know because I've conducted experiments to verify it.
    The way to cure the problem with PCB-mounted valve bases is to suspend or float the PCB or couple it very lightly to the chassis. That works. I know because I've conducted experiments to verify it.
    With chassis-mounted valve bases it's harder to deal with. One solution is to have the valve bases mounted to a floating sub-chassis, but that is really only an option if you're building from scratch or prepared to do some serious modding.
    The good news is that the problem is mostly confined to the first stages of an amp, or more realistically the valves in a phonostage where the gain is very high. Yes, I think that vibration isolation is worth doing, but no, I don't think those things that simply damp the glass envelope do any good at all.
    I agree on suspending a pCB with some sort of suspension mount, on a Valve headlamp I tried, it was vital that this was done due to the gain as you say. The Damper rings are on the valves in my phonostage and that PCB is firmly fixed to the chassis. Think they do make a difference but can see the merits in take other preventative measures before hand.

  8. #18
    Join Date: Jan 2009

    Location: Essex

    Posts: 31,856
    I'm openingabottleofwine.

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    Quote Originally Posted by RothwellAudio View Post
    Personally, I think they're useless. The problem is that the metal parts within the glass envelope can vibrate and ring and that is certainly audible, at least when the volume is cranked. The vibration comes up through the valve base, but damping the glass envelope has barely any effect on that. I know because I've conducted experiments to verify it.
    The way to cure the problem with PCB-mounted valve bases is to suspend or float the PCB or couple it very lightly to the chassis. That works. I know because I've conducted experiments to verify it.
    With chassis-mounted valve bases it's harder to deal with. One solution is to have the valve bases mounted to a floating sub-chassis, but that is really only an option if you're building from scratch or prepared to do some serious modding.
    The good news is that the problem is mostly confined to the first stages of an amp, or more realistically the valves in a phonostage where the gain is very high. Yes, I think that vibration isolation is worth doing, but no, I don't think those things that simply damp the glass envelope do any good at all.
    Anti-microphonic valve bases are available, especially for Noval valve bases: B9A and B7G.
    Barry

  9. #19
    Join Date: Oct 2008

    Location: Glasgowshire

    Posts: 9,656
    I'm Gary.

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    Never got on with them James to be honest...

    A set came with my 300B SET power amp, and felt they dulled the sound down.
    After a bit of valve rolling I settled on NOs Tung Sol 5687s as my favourite signal valves, the sillicone rings damped the zing and excitment from the music, taking them off brought it back.
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  10. #20
    Join Date: May 2016

    Location: Much Wenlock

    Posts: 1,522
    I'm Gary.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bigman80 View Post
    It's only my opinion but when we first put the phonostage together, the cheap Chinese Transformer buzzed like hell. It was so bad I could actually hear it the back ground. We mounted it on a piece of absorbance board and things massively improved. The noise in the background got a lot better. I then put 3 damper rings on each valve and again, everything just sounded a lot cleaner. Resolution improved. I'm not suggesting that in well designed units, they will have the exact same impact but in my DIY phonostage, they certainly have contributed to a very clean and hi resolution sound.
    I think you should follow Firebottle's idea, string the transformer/valve amplifier/pcb to the ceiling

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