Senior Member
Location: blackpool
Posts: 491
I'm neil.
Valve Pins
Silly question - Is it advisable to clean valve pins?I've just been sorting mine and found loads I haven't used for years,I'll be giving the old ones a try as I have some quite desirable ones
Anyway what would be recommended for cleaning said pins?
Thanks in advance
Trade: Wakefield Turntables
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 9,325
I'm Andrew.
It's not going to do them any harm!
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CD Teac VRDS25X(Audiotuned) DECK 1210 Mat Crystal Audio Mods MN Base/Bearing/Platter+Ebony armboard Feet Isonoe PSU Paul Hynes SR7EHD-27XL/DCSXL Ag DC lead/3 Stage Regs/Recap PCB+No Pitch/Strobe/Light ARM SME V(Kondo Ag Rewire&Tags) MC Cadenza Black FGS CABLES Arm Yannis SPD-4 IC Yannis 222 Litz+Ag bullets Power WAR PRE ATC SCA2 SPEAKERS ATC 50ASL STANDS Atacama PHONO Sugden Masterclass PA4 SUT Ortofon ST80SE POWER PSAudio P10
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Senior Member
Location: blackpool
Posts: 491
I'm neil.
Originally Posted by REXTON
Senior Member
Location: East Riding of Yorkshire these days
Posts: 4,779
I'm Shaun.
I've used valve amps since 1997 and have never cleaned any valve pins but I do make a habit of taking the valves out and reseating them every couple of months or so. I guess that is almost the same as cleaning them.
Senior Member
Location: Glasgowshire
Posts: 9,663
I'm Gary.
An old trick,
is to soak the pins in coke overnight, will visibly look a lot cleaner.
Something in the coke dissolves the mush that sticks to the pins.
After rinsing and letting the pins air dry, always good to treat them with a contact enhancer like DeOxit.
Dont run a valve amp anymore, but did this successfully a few times with some old NOS valves I bought.
AC POWER
Hardwired 10kVA balanced mains powering entire system
AMPS
Meridian 557 power Amp (Modded) / PS Audio BHK Preamp (Modded)
SPEAKERS
Wharfedale Evo 4.4
DAC
PS Audio Directstream (Modded)
TURNTABLE
Pro-Ject X8 balanced output via XLR / Ortofon Quintet Blue cartridge
PHONOSTAGE
Pro-Ject DS3 B balanced Input (TT and Phonostage powered by Pro-Ject Power box RS2 linear psu)
DIGITAL
OPPO 203 (Modded: Linear PSU, i2s output to Dac) - Roon Endpoint, HDMI input used for all things Streaming/ PS5 /AppleTV ... also good for movies apparently?
MUSIC PLAYBACK
Tweaked AP-Linux based Roon Server into Oppo 203 as Roon endpoint
Ipad Roon Remote.
Apple Music/ YouTube via AppleTV, fed to Dac via Oppo HDMI input/i2s output to Dac.
SPEAKER CABLES
Biwired: Duelund DCA10GA (Bass) Duelund DCA16GA (mid & treble) Duelund 12DCA used as jumpers (On "Blackcat Cable" Chris Sommivigo's advice - yup, even with biwire it sounds better - and it does)
INTERCONNECTS
All Balanced: Ghost+ recording studio XLR cables
Site Owner/Administrator
Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK
Posts: 110,012
I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.
Jeez - I missed that one, mate!So you're no longer using Nick's gorgeous hand-built creation, which you raved about so much - when did that happen, and what are you using now?
Marco.
Main System
Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.
Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.
Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.
CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.
Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.
Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.
Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.
Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.
Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.
Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!
Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!
Site Owner/Administrator
Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK
Posts: 110,012
I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.
Hi Neil,
Yes, gently, and as long as they're not loose, which can sometimes be the case with old valves.Silly question - Is it advisable to clean valve pins?I've just been sorting mine and found loads I haven't used for years,I'll be giving the old ones a try as I have some quite desirable ones
Anyway what would be recommended for cleaning said pins?
Thanks in advance
The best tool for the job, bar none (and I have lots of experience with this) is a fibreglass pen, such as this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fibreglass-.../dp/B003YSWJDG
Simply rub the pins with that until they're gleaming (watching you don't get any splinters in your fingers), then clean off any excess particles with Isopropyl alcohol. Job done!
Marco.
Main System
Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.
Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.
Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.
CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.
Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.
Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.
Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.
Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.
Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.
Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!
Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!
Senior Member
Location: blackpool
Posts: 491
I'm neil.
Cheers for thatHi Neil,
Yes, gently, and as long as they're not loose, which can sometimes be the case with old valves.
The best tool for the job, bar none (and I have lots of experience with this) is a fibreglass pen, such as this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fibreglass-.../dp/B003YSWJDG
Simply rub the pins with that until they're gleaming (watching you don't get any splinters in your fingers), then clean off any excess particles with Isopropyl alcohol. Job done!
Marco.
Site Owner/Administrator
Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK
Posts: 110,012
I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.
No worries, Neil. Defo get yourself one of those pens, as they work a treat!
Marco.
Main System
Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.
Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.
Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.
CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.
Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.
Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.
Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.
Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.
Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.
Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!
Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!
Senior Member
Location: Glasgowshire
Posts: 9,663
I'm Gary.
Aye, moved on from it now Marco.Jeez - I missed that one, mate!
Marco.
Was a gorgeous sounding thing, but cost of ownership (at £1500ish a year for new valves) was a bit expensive to run.
Know I could have saved money by fitting cheaper ones, tried that one time but was a false economy...that amp deserved the best.
Anyhoo...
Also,
I was making changes anyway in the system going forward?
Wanted to just enjoy the music and not worry about the kit, which is why I sold on both the Michell turntable and Nick’s superb 300B power amp (which has gone to a happy home).
With my Michell TT I was always wondering if the spring bounce was set up right, was the arm set up properly...kind of thing.
And not enjoying playing vinyl the was I should have been!
And must say with the valve amp there was a bit of that too..
”Were the valves wearing out, is that hum I’m hearing in the background...?”
Saving up for the valve amps final replacement (will take a couple of years), but in the meantime brought through a “stand in” Rotel power amp from the office system.
Sounds pretty good and is a good match for my Impulse H2 horns, not close to what the valve amp was doing though.
But hey, that’s ok. :-)
it’s temporary, and it’s a case of one step back, two steps forward looking ahead.
The valve amps final replacement will be endgame, in the way my P10 ‘table is.
Just want to enjoy the music nowadays and focus less on the kit, getting there, just a couple of bits to slot in.
Last edited by Gazjam; 14-03-2020 at 18:24.
AC POWER
Hardwired 10kVA balanced mains powering entire system
AMPS
Meridian 557 power Amp (Modded) / PS Audio BHK Preamp (Modded)
SPEAKERS
Wharfedale Evo 4.4
DAC
PS Audio Directstream (Modded)
TURNTABLE
Pro-Ject X8 balanced output via XLR / Ortofon Quintet Blue cartridge
PHONOSTAGE
Pro-Ject DS3 B balanced Input (TT and Phonostage powered by Pro-Ject Power box RS2 linear psu)
DIGITAL
OPPO 203 (Modded: Linear PSU, i2s output to Dac) - Roon Endpoint, HDMI input used for all things Streaming/ PS5 /AppleTV ... also good for movies apparently?
MUSIC PLAYBACK
Tweaked AP-Linux based Roon Server into Oppo 203 as Roon endpoint
Ipad Roon Remote.
Apple Music/ YouTube via AppleTV, fed to Dac via Oppo HDMI input/i2s output to Dac.
SPEAKER CABLES
Biwired: Duelund DCA10GA (Bass) Duelund DCA16GA (mid & treble) Duelund 12DCA used as jumpers (On "Blackcat Cable" Chris Sommivigo's advice - yup, even with biwire it sounds better - and it does)
INTERCONNECTS
All Balanced: Ghost+ recording studio XLR cables
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