Hmm. Don't tell that to the two ST 5U4s in my RCA 630TS with 252 date codes.
It runs almost daily.:banana::banana:

i'm thinking of 2 to 4 hours a week if that , i really don't want to go solid state , as far as appearence they wont be seen so thats not as important as them functioning.

i will see what i have on hand and go with one or the other , the later gb would be tougher on the set or no?

mike

STs are just cool lookin tubes they say CLASSIC :D


SR

None of the tubes stress the set more than the other. They all draw the same filament power, and if operating within ratings, perform the same.

ST's have that "shoulder to fry on", so more stuff lands there and gets heated up, producing more of that enchanting tube-set smell!

Oh yes!!!!!!!!!!! :thmbsp:

Charles

The smell of burning dust.

Reminds me of water on concrete in the summer, similar odor.

Burning dust... The popouri of vintage electronics... :D

SR

Don't forget the Russian built 5U3C which is a shoulder envelope with the same basic specs as a 5U4G. Seem to go pretty cheap on ebay.

Give it a shot, might work okay.

C'mon guys, don't all of us use a Western Electric 274B instead of those lackluster 5U4's! Paying less then 700 dollars for a rectfier tube shows your lack of respect for your TV!!
I actually know a few audiophiles with the WE274B's in their headphone amps!!!!!!
Can we adapt the 300B in the TV's also:scratch2:

The term Audiophool comes to mind. Sorry...

or "Audiot" (Contraction of audio and idiot)

Audiophobe.....
They can be fun!
Anyway, Getting back to 5U4's, watch out for some early solid state adapters. They are nothing but silicons in a tube socket filled with epoxy. They can run the voltage a bit too high.
I have used the russian with good results. I have never seen a chinese one but I do stay away from the chinese tubes.

Let's not forget about the "Holy Grail" of rectifier tubes...the Western Electric 274B.

These go for between 1000-1300 usually and are essentially a 5U4G. Somehow, the consensus is that this tube delivers only the 'finest' and 'best sounding' B+ of any rectifier!! From an engineering standpoint, I don't understand it at all. It's just a tube rectifier to me.