What are your honest thoughts on these wrapped around preamp tubes?
Would these help older tubes also? Could it help a tube that is going microphonic already?
Why are so many people going this route?
I have now seen more than a few manufacturers/ distributors with them on their tubes. I have also seen variations of the styles of them from simple o-rings to industrial grade heatshrink. Some of tubes I have seen them on are Mesa, JJ, Sovtek, EH, Randall (in their modules), NOS offerings, Ei, EH, and Chinese.
I would think that the heatshrink would put undue stress upon the outside of the glass that is already pulling a vacuum from the inside. I would also think that the o-rings would eventually sag off from heat degradation.
Also wouldn't any material on the outside of the glass retain more heat thus reduce the life of the tube?
If wrapping your tube helps it where is the point of diminished returns where no further insulation will help but would rather impair the tube?
If your tube dampers prevent you from using your tube shields which is more important and which takes precendence? Would contact between the tube damper and shield be good or bad? Would the use of tube dampers delete the necessity to use shields?
Why all of a sudden start using such devices?
Is it hype or are there actual studies on this topic with real world valid results?
I think that they are merely a bandaid to help poorly manufactured tubes and a way to sell mediocre tubes as a more expensive variety in new production. As far as placing them on quality NOS tubes goes, I feel that it may be in an effort to disguise a shortcoming of a particular tube known to be going bad already or to try to play off of the current market hype in an attempt to make even more money off of a limited supply item.
Should we all wrap all of our tubes in dampers and heatshrink?
Would these help older tubes also? Could it help a tube that is going microphonic already?
Why are so many people going this route?
I have now seen more than a few manufacturers/ distributors with them on their tubes. I have also seen variations of the styles of them from simple o-rings to industrial grade heatshrink. Some of tubes I have seen them on are Mesa, JJ, Sovtek, EH, Randall (in their modules), NOS offerings, Ei, EH, and Chinese.
I would think that the heatshrink would put undue stress upon the outside of the glass that is already pulling a vacuum from the inside. I would also think that the o-rings would eventually sag off from heat degradation.
Also wouldn't any material on the outside of the glass retain more heat thus reduce the life of the tube?
If wrapping your tube helps it where is the point of diminished returns where no further insulation will help but would rather impair the tube?
If your tube dampers prevent you from using your tube shields which is more important and which takes precendence? Would contact between the tube damper and shield be good or bad? Would the use of tube dampers delete the necessity to use shields?
Why all of a sudden start using such devices?
Is it hype or are there actual studies on this topic with real world valid results?
I think that they are merely a bandaid to help poorly manufactured tubes and a way to sell mediocre tubes as a more expensive variety in new production. As far as placing them on quality NOS tubes goes, I feel that it may be in an effort to disguise a shortcoming of a particular tube known to be going bad already or to try to play off of the current market hype in an attempt to make even more money off of a limited supply item.
Should we all wrap all of our tubes in dampers and heatshrink?