6N30P tubes- back to CJ

[Big Dog RJ]

G'day maties,

Well it turned out to be around 7 months, 1 hour and 15mins into my late night session, until I noticed an "itchy scalp " noise coming from the left channel...

After a few diagnostics ... turned out to be one of the 6N30P's in the preamp. This is the third pair from my local supplier since March of this year. After a few trials, there was always one noisey fella. Finally swapped out a few and after the third pair, everything was quiet until now.

I'm not quite sure whether these are even matched pairs to begin with. So, I changed back to the original two ordered from CJ back in 2016. I had kept these as spares and only replaced them in March thinking 7yrs was up...

Turned out to be marvellous! Absolutely superb, nothing wrong with these old ones from 2016 and they work perfectly! So, looks like I'm heading back to CJ. I'll place another order with them, afterall I'll know for sure that they will be matched pairs, which is very important for a preamp that uses a pair! Might as well get the proper ones if quality sound is important.

During our last discussions with my CJ tech, he mentioned that CJ preamps are based on Class A circuits that depend heavily upon the tubes. Therefore, these tubes have to be near perfect, such that there's no perfection in tubes but the slightest ever noise will be picked up. Hence, slight changes or noises aren't going to make it in these types of circuits. Only the best tubes can be sourced.

I guess that could be another reason why CJ's now using the 6922 variant widely as their preamp standard in all their models, except in their phonostages.
Unfortunately, Watford Valves doesn't stock the 6N30P's, so I guess CJ's the best way to go.

Cheers RJ

[AnotherJohnson]

Good call. CJ or Upscale have been the best bets for me when seeking tubes for CJ gear.

[admin]

Glad it's working well. With the crazy tube prices, each replacement "stings" a little more than it used to.

[Big Dog RJ]

Yes, prices have gone out of whack, that's for sure, as is the case with everything else. Now, I guess it's a means of survival, as I don't see prices coming down on anything per say...

However, on a plus side, when it comes to fuel and energy prices, the authorities are keeping a close eye on things, making sure that retailers don't take advantage of price gouging. They'll get into big trouble if they're caught out.

My CJ importer who also imports Nordost accessories, has somehow managed to keep prices on par compared to USD rates, so it's not too shabby. Although, the latest top of the line CJ gear is in the ultra-high-end category in Aus at the moment. It never was like this before, it was a Rolls Royce branded category in highend audio but of lately it's become beyond Rolls or Bentley standard... it's in a league of its own in terms of pricing and performance.

The most affordable for a top end preamp, say the ET7, starts at 16grand, and this is not even the S2. I was very fortunate enough to get all my mods done with all the required parts and certification just before this price saga went through the roof. Some of SE upgrades on certain gear, like Classic 120 to SE or Classic 62 to SE now costs nearly 25% of the actual item! So it's really up there now.

I don't mind paying a bit more on tube replacements from CJ, simply because it's from CJ! So there's that reassuring factor that they've taken steps to source the best items.

I would have placed my order with Upscale, however he doesn't do overseas shipping. I need to provide a local US based address and then re-route to Aus... can't be bothered.

Watford Valves doesn't stock the 6N30P's but on everything else, tubes are available. So my next small signal tubes, input & driver will be through them. As for preamp and main output tubes, I'll stick with CJ. At least there's peace of mind with these more costly tubes.

Cheers maties, and enjoy those fine tunes!
Woof! RJ

[AnotherJohnson]

I think CJ has a strong following throughout the Pacific and Indian Ocean regions. That may be part of the gold color mystique.

Kevin stopped his worldwide shipping when the run on tubes began. You know, if I were in Oz, I’d buy from CJ exclusively too.

When things are as they are right now, the system one owns is their end game for the near future at least. We’re all at a pretty good roosting place.