Question 1

Will the 45 triode be enough power for my speakers, room or listening preference?

Accepted Answer

The 45 triode is the best sounding tube for all our amplifiers in our opinion. We feel that some sacrifice is made by moving to the higher power levels when you move to a 300B triode. At those power levels the components are able to handle the wattage produced by that tube and some sacrifice is made in fidelity, or other characteristics in the music that are present in the 45 & 2A3 tubes.

There is no fidelity difference in stereo integrated 45, outboard power supply 45, or mono block 45 designs. They all use the same circuit and the same quality components.

To help you make a decision on the 2A3 versus 45, consider your speaker sensitivity, the room you are listening to your music in, and the level of volume you prefer your music. Over the years NOT ONE customer has complained about lack of power even on a single 45 mono block. Most of our customers are boasting 97db sensitivity speakers.

Factors to consider.

Speaker sensitivity - The more sensitive the better.
Room size and acoustics - Is this a large or small room to fill.
Listening preference - Loud to rattle the windows or quiet to hear details.

Question 2

Why is the 6AX5 rectifier used?

Accepted Answer

The 6AX5 tube was one of the last rectifier tubes ever invented. It was a replacement for the 6X5 which was used in old wooden radios back in the late 1930’s The 6X5 was a poorly designed tube, although it was used for many years. It got the name transformer killer as it would short out in the non fused circuits back then, and take the power transformer with it. Then in the late 1950’s they invented the 6AX5 in my opinion the best rectifier tube ever made. It is a slow warm up rectifier like the 5AR4, only built much better than the 5AR4. It has a Huge cathode and strong plates with plenty of separation.

Other slow warm up rectifiers sell for lots of money like the EL34 but are not as well designed as the 6AX5. A slow warm up rectifier tube will help the filter capacitors to last longer, it is like having a variac on the B+ voltage and slowly bringing it up, rather than hitting the amplifier and capacitors with the full B+ voltage at once. The 6AX5 tubes can sell for 10% of of the cost of a 5AR4 tube, as they are one of the best kept secrets in tube audio.

Some of the high end power transformers Jason and I use offer a perfect 6.3 volt separate filament winding so we opt for the 6AX5 rectifier. If the power transformer we choose for the project has a 5 volt filament winding we may choose a 5R4 or a 80 tube for the rectifier. We always look for the best parts and transformers available, and change our circuit for the most benefit on sound and longevity.

Question 3

What is the position of each vacuum tube?

Accepted Answer

Each tube must be placed in the specific position below. Do not FORCE the tube into the socket, each tube has a locator mechanism to ensure it is only put into one position.

The rectifier, 6AXGT5, will be placed in the position directly in front of the power transformer. The power transformer is the large transformer on the right with the power switch and plug directly behind it on the back of the amplifier. This tube is an octal socket with a locating pin in the center that will only fit into the socket in one position.

The preamp tube, 6SN7, will be placed in the position directly in front of the output transformer on the opposite of the amplifier nearest the volume control on the front. This tube is an octal socket with a locating pin in the center that will only fit into the socket in one position.

The 45 tube, will be placed in the center of the amplifier. This tube uses a four pin socket, where 2 pins on one side are larger than the other two pins. Generally, the two larger pins are placed towards the power transformer side of the amp.

Question 4

First Time Setup Guide

Accepted Answer

For the setup of Alan Eaton Amp monoblocks, please keep it simple. Since our amplifiers come with volume controls, you can hook any media player with RCA connectors as the input to the amplifier. Some examples are CD players, iPod/iPad, phones and other media devices. Once that is working without issues you can move to place the amps within the components you wish without worry about any setup issues. We suggest you first use the amplifiers with just your music source, (iPad or CD player) to keep it simple for a couple of days so you can see how clean single ended class A can be. Then later, if you want you can add a preamplifier, or sub-woofer (you will need a preamplifier if you play vinyl). I put volume controls on each amplifier, so you do not have to use a preamplifier unless you want to. If you add a preamplifier to the system, just turn the volume controls all the way up and that will electronically take them out of the circuit, and you can control everything using the preamp. If you do not use a preamp, you can use the left and right volume controls on your new amplifiers like the left right speaker balance control just like on a preamplifier. Sometimes you will have be a cleaner sound with no preamplifier.If you have any noise you hear in the amps with the volume down and music off, you can check for any outside interference. We have seen some Bluetooth devices cause noise with some tubes. You can also try swapping each tube from one amp to the other to eliminate a tube issue. Lastly you can move the amps from one location to another to determine if there is an outside device contributing to the noise.Sometimes things like light dimmers, fluorescent lights, and computer electronics can cause noise through the amplifier and to your speakers. If this happens, I move away from the amplifiers these things that can cause hum or static. If you experience this try turning off lights or dimmers whatever might be on the same AC line or close to the amps. Sometimes too many items plugged into the same outlet can cause a ground loop which can be a problem.Alan Eaton amps come with a noise cancelling circuit. There is an adjustment on the back which can be rotated while you put your ear near the speaker to hear the elimination of noise. Normally the knob is in the middle position for best results. If you do replace tubes or move tubes, you may have to readjust that noise cancelling device setting.To make this adjustment you first have the amplifiers playing, then you cut the music source or turn the volume controls all the way down. Then you turn the rheostat control on each amplifier, one at a time, to the left then to the right, you will hear a hum coming through the speakers, continue to turn to the left then to the right until you find the sweet spot where any hum is at a minimum or gone all together. The tube sockets in these amplifiers are new old stock from the 1950’s They really lock down on the tube pins. When changing tubes please lift on the Bakelite base of the tube, not by the glass. That way the tube will not be damaged removing them from these professional grade tube sockets.These amplifiers are self-biasing. You do not have to adjust any voltages.The tubes that come with your amplifiers are two 45 tubes, two 6SN7GT tubes and two 6AX5GT tubes. When it is convenient I suggest you purchase a set of back up tubes, because tubes like light bulbs will someday wear out. The tube model is marked on the tube.The 45 tubes were made from the late 1920’s to the 1950. Any 45 tube you find is at least 70 years old. The ones that come with your amplifier test very strong and should last for years. I still recommend you purchase a set of back up tubes when it is convenient for you. I like the RCA Brand.The 6SN7 tubes go right behind the volume control. The NOS 6AX5 rectifier tubes will go close to the power transformer on the other side. The 45 tube has two fat pins and two smaller pins, so you can only put it in one of the sockets.Thank you for your order. Alan, and Jason Eaton

Question 5

Can I buy extra tubes?

Accepted Answer

We recommend every customer buy a back up setup of tubes. Unfortunately we don't sell them individual ourselves. There is a trusted below, or you can check Ebay for good deals. There are a few manufactures that sell new tubes including Sophia and Tube Emission Labs.Lowtechelec - Etsy

Question 6

How do I mount my Alan Eaton badges?

Accepted Answer

Recently we have offered metal badges with our amplifier purchases. You should receive the badges with your order, or you can purchase them separately from the website. This can help you mount your badges in the center front of your amplifier.Warning the 3M adhesive on the back is very strong. Once you lay the badge down you cannot remove it without marring your amplifier finish!Mark a spot with a marker dead center of the amp face at six inches.Use one inch masking tape and lay it on top and bottom edge such that it overlaps by one and a half inches over onto the face.Use two other pieces of masking tape to mark the edges by place the tape vertical one inch from your marked dot on either side.Now you should have two by two-inch square dead center in your amp face!Take one more piece of tape and lay it across the face of the badge (with sticker backing still on the badge) so it crosses the badge right where the A and E bottom lines are straight. Now you have the badge straight line set.Take the badge with the tape you just placed on it (with the sticker backing still on the badge) and place it into your square on face of amp adjusting so the tape you placed is in line with the bottom and top edge of face. Once you you have your badge adjusted how you like it and lined up, using your pen mark where your horizontal piece of tape meets the two verticle pieces of tape on both sides. This is so you can put the badge exactly back where you have it now.Lastly, carefully take the badge with tape still attached off the face of the amp and peel off the sticker backing. Carefully place the badge so the two marks you made in step 7 are meeting with your tape marks on the badge tape. Lay the badge down and press it flat.Now your badge is placed and permanently stuck to the face you can peel off all the masking tape and enjoy!

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