All items tagged with valves (154)
Ray Tubes Expands Range with Select 12AU7 and Core 12AU7 Vacuum Tubes
August 4, 2025 by Joao Martins

Ray Tubes Expands Range with Select 12AU7 and Core 12AU7 Vacuum Tubes

Ray Tubes announced new-production 12AU7 tubes in both its Core and Select Collections. With this addition, Ray Tubes is now supplying the most common vacuum tubes, including the 12AU7, 12AX7, EL34, 6SN7, KT88, and 300B, all available through its network of retail and brand partners. All products from Ray Tubes are designed and tested specifically for audio applications and come with a one-year warranty, which is a great assurance compared to the risks of buying New-Old-Stock items.
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You Can DIY! Type 3 Mu Stage Breakthrough
July 16, 2025 by Alan Kimmel

You Can DIY! Type 3 Mu Stage Breakthrough

The original Mu Stage project, published in Glass Audio in 1993, remains a popular build, serving the author's purpose to "combat listener fatigue." His Type 2 Mu Stage, published by audioXpress in 2019, introduced a streamlined version with added capabilities. Now, the new Type 3 Mu Stage resulted in what the author believes to be a breakthrough, improving the realistic reproduction of music. This latest iteration of the circuit was prototyped by Kim Bond, an enthusiastic builder of the previous Mu Stages.
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Book Review: Zoran M. Dukic’s High End Tube Amplifiers Designer Tool Box
May 7, 2025 by Jan Didden

Book Review: Zoran M. Dukic’s High End Tube Amplifiers Designer Tool Box

This extensive, 428-page, self-published hardcover book, is much more than another publication on tube amplifiers. As Jan Didden discovered, this book contains all the knowledge needed to check how an input low-pass filter must be dimensioned, how to investigate the different resistor types and their properties, capacitor types, which tubes to use, how to bias them, and construct the load lines, and even how to design low-noise power supplies. A one-stop resource for tube-based audio power amplifiers, and clearly a work of love!
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Orange Amplification Introduces New Orange Valve Tester MKII
February 22, 2024 by Joao Martins

Orange Amplification Introduces New Orange Valve Tester MKII

British guitar amplification brand has unveiled the Orange Valve Tester MKII which supersedes the Orange VT1000, introduces originally as the world's first automatic digital valve tester pioneered, developed and patented by Orange. The new Orange Valve Tester MKII enables a wide range of tests with speed, simplicity and accuracy, setting a new standard in valve/tube-testing technology for roadies, musicians, hi-fi enthusiasts and service professionals alike.
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audioXpress May 2023. Tubes, Amplifiers, and Audio Electronics!
April 11, 2023 by audioXpress Staff

audioXpress May 2023. Tubes, Amplifiers, and Audio Electronics!

In this Glass Audio special issue, Menno van der Veen brings us his latest Vanderveen TRANS-PP80 Valve Amplifier, Tom Perazella remakes a famous (Z)OTL amplifier with 300Bs, and Peter Dieleman debunks recurring myths in tube circuit designs. Stuart Yaniger reviews the Hypex NCORE NCx500 amplifier module, while Burkhard Vogel expands his article on Vintage Op-Amp Noise Simulations, and Bruce E. Gillingham concludes its unique MB1 Monoblock Power Amplifier with Precision Bias Control.
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Tube Amp Doctor Introduces New TAD 6V6GT-STR REDBASE Premium Selected Tubes
August 4, 2022 by audioXpress Staff

Tube Amp Doctor Introduces New TAD 6V6GT-STR REDBASE Premium Selected Tubes

With the entirely new TAD 6V6GT-STR REDBASE, German company Tube Amp Doctor Musikhandels GmbH introduced a new family member to their REDBASE high quality premium tube series. An ideal tube for Fender Deluxe Tweed 5E3 or Blackface Princeton Reverb guitar amps, single ended Class A amps like the Fender Tweed Champ, Vibro Champ, Fender Champion 600 or the Univalve. As the company explains, many boutique amp builders have already embraced the TAD 6V6GT-STR REDBASE and the company is ready to ship worldwide!
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It's Tube Time! audioXpress May 2022 Glass Audio Special!
April 11, 2022 by audioXpress Staff

It's Tube Time! audioXpress May 2022 Glass Audio Special!

It's time for the Glass Audio/Tube Focus edition of audioXpress. In this issue, Michael Boele shares his long-term review of a pair of 2021 new production Western Electric 300Bs, Merlin Blencowe explains how to add Bluetooth to a Tube Amp, and Alan Kimmel introduces us to the possibilities of the Pentriode. There's also a Market Update report on vinyl sales and the latest trends in turntables and cartridges, as well as a review by Stuart Yaniger of the latest Orchard Audio Starkrimson Stereo Ultra GaN-based amplifier.
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Meeting Supply for Vacuum Tubes - Time to Save Those Tubes?
March 18, 2022 by Joao Martins

Meeting Supply for Vacuum Tubes - Time to Save Those Tubes?

The situation in Ukraine and the sanctions imposed on Russia are having a significant impact on the global supply of tubes to the audio industry. Both Ukraine and Russia are important suppliers of raw materials, and the sanctions are likely to cause further strain over the supply of source materials that all manufacturers of tubes need. In China there are also significant disruptions caused by pandemic lockdowns, transportation challenges, and cost increases. How many tube manufacturing operations remain viable? Western Electric says there is hope... in the US!
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Update Regarding the Supply of Amplifier Tubes from Tube Amp Doctor
March 16, 2022 by Joao Martins

Update Regarding the Supply of Amplifier Tubes from Tube Amp Doctor

It's a known fact that both Ukraine and Russia are important suppliers of raw materials, particularly steel and aluminum, but also many critical parts and components for the electronic industry. The invasion of Ukraine and the resulting sanctions imposed over Russia are obviously having a significant impact over the global supply of tubes. Tube Amp Doctor Musikhandels GmbH, based in Germany, just released a situation update regarding the supply of amplifier tubes.
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You Can DIY! Vanderveen Trans-SE10 Secrets
February 10, 2021 by Menno van der Veen

You Can DIY! Vanderveen Trans-SE10 Secrets

In this article, Menno van der Veen explains everything about the Vanderveen Trans-SE10 amplifier, which is available as a DIY kit manufactured by Tentlabs. This letter-sized stereo amplifier is a single-ended design with an output power of 10W per channel, but there's a lot "under the hood" (and the glass) to understand. The article explains the “why and how” of the unusual Vanderveen Trans-SE10 design. This article was originally published in audioXpress, January 2021.
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