Author Topic: Are there any good modern 5AR4/GZ34 rectifiers?  (Read 2647 times)

Offline Emil

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Are there any good modern 5AR4/GZ34 rectifiers?
« on: January 04, 2018, 12:07:42 PM »
One of my Western Electric rectifier tubes seem to have shattered. Don't know who the culprit it is but I suspect it was one  my young nephews during this past Christmas Eve party
My go to is Vintage Tube Services but prices range for 170 to $200 a pair and  really don't want to spend that but if I have too.....

Any experiences here with modern 5AR4s?

Are 5R4s interchangeable?
"Today I didn't even have to use my A.K.
I got to say it was a good day"
    --Ice Cube

Offline jbtrio

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Re: Are there any good modern 5AR4/GZ34 rectifiers?
« Reply #1 on: January 04, 2018, 12:28:58 PM »
Hey Emil,
The Genelex Gold Lion Cryo 5ar4’s are very good for new production tubes.
VPI classic3,3d arm, Lyra Kleos SL,K&K maxxed-out phonostage,Quadratic MC-1 SUT,Mola Mola Tambaqui Dac, Jay's Audio CDT-2 Mk.3transport,Supratek Sauvignon preamp,Frankenstein 300b mk.2 amps,FW SIT-3 amp, Purepower 1500+,Horning Eufrodite Ellipse speakers

Offline richidoo

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Re: Are there any good modern 5AR4/GZ34 rectifiers?
« Reply #2 on: January 04, 2018, 02:15:51 PM »
You can mix brands of same type rectifier tubes, they don't have to be closely matched for rectifier. It won't affect noise or hum if the PS smoothing is good. Each rectifier handles one side of the power tranny secondary. So after rectification and smoothing the PS voltage and impedance is an average of the two rectifier tubes' individual outputs. Variations in efficiency or impedance of the two rectifiers will average out.

A vintage WE tube probably costs so much because it has lousy efficiency and higher impedance compared to a more modern tube. Higher rectifier impedance makes the PS impedance higher, making the amp warmer, smoother, less damping, less control, less detail. That vintage tube sound.

Replacing one WE rectifier with a modern low impedance rectifier will lower the average impedance of the PS, adding more damping to the amplifier, more detail, more solid bass, etc. You may not want that, so then you need both rectifiers to be higher impedance and you gotta pay up for the old technology.

Offline Emil

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Re: Are there any good modern 5AR4/GZ34 rectifiers?
« Reply #3 on: January 05, 2018, 04:26:07 AM »
Thanks, Joe
Just ordered a pair

Richidoo
Nice tutorial on rectifiers. Thanks
"Today I didn't even have to use my A.K.
I got to say it was a good day"
    --Ice Cube

Offline richidoo

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Re: Are there any good modern 5AR4/GZ34 rectifiers?
« Reply #4 on: January 05, 2018, 02:49:42 PM »
Gold Lions great choice.