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Post by PinkFloyd on Jul 16, 2009 13:42:19 GMT
We've all seen those fancy rings that you fit round your valves but what about using some common or garden heat shrink sleeving I thought..... Well..... believe it or not..... this stuff seems to make an audible improvement, especially to the mid and bass departments... of course you're not going to see your valve "glow" if you sheath it in this stuff but, in an X-Can, who cares! The sleeving I have used is pretty thick stuff and requires a squirt of silicon to slide it over the valve... you then fire the heat gun on it and this ensures a VERY tight fit. Anyhoooo.... here's the pRon:     |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2009 14:16:58 GMT
Mike, Will that effect heat dissapation? Then, as the valve runs hot (hotter?) will it try to shrink the sleeving further and cause, despite even pressure, premature death or implosion  |
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Will
Been here a while! 
Ribena abuser!
Member since 2008
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Post by Will on Jul 16, 2009 14:36:39 GMT
Nice experimentation, even if it does make the valve look like it's been buying stuff from 'specialist' websites  I wonder if that 3M anti-vibration tape stuff, which also allows heat dissipation, would work well on valves also? It's pretty much proven on cd drives et al. |
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Post by PinkFloyd on Jul 16, 2009 19:43:01 GMT
Mike, Will that effect heat dissapation? Then, as the valve runs hot (hotter?) will it try to shrink the sleeving further and cause, despite even pressure, premature death or implosion My finger tells me that, no, the sleeving does not affect heat dissipation. No Possible way that the heatshrink could make the valve implode, don't be so ridiculous! The valve basically has a tight rubber glove fitted to it which assists damping.... there is no danger of premature death or implosion. Mike. |
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Post by dejanm on Jul 16, 2009 20:54:14 GMT
safe .... valves ;D
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Post by PinkFloyd on Jul 16, 2009 21:00:06 GMT
Those rubberized valves look like they are ready to go out and get some! Don't be so disgusting! By the way........ do you normally wear "black" ones?  pervert!  "Sex" was the last thing on the mind when I sheathed my erect valves in rubber.... what's wrong with you people? you're a bunch of sexual deviants! On a serious note.... the idea has payed off..... these rubber sheathed valves definitely sound a bit better in the bass and mids and the cost of this tweak? pennies  |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2009 22:37:00 GMT
Mike, Will that effect heat dissapation? Then, as the valve runs hot (hotter?) will it try to shrink the sleeving further and cause, despite even pressure, premature death or implosion Chris Similar thoughts crossed my mind initially, especially as Mike said that it was a tight fit to start with. This stuff is able to shrink to 50% of it's original diameter. However, as the X-Cans etc. run at such absurdly low Anode voltages, there is unlikely to be a problem. I certainly would not try this mod with valves in normal preamps and amplifiers that run at much higher Anode (and screen) voltages though. They do look mean and businesslike don't they ? Perhaps Mike should advertise them in Penthouse Black Label Edition ? ;D |
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Post by PinkFloyd on Jul 16, 2009 22:51:59 GMT
Mike, Will that effect heat dissapation? Then, as the valve runs hot (hotter?) will it try to shrink the sleeving further and cause, despite even pressure, premature death or implosion Chris Similar thoughts crossed my mind initially, especially as Mike said that it was a tight fit to start with. This stuff is able to shrink to 50% of it's original diameter. However, as the X-Cans etc. run at such absurdly low Anode voltages, there is unlikely to be a problem. I certainly would not try this mod with valves in normal preamps and amplifiers that run at much higher Anode (and screen) voltages though. They do look mean and businesslike don't they ? Perhaps Mike should advertise them in Penthouse Black Label Edition ? ;D Surely I'm not the first person to come up with this form of damping? It just seemed so natural to me....... I've got a 100 metre length of heatshrink that I barely use and said heatshrink just happened to fit the bill..... have I inadvertently discovered something totally revolutionary here? Seriously Alex, sheathed valves (tubes) sound better than bareback tubes....... Mike. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2009 23:08:31 GMT
Chris Similar thoughts crossed my mind initially, especially as Mike said that it was a tight fit to start with. This stuff is able to shrink to 50% of it's original diameter. However, as the X-Cans etc. run at such absurdly low Anode voltages, there is unlikely to be a problem. I certainly would not try this mod with valves in normal preamps and amplifiers that run at much higher Anode (and screen) voltages though. They do look mean and businesslike don't they ? Perhaps Mike should advertise them in Penthouse Black Label Edition ? ;D Surely I'm not the first person to come up with this form of damping? It just seemed so natural to me....... I've got a 100 metre length of heatshrink that I barely use and said heatshrink just happened to fit the bill..... have I inadvertently discovered something totally revolutionary here? Seriously Alex, sheathed valves (tubes) sound better than bareback tubes....... Mike. Mike After my recent foray into PC dampening, I would be the last person to discount your results. It would be interesting to try Will's suggestion about the special 3M anti vibration,self adhesive soft aluminium tape too. Perhaps Will could mail you a few inches of the stuff to try ? Alex P.S. Congrats on reaching 8,000 posts. Imagine how many it would have been without all those trips away ! |
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Post by PinkFloyd on Jul 17, 2009 20:49:17 GMT
Surely I'm not the first person to come up with this form of damping? It just seemed so natural to me....... I've got a 100 metre length of heatshrink that I barely use and said heatshrink just happened to fit the bill..... have I inadvertently discovered something totally revolutionary here? Seriously Alex, sheathed valves (tubes) sound better than bareback tubes....... Mike. Mike After my recent foray into PC dampening, I would be the last person to discount your results. It would be interesting to try Will's suggestion about the special 3M anti vibration,self adhesive soft aluminium tape too. Perhaps Will could mail you a few inches of the stuff to try ? Alex P.S. Congrats on reaching 8,000 posts. Imagine how many it would have been without all those trips away ! Hi Alex, Will is very kindly going to send me a couple of inches of this gear to try The heatshrink "tweak" definitely appears to tighten the sound up a bit, it will be interesting to see what the 3M tape does.... I also have the butyl rubber to try www.reddiseals.com/acatalog/glazing_tapes_butyl_sealant.html but that won't be as pretty as the heatshrink or 3M tape Yeh, I would probably have been up to about 12,000 posts if it hadn't been for all those love trips..... the fresh air and time away from the computer has done me good though  |
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pervert! 
