13EM7 Dissimilar Dual Triode

zingo
zingo Posts: 11,258
edited January 2012 in Electronics
Has anyone used the 13EM7 tube before, or one of it's variants (6EM7, 6EA7, etc). 13EM7s are dual triodes that have one section capable of high gain but low power, thus ideal for a preamp stage, and the other capable of low voltage gain and high current, thus ideal for a power stage. Pete Millett has an amp I'm interested not only because of this unique tube, but it's also a headphone/integrated amp combo at 3wpc. I really like the idea of using one tube as a SET input/output device for it's simplicity, and overall "coolness".

jono_front.jpg
Jake
Post edited by zingo on
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Comments

  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,808
    edited January 2012
    I think the original Bottlehead S*E*X amp used the 6EM7, didn't it? Whatever it used... it was a very respectable sounding little fleapowered SE amp.

    Definitely something alluring about a spud amplifier (i.e., a one tuber)! :-)

    EDIT: D'oh, maybe I am thinking of Gary Kaufman's little amp project with 6EM7s!
    http://www.the-planet.org/6EM7.html

    I have seen and heard Gary's amplifier and it was quite nice - low powered f'o sho', tho'.
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  • thsmith
    thsmith Posts: 6,082
    edited January 2012
    My Wright WLA12 PREAMP uses 6EM7s. I have quite a few spares and different varients.
    Speakers: SDA-1C (most all the goodies)
    Preamp: Joule Electra LA-150 MKII SE
    Amp: Wright WPA 50-50 EAT KT88s
    Analog: Marantz TT-15S1 MBS Glider SL| Wright WPP100C Amperex BB 6er5 and 7316 & WPM-100 SUT
    Digital: Mac mini 2.3GHz dual-core i5 8g RAM 1.5 TB HDD Music Server Amarra (memory play) - USB - W4S DAC 2
    Cables: Mits S3 IC and Spk cables| PS Audio PCs
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,808
    edited January 2012
    ahh... the current Bottlehead S*E*X amp uses 6DN7s but can be altered to accept 6EM7s...
    http://www.bottlehead.com/store.php?crn=44&rn=433&action=show_detail
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  • zingo
    zingo Posts: 11,258
    edited January 2012
    It's an interesting amp theory, and I have have the right speakers for it so that's always a plus. A gentleman is selling one near me, so I'm just trying to get enough scratch together to make him a reasonable offer...
    Jake
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,808
    edited January 2012
    well... if you want to go for the gusto... in the good old days there were a few tubes made to be driven directly by a line-level signal (specifically, for a ceramic or crystal cartridge) to drive loudspeakers with a watt or so (SE class A). These were for uber-cheap stereo phonographs... but the **** could be polished, as it were, with nice output iron and made into an... interesting... fleapower amp. These were series-string, "killer" chassis with no power transformer... so if you want build one... please add an isolation transformer! :-)

    60FX5stereoampresized.jpg

    A CDP would drive something like this just fine...
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,572
    edited January 2012
    My Joule pre amp uses two 13EM7's in the power supply.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • zingo
    zingo Posts: 11,258
    edited January 2012
    This is the one I'm eyeing...

    5N95L85Fa3Gf3Le3J8c1pfa38ed98a7671a78.jpg
    Jake
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,572
    edited January 2012
    Jake, if you get it I'm interested in your impressions. Do you know what brand of 13EM7's it comes with?
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • zingo
    zingo Posts: 11,258
    edited January 2012
    I don't know what tubes are in it, but would love to get my ears on it. The local builder partnered with Pete on the project, so it has many unique features like a 2-off copper chassis, DC heaters and a few other low noise tweaks. It's not cheap, but I'm sure would sound very good with either my headphones or horns.
    Jake
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