Help me with Yaqin mc13s

dhart86
dhart86 Posts: 1,594
edited November 2012 in 2 Channel Audio
Not sure of the best place to post this, but I have used tubed pre-amps in previous rigs and loved the sound of tubes so much...... that I purchased my first integrated tub amp. My problem is, I don't understand the first thing about power tubes. The amp I bought is a yaqin mc 13s and uses 6CA7/EL34 power tubes and 12at7 in the (output?). So here is what I hope you guys can help me with.

1. How and when do you bias power tubes?
2. How much do quality power tubes affect the sonics?
3. Therefore, is it worth it to buy top of line power tubes?
4. Can you recommend any good tubes in this designation?

Please help, want to set this up right and check out my first integrated tube set-up
Main Rig:
Antipodes DX > Roon > PS Audio Directstream Jr.>deHavilland Ultraverve 3 >Belles Reference 150a >Harbeth C7 ES3


Second Rig:
Roon> PS Audio Directstream Jr Bridge II > EE Minimax pre (Tutay mods) >Belles 150A Ref >Monitor 5 (Westmassguy-modded)


Post edited by dhart86 on
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Comments

  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,165
    edited November 2012
    Did it not come with the owners manual? That should have biasing instructions in it. The concept is the same for all amps but the process might be a bit different. One caveat, don't ever power it up WOTH OUT a load (speakers) attached.

    6CA7/EL34's are power tubes, and a nice EL34 that won't break the bank is the SED =C= (winged C) from Russia

    12AT7's are driver/phase splitter tubes or known as input tubes. Input tubes don't need to be biased as they are auto-bias based on the input circuit.

    In my experience the best EL34's are original Mullards, but they are very expensive. So in the case of EL34's my choices have been the SED =C= or if you can get some original Tesla's. But they are priced just below original Mullards. A nice inexpensive tube is the JJ E34L based on the original KT77. I had a big bottom end w/o sounding overdone.

    The bias adjustments are external and they give you the bias voltage as well as easy access with you VOM to measure and adjust.

    http://www.china-highend-hifi.com/prod011234124226213452332.htm

    Have you bothered to GOOGLE this model, lots and lots of threads out there.

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • polkfarmboy
    polkfarmboy Posts: 5,703
    edited November 2012
    You do not need to bias the pre tubes and the bias for each power tube should have 2 holes +/- next to each power tube. They are to the left of the left tubes and the right to the right power tubes. The power tubes are usually pretty good in the yaqins and pre tubes are crappy. You should go on ebay as you can buy yaqin mc13 upgrade kits. The bias from every yaqin user I conversed with agree'd that the bias was spot on upon delivery from tubestien on ebay. You will however want to come back and keep checking as it breaks in as it can and more than likely will go over the bias limit as factory presets put it to the limit for harder bass and more power
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  • stretchl
    stretchl Posts: 1,334
    edited November 2012
    There's a Yaqin group on Facebook. Lots of helpful folks there.
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  • dhart86
    dhart86 Posts: 1,594
    edited November 2012
    Good info..........thanks guys. Anyone else have tube favorites?
    Main Rig:
    Antipodes DX > Roon > PS Audio Directstream Jr.>deHavilland Ultraverve 3 >Belles Reference 150a >Harbeth C7 ES3


    Second Rig:
    Roon> PS Audio Directstream Jr Bridge II > EE Minimax pre (Tutay mods) >Belles 150A Ref >Monitor 5 (Westmassguy-modded)


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  • polkfarmboy
    polkfarmboy Posts: 5,703
    edited November 2012
    Dont go for genalex power tubes
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  • dhart86
    dhart86 Posts: 1,594
    edited November 2012
    polkfarmboy wrote: »
    Dont go for genalex power tubes
    PFB thanks for the heads-up! that's probably more valuable than tubes that people like. But, why not? what's the deal w/ genalex pwr tubes?
    Main Rig:
    Antipodes DX > Roon > PS Audio Directstream Jr.>deHavilland Ultraverve 3 >Belles Reference 150a >Harbeth C7 ES3


    Second Rig:
    Roon> PS Audio Directstream Jr Bridge II > EE Minimax pre (Tutay mods) >Belles 150A Ref >Monitor 5 (Westmassguy-modded)


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  • polkfarmboy
    polkfarmboy Posts: 5,703
    edited November 2012
    They have a very bright twang to them for my ears when played on revealing electrostat speakers , I almost felt like I was listening to a solid state integrated and the bass is on the leaner side
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  • Tbone289
    Tbone289 Posts: 661
    edited November 2012
    The current-production 6CA7/EL34 tubes I see recommended most are the SED Winged C's and Electro-Harmonix 6CA7 fat tubes.
    2.1: PC>Schiit Gungnir MB>Schiit Freya Noval>NAD C-270>Ascend Acoustics Sierra-1, HSU STF-2 5.1: HDMI Bitstream>Denon AVR-1910>polkaudio RTE55, CS350-LS, RT3, HSU STF-2, Visio M55-F0
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  • drgalexo
    drgalexo Posts: 159
    edited November 2012
    I am considering a tube preamp., the McIntosh C220, I know some of the tubes have been replaced (or upgraded), do the tubes in the preamps. have as much influence on the sound as tubes in amplifiers? I'm just thinking about a tube preamp. and really don't know much at all about tubes, have just read good tings about them.
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,965
    edited November 2012
    Yes they do, even more so.
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  • dhart86
    dhart86 Posts: 1,594
    edited November 2012
    Tbone289 wrote: »
    The current-production 6CA7/EL34 tubes I see recommended most are the SED Winged C's and Electro-Harmonix 6CA7 fat tubes.

    Thanks Tbone, I have read good things about the SED Winged C's as well. And if Heiney 9 likes 'em then I'm sure it's a good tube. I'll be ordering a quad soon
    Main Rig:
    Antipodes DX > Roon > PS Audio Directstream Jr.>deHavilland Ultraverve 3 >Belles Reference 150a >Harbeth C7 ES3


    Second Rig:
    Roon> PS Audio Directstream Jr Bridge II > EE Minimax pre (Tutay mods) >Belles 150A Ref >Monitor 5 (Westmassguy-modded)


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  • rromeo923
    rromeo923 Posts: 1,513
    edited November 2012
    In my Yaqin I found that rollling the preamp tubes (12at7 in yours) made a much bigger sonic difference than the output tubes (el34).
    I got static in my head
    The reflected sound of everything
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  • dhart86
    dhart86 Posts: 1,594
    edited November 2012
    rromeo923 wrote: »
    In my Yaqin I found that rollling the preamp tubes (12at7 in yours) made a much bigger sonic difference than the output tubes (el34).

    Hey buddy......
    That's what my thoughts were, but I didn't know for sure!
    thanks again for the lsi 7's.
    Main Rig:
    Antipodes DX > Roon > PS Audio Directstream Jr.>deHavilland Ultraverve 3 >Belles Reference 150a >Harbeth C7 ES3


    Second Rig:
    Roon> PS Audio Directstream Jr Bridge II > EE Minimax pre (Tutay mods) >Belles 150A Ref >Monitor 5 (Westmassguy-modded)


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