[Niteshade]

A thought on NOS tubes from a manufacturer's standpoint:

I like them allot! However, since they are no longer in production, they are not a reliable source to build around. My biggest concern is finding reliable tubes that are easy to locate and purchase. The most impressive so far has been the Chinese 6SN7 for price, performance and reliability. The most reliable power tubes have been JJ/Tesla 6L6's, 6V6's and KT88's so far. I like Sovtek El84's too.

That long list of upgrades mentioned above is very impressive! A++ parts that are commercial grade and affordable (Bybee, maybe an exception??). Those components do not carry any urban-voodoo-legends or hype behind them. Just simple meat-n-potatoes common sense upgrades. Way to go!

I do want to know more abut the Bybee stuff. Anybody else use their products?

[satfrat]

  27 Bybee's to date in my system,,, but my BPT is the only component that has them internally. The rest are on all my cabing, both audio and video.

Cheers,
Robin

[Bill Baker]

27 Bybee's to date in my system,,,

  WOW! That's a lot of Bybees. I'd be curious to hear how you have them implemented into your video.

 I do like Bybees for particular applications. Some time ago I performed a custom upgrade for the editor of one of the big on-line review sites. At the time, many of the Bybees currently available were not yet released. I was the first to see and hear them in a product (integrated tube amplifier). There were a total of 8 Bybee purifiers........ 4 at the output stage, two at the input stage and two at the AC input.

 While I did not spend a lot of time with the amp, at least not enough to hear it fully broken in, I can tell you it had the blackest background and lowest noise floor I ever heard. Without spending enough time with it, I could not say if there were any sacrifices in detail, extension, etc.

 My favorite application for these is in the B+ voltage just prior to solid state rectifiers. (Not used with tube rectification). Pair these up with really good diodes, no $0.04 silicon please, and you can drop the noise floor considerably.

 I have several of them throughout my systems in the showroom........ speakers, cables, amplifiers and even some in the output stage of my modified Jolida CD player. They can do wonders for some digital pieces.

 On the other end....... a really good design may not need them. They should not be used as a band-aid to 'fix' an inferior design.

[Niteshade]

What exactly are these purifiers: Resistors, caps, inductors, RLC's, RC's, etc....?

Their web site doesn't go into much detail.

[Bill Baker]

What exactly are these purifiers

 Do a google search for Bybee Purifiers and then come to your own conclusions.

[pardales]

Hey gents. I have one of Niteshade Audio's (a.k.a. Blair Lamphear) amps. It is the LE-100a which uses 6L6 power tubes and 6SN7 drive tubes. It is a 45 watt push-pull design with volume control and two inputs.

I am going to send my amp back to Blair for some tailoring, and I thought that a few trusted AC members who live between me (SE Michigan) and the home of Niteshade Audio (in Rome, NY) would like to take a listen to one of Blair's amps, and provide some first-hand feedback/review/testimonial to the rest of AC.

Blair and I have consulted about this and he is game to provide information and support along the way, and I will provide my amp. I will write a short review in the speaker-review circle and that thread will take over for the tour. I am not game for this to go on too long so, maybe 3 stops, each lasting about 7-10 days. Each person who gets the LE-100a amp will be responsible for insured shipping to the next destination and any damage that occurs.

Tube diehards as well as tube skeptics need apply. Blair's amps are durable, straightforward and eminently musical, and deserve to be heard. PM myself and Niteshade Audio to get on the short list - Provide some system spec's too if you don't mind.
 

[Niteshade]

The 100a is a zero feedback push-pull cathode biased amplifier capable of driving speakers with a recommended minimum 90db efficiency rating, 92db or more is preferable. Input impedance is 100K, frequency response is 20-20k. Tube compliment is 6L6x4, 6SN7x2. All questions are welcome!

Hey gents. I have one of Niteshade Audio's (a.k.a. Blair Lamphear) amps. It is the LE-100a which uses 6L6 power tubes and 6SN7 drive tubes. It is a 45 watt push-pull design with volume control and two inputs.

I am going to send my amp back to Blair for some tailoring, and I thought that a few trusted AC members who live between me (SE Michigan) and the home of Niteshade Audio (in Rome, NY) would like to take a listen to one of Blair's amps, and provide some first-hand feedback/review/testimonial to the rest of AC.

Blair and I have consulted about this and he is game to provide information and support along the way, and I will provide my amp. I will write a short review in the speaker-review circle and that thread will take over for the tour. I am not game for this to go on too long so, maybe 3 stops, each lasting about 7-10 days. Each person who gets the LE-100a amp will be responsible for insured shipping to the next destination and any damage that occurs.

Tube diehards as well as tube skeptics need apply. Blair's amps are durable, straightforward and eminently musical, and deserve to be heard. PM myself and Niteshade Audio to get on the short list - Provide some system spec's too if you don't mind.
 

[vett93]

Does your 100a require that speakers have a flat freq. curve for the impedance?

I have put 28 Bybees between my main 2-ch and office 300B integrated amp. More than half of them are Gold Bybees. These are amazing products indeed!

I'd like to use them after the SS diodes. They are very good in reducing the switching noises.

[Niteshade]

That's interesting. I don't know what to say about Bybees since they are supposed to be non-reactive (meaning they can't modify the circuit other than through their inherent resistance). Yet- their web site says they can. This is a contradiction. I do not see how they can help reduce Johnson noise either.

Has anybody measured their effectiveness by way of a scope?

Does your 100a require that speakers have a flat freq. curve for the impedance?

I have put 28 Bybees between my main 2-ch and office 300B integrated amp. More than half of them are Gold Bybees. These are amazing products indeed!

I'd like to use them after the SS diodes. They are very good in reducing the switching noises.

[Niteshade]

Those interested in the LE-100a Tour:

The LE-100a is a 45 watt per channel, zero feedback stereo tube amplifier currently tapped for 8 ohm speakers. Frequency response is 20-20,000hz. Biasing is via the cathode resistor method. Tube compliment includes 4x6l6, 2x6SN7.

Speakers: I recommend medium to high efficiency speakers: Average being around 94db. Any configuration should work fine. It's been tested on speakers down to 87db with good results- but there is some attenuation.

I will post this in the proper thread as well tomorrow.

[satfrat]

27 Bybee's to date in my system,,,

  WOW! That's a lot of Bybees. I'd be curious to hear how you have them implemented into your video.

 I do like Bybees for particular applications. Some time ago I performed a custom upgrade for the editor of one of the big on-line review sites. At the time, many of the Bybees currently available were not yet released. I was the first to see and hear them in a product (integrated tube amplifier). There were a total of 8 Bybee purifiers........ 4 at the output stage, two at the input stage and two at the AC input.

 While I did not spend a lot of time with the amp, at least not enough to hear it fully broken in, I can tell you it had the blackest background and lowest noise floor I ever heard. Without spending enough time with it, I could not say if there were any sacrifices in detail, extension, etc.

 My favorite application for these is in the B+ voltage just prior to solid state rectifiers. (Not used with tube rectification). Pair these up with really good diodes, no $0.04 silicon please, and you can drop the noise floor considerably.

 I have several of them throughout my systems in the showroom........ speakers, cables, amplifiers and even some in the output stage of my modified Jolida CD player. They can do wonders for some digital pieces.

 On the other end....... a really good design may not need them. They should not be used as a band-aid to 'fix' an inferior design.

Just saw your post Bill. I basically have RCA Bybee Adpaters from Bolder Cable on most my interconnects & component video cables. I also have an S-Video Bybee adapter from Wayne and a Bybee Quantum Charger on my Sony XBR TV. On my DirecTv HD DVR receiver, Wayne made me up a set of Bybee Coax f-connector adapters. Wayne also made me up a 20A IEC Dual Bybee Adapter that I have on my BPT power conditioner so I effectively have Bybee's before and after the transformer. All my 6.1 speakers have dual Bybee speaker filters. To say I love what they bring to my system would be an understatement.
Ya, I know,,,, overkill.  aa

Cheers,
Robin

[Bill Baker]

Just saw your post Bill. I basically have RCA Bybee Adpaters from Bolder Cable on most my interconnects & component video cables. I also have an S-Video Bybee adapter from Wayne and a Bybee Quantum Charger on my Sony XBR TV. On my DirecTv HD DVR receiver, Wayne made me up a set of Bybee Coax f-connector adapters. Wayne also made me up a 20A IEC Dual Bybee Adapter that I have on my BPT power conditioner so I effectively have Bybee's before and after the transformer. All my 6.1 speakers have dual Bybee speaker filters. To say I love what they bring to my system would be an understatement.
Ya, I know,,,, overkill.

Hhmmmm....... I am not a big videophile but I just might have to try some Bybees in line with my video cable feeding my projector (or I could just put them at the video output of my DVD player).
 What have you noticed in the video............

[satfrat]

Just saw your post Bill. I basically have RCA Bybee Adpaters from Bolder Cable on most my interconnects & component video cables. I also have an S-Video Bybee adapter from Wayne and a Bybee Quantum Charger on my Sony XBR TV. On my DirecTv HD DVR receiver, Wayne made me up a set of Bybee Coax f-connector adapters. Wayne also made me up a 20A IEC Dual Bybee Adapter that I have on my BPT power conditioner so I effectively have Bybee's before and after the transformer. All my 6.1 speakers have dual Bybee speaker filters. To say I love what they bring to my system would be an understatement.
Ya, I know,,,, overkill.

Hhmmmm....... I am not a big videophile but I just might have to try some Bybees in line with my video cable feeding my projector (or I could just put them at the video output of my DVD player).
 What have you noticed in the video............

Words that come to mind are refined & sharper Bill. It's been awhile since I put them on my component cable at the TV end and it was before I had my DirecTv. But I did have HD premium channels off my C-Band satellite dish and I remember seeing a definite improvement. But the biggest improvements came from the standard definition channels, both from C-band and DirecTv's really crappy SD sports channels, doesn't make the picture great but it helps make them watchable. My best results have always come from placing a Z-Sleeve directly over these Bybee adapters. I utilize this 1-2 combination thru out all my Bybee audio/video connections. Did I mention overkill?

Cheers,
Robin

[Bill Baker]

Thanks Robin,
 I guess I won't know till I try it for myself. I do not have an elaborate video setup at the shop but it's good enough for myself and the family to have a nice movie night on 120 inches. I'll give it a shot and let you know the results.

[satfrat]

Thanks Robin,
 I guess I won't know till I try it for myself. I do not have an elaborate video setup at the shop but it's good enough for myself and the family to have a nice movie night on 120 inches. I'll give it a shot and let you know the results.

Cool. I've been wondering what Bybee's might do for a projection picture. That'll be my next logical step for my home theater system down the road,,, hopefully unless I'm living from a shopping cart someday.

Cheers,
Robin

[Niteshade]

Does anybody know if Bybees have been tested with a scope and signal generator?  I can't find any tests, other than subjective ones using Google.

I found this:
http://forums.slimdevices.com/archive/index.php/t-34154.html

I have a feeling this discussion has been seen multiple times.

[Big Red Machine]

HA, that Bybee Quantum Charger lasted about 10 minutes in my system.  Put in on the power cable to my distribution box and it clamped down the sound so much I couldn't stand it.  It's gone now.  Thought maybe it would work some magic for me but alas it did not.

[vett93]

A regular Bybee purifier has a current rating of 4A and a large Bybee purifier is rated at 15A. So I would not use them at the power distribution box.

I use them mainly inside each device, treating AC and/or diodes. There are 8 of them inside my hybrid power amp, 2 used in my preamp, and 4 used in the CD player so far. I plan to add 2 more to the CD player soon. These devices do take 60-100 hours to burn in. Until they burn in, they actually make the sound worse.

Hope it helps.

[Niteshade]

I like to use chokes in the power supplies of some of my designs. They work wonders at taming rectifier buzz and cleaning up other noises that can leak to ground.

[vett93]

I use choke + Bybee. The improvement is substantial!!