Tube Sockets
PART 1 Yamamoto Soundcraft / Teflon Sockets and parts
These tube sockets are unique in it's kind. They are made of Teflon. For perfect appearance, the Yamamoto Teflon sockets are CNC machined from a solid block. The cost of raw Teflon blocks is very high, but it is the ultimate material for isolation. It doesn't get dirty because of the self-cleaning surface, and is resistant against ANY chemical influence. Sockets are available for tubes like KT88, 300B, EL34, and for almost any tube ever made.
These sockets are made as precise as a watch.
This is leading technology by YAMAMOTO! |
About Gold plating of contacts:
Low cost industrial process: With
the gold plating process for
low cost products,
a layer of nickel is put on the material
first,
and after that
the gold plating is done.
The reason is,
a gold layer will not give a shiny surface on metals like copper or bronze.
So, first they must put a nickel layer, and then the gold.
Also the nickel layer gives the nice shiny surface that
people like, and the manufacturers can make the layer very thin. So the gold-over-nickel technology is cheaper, and better looking, and so the most used.
What is generally not said, the gold layer is not pure, but holds less than 50% gold. Sometimes only 33%. It is this gold plating that has a very bright yellow color, more like brass.
Yamamoto process: For best Sound results, all Yamamoto's connecting devices are made completely nickel-free by definition and by company philosophy. All base materials are BRONZE. For best mechanical properties, first a silver layer is put on the bronze. Then over the silver plating a gold layer is applied. This will give the gold layer it's Yamamoto-typical opaque surface, with superior contact proportions, for better sound. Also you will notice the pin soldering is much easier to do. This gold plating with 100% pure gold, will have the more deeper yellow color, which is typical for 24k gold.
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About the Yamamoto contact pin material:
All contact pins are made of
a solid blocks
of
bronze, and are nickel free. They are CNC machined to get the shape they have.
With the Noval sockets, this needs a CNC machine that can also do parts for watches!
Contact bronze is a special alloy of mainly copper and zinc,
and it is superior to any other contact Material. It can only be tooled on
CNC machines, so is not used in commercial devices.
The pins can be taken apart for cleaning or adjusting the pulling force.
Also with the very fine made 9 pin miniature socket.
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Yamamoto Sockets Product overview
4Pin |
Silver Version
Order Number: 320-019-67 |
Yamamoto TEFLON UX4 Socket
Tubes like:
300B, VV274A
Silver Version only
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| 4 + 4 |
Order Number: 320-063-67
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Yamamoto TEFLON UX4-UX4 Socket
GENIUS product!
This socket has two UX4 footprints, in one. Each with 45 degrees rotated to each other. Like this, you can use two different kind of UX4 tubes. For instance you can use the 300B and 50 in one amplifier. Because each position had it's own connections, you can connect the 5V for the 300B and the 7.5V for the Type 50 to the corresponding pins. Also like this, you can use different cathode resistors, that switch in this way automatically. Actually, it is always a very good idea to use this socket in ANY 300B amplifier, because no matter what idea you have later, you can realize it. Any you probably will get lots of ideas later, once you have this socket installed.
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4 + 4 |
Order Number: 320-024-88
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Yamamoto TEFLON UX4-B4 Socket . GENIUS product!
WIth this socket you can much increase your possible choice of tubes. Use of 1930's European tubes and USA tubes are possible in the same circuit now!.
Even though European tubes are 4V and USA tubes at 5V, it can be done. So this socket combines:
- European B4 base (normally 4V tubes)
- USA UX4 base (normally 5V tubes)
Part 1. Use 4V or 5V Rectifiers by just plug them in.
European rectifiers are available in much nicer variations, globe glass and mesh types can be found still. When you do this with a 5U4G circuit, the 5Z3 is the UX4 version of 5U4G. So this is the one tube. The European tube is RGN2504, PV200/600 or AZ50. (See our NOS pages) for rectifiers. Or switch from Type 83 mercury to AX50 Mercury.
The difference in filament voltage is solved with small series resistors. These do not even get very warm, and can be mountectly on the socket, and that's all you need to do.
 Click here to see how it's connected for rectifiers.
Part 2. Use 4V or 5V Triodes by just plug them in.
Here you do need two filament windings, one for 5V and one for 4V. To begin with, you connect the 5V winding to the UX4 part of the socket and the 4V winding to the B4 part. Plate and grid of the UX4 and B4 tubes are connected in parallel.
Then on each filament (4V and 5V) you create it's own center tap with two resistors (usually 2x 50ohms). Or, the transformer winding has a center tap already. So we have now a 4V center tap, and a 5V center tap. On each center tap, you connect it's won bias resistor for the tube you choose.
In this way you can use for instance RE604 and 2A3 in the same amplifier. Or 300B and PX25. The different filament bias and different filament voltage will apply automatically by plugging in the tube you choose.
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4 + 4 |
Order Number:320-023-94
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Yamamoto TEFLON UX4-UV4 Socket
GENIUS product!
This socket combines an UX4 socket with UV4 sockets. Why is that?
When you build a 205D amplifier, you can use the Fullmusic 205D, which has a UX4 socket.
Then later, just suppose you get the idea to try NOS 205D, these have an older type socket (UV4).
With this socket, all you need to do is rotate the tube 90 degrees, and it will take both types.
There are many other interesting tube combinations possible with this socket.
Gold version only
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| 4/5Pin |
Order Number: 320-025-39
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B4/B5
For "Euro"1935
Tubes like
PX25,
original old socket
Silver or Gold version
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6Pin |
UX6 Order Number: 320-028-37
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UX6. Tubes like:
301D
Gold version only
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| 7Pin |
Order Number: 320-031-09 |
7 PIN
SEPTAR
Sorry, only ONE pcs left
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8Pin |
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Loctal
Tubes like: C3g, C3m, ECH21
I am sorry, we do not recommend to the Yamamoto LOCTAL sockets any more. Instead, we were able to buy a large stock of NOS Teflon sockets made by EDISWAN, England. These have silver plated contacts, and the same screw hole dimensions as the Yamamoto.
Order number for the EDISWAN TEFLON socket:
398-803-99
More information here
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9Pin |
Order Number: 320-040-34
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9 PIN Magnoval
Tubes like:
EL504,
6D22, etc.
Only Gold Version
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Order Number: 320-074-76
30mm air vent adapter
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YAMAMOTO 30mm. Air ventilation adapter.
Fits all Yamamoto 30mm sockets. These are the types like UX4, B4, Octal, etc, etc. This is for 95% of the Yamamoto sockets,
| Outside dimensions: |
58 x 58 x 3mm |
| Screw hole for Adapter: |
48mm distance / Diameter 4mm. |
| Socket hole: |
For all Yamamoto 30mm sockets |
| Chassis hole: |
Use a 55mm diameter hole, so the ventilation holes are not covered like this. |
High quality screw set is included! There us a complete set of very high quality screws included. So these are four the chassis screws for the adapter, and two screws for the Yamamoto Tube socket. When you mount it, you will see what I mean, they fit so beautiful, and are mint quality. A MUST for the Yamamoto sockets.
Note. When using the tube sockets with the Air Vent adapters, of course it looks much nicer, and is better for the tubes. But....also you make high quality mounting much easier for yourself, since now the chassis hole you need to make is uncritical in diameter.
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Order Number: 320-080-13
35mm air vent adapter
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YAMAMOTO 35mm. Air ventilation adapter.
Fits all Yamamoto 35mm sockets. For larger sockets, like EL156, and some others. Amplifier chassis hole is the same for 30mm and 35mm air vent.
| Outside dimensions: |
58 x 58 x 3mm |
| Screw hole for Adapter: |
48mm distance / Diameter 4mm. |
| Socket hole: |
For all Yamamoto 35mm sockets |
| Chassis hole: |
Use a 55mm diameter hole, so the ventilation holes are not covered like this. |
High quality screw set is included! There us a complete set of very high quality screws included. So these are four the chassis screws for the adapter, and two screws for the Yamamoto Tube socket. When you mount it, you will see what I mean, they fit so beautiful, and are mint quality. A MUST for the Yamamoto sockets.
Note. When using the tube sockets with the Air Vent adapters, of course it looks much nicer, and is better for the tubes. But....also you make high quality mounting much easier for yourself, since now the chassis hole you need to make is uncritical in diameter.
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Check out this page about how to use silicon dampers, and reduce chassis microphonics
The damping can be made softer or harder, by screwing in the screw from 3mm to 6mm. Since the tube socket is not heavy, 3mm is the recommended value. Most amazing is the strength of the rubber, and yet it is still so flexible. These are technically very nice made items, and four of them together cost not more than an average tube socket. It
Dimensions:
Thread on both ends: M3 (=3mm diameter)
Screw Length: 6mm
Rubber Part: 8mm long, Diameter 8mm
More here....
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Order Number: 320-073-50
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YAMAMOTO 28mm 9pin Noval Socket adapter.
The Yamamoto 9pin Noval sockets have a normal (standard) 28mm screw distance.
However, if you want to mount them in holes, as made for some other type socket, this is also possible, when you use this adapter.
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Application #1 (28mm screw distance)
Like this, you can replace the standard Chinese sockets with 28 mm screw distance, pictures left.
The small holes of the base plate are used. The large holes stay unused.
A general purpose high quality screw set is provided with the base plate. |
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Application #2 (28mm to 38mm screw distance)
This allows to mount the Yamamoto 18mm hole socket in standard 30mm holes, as for octal sockets. Very useful when you want to use a noval based tube, where these is an octal hole in the amplifier deck.
The small holes of the base plate are used to mount the Yamamoto socket invisible. The large holes are used for the octal footprint.
A general purpose high quality screw set is provided with the base plate. |
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enlarge
Order Number: 320-050-29
(This is for one piece)
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Teflon Audio Input / RCA Jack
Fully CNC machined part. Made from Teflon, Bronze, Silver, Gold and nothing else. These have nickel free contacts.
Each comes with four color rings, so you can color mark each connector the way you prefer.
Standard 9mm chassis hole.
This part can be used for both symmetrical (XLR) or unsymmetrical (normal RCA ) inputs. For normal mounting, the inner Teflon isolator ring is not used. So the connector is grounded to the chassis like this. If you need symmetrical inputs, you apply both isolator rings.
They feature coaxial ground connections. Engineers will love this. If you do not want to take advantage of this, there is no need of course, and you can connect only the signal wire to the center pin (same as with low cost connectors). For improved shielding however, you can consider to connect a shielded coaxial cable to it, and then you can make a nice coaxial connection without having a shield leakage at the input connector. So the outside of the coaxial cable goes around the connector. In cases like this, the outside of the cable is connected to the connector only. At the other end where it goes into the amplifier, the shield is not connected. This provides ultimate shielding, and prevents ground loops.
Special note about the gold plating of those. These connectors are little diamonds, build with ultimate contact quality in mind. When you first see them, they look not mirror-shiny, and there are sometimes questions about this. For Audio Signals it is best to have nickel free contacts, to prevent whisker noise when the contacts get old. This means the whole construction and the plating must be nickel free. Perhaps as you know, a mirror shiny gold plating results only when a nickel layer is applied underneath, and also a non-pure gold layer, is used with low gold content. Since all Yamamoto parts are nickel-free, and use pure gold only, this cannot be done on a mirror-shiny way. For best electrical results, a pure silver plating must be underneath. (Reason for this is to be found in the inter-metallic potential when two metals of different kind touch each other). This layer of pure silver However, has an opaque surface. Over the silver, several gold layers are applied, which will adopt the opaque surface as well. So please be not mislead when you first see them, and notice the plating is not done mirror -shiny! This is done in purpose, for best contact results.
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6mm Order Number: 320-070-91
9mm Order Number: 320-071-63
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YAMAMOTO Plate Caps
So far, the Chinese Ceramic plate caps were the only available. The Chinese caps are really poor quality, but for that they are cheap. For the reasonable price of the Yamamoto's you get something very nice. When you remove the Yamamoto caps from the tube, you feel already you are not going to damage the top connector of the tube. The sound is a soft "zmmmb" and you feel the contact is good. Those of you who have cracked off the top cap of an expensive tube, with the Chinese plate caps, know what that means.
They have bronze contacts with the Yamamoto gold-over-silver plating, and adjustable contact force. Many tubes have not-standard diameter of the top caps, and this is no problem for the Yamamoto. For adjustment you need to open the front part, but they are pre-adjusted for 6 or 9mm, so first try if they are ok as they are.
  
Available in 6mm and 9mm.
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2L10P Order Number: 320-045-90 |
Complite Solder lug
Model 1L3P /
1L5P / 2L10P
Complite*
+ Gold plated bronze,
nickel-free
*Complite is specially treated wood.
It is hydraulically compressed under extreme pressure to get the air out, and then under vacuum the remaining air is replaced by phenol.
Like this,
properties are reached comparable to Bakelite.
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