PEARL, INC. - PRODUCTS & SERVICES

 
 

. . . PEARL TUBE COOLERS have been doubling the service life of hot-running audio vacuum tubes for 35 years, during which time over 100,000 pieces have been fitted into audio systems the world over.

. . . Almost certainly the longest running, best documented, best warranted and most successful tube audio accessory of all time PEARL TUBE COOLERS have inspired several over-priced, under-performing imitators; none of which combines the functions of cooling and microphonic reduction, nor anything like the cost/benefit ratio achieved by the long-established PEARL design.

. . . Continuously refined, our heatsink design has evolved from an oxide blackened, louvered fin device with black EDPM O-rings — later found to have inadequate long-term thermal withstand — to the present day solid copper device with 3D-contoured, contiguous fins coated with 2 mils of high metal content, high temperature powder coat and held in place by high thermal withstand, red-orange, silicone O-rings.

. . . With heat from the within tube’s envelope and pressure from the external O-rings the powder coat slightly softens to then flow in a conformal manner with an intimate thermal interface and unmatched microphonic control resulting.

. . . Based on research begun in the early 1950s by the US military and the aeronautics industry, PEARL coolers achieve the sorts of glass temperature reductions shown over 60 years ago to greatly increase the operating life of soft-glass enclosed electron tubes.

. . . Conclusively determined during the 1950s research is the fact that the “soft glass” typically used in receiving tube manufacture is susceptible to high temperature operation in that it becomes effectively “porous” at elevated temperatures, thereby allowing atmospheric contamination of the high vacuum within the glass. By several extensively researched and solidly confirmed mechanisms such contamination has been shown to have destructive effects on the electron emitting surfaces upon which tube functioning is completely dependent and extended service life relies.

. . . All major vacuum tube manufacturers of the day clearly illuminated the benefits of envelope temperature reduction.

. . . In a November 1959 data manual Brimar Valves, UK stated:

. . . “The use of close-fitting screening cans of high thermal conductivity in intimate thermal contact with a large area of the [soft glass] bulb, in conjunction with an adequate heatsink can materially reduce the operating bulb temperature and very considerably improve the life of the valve.”

which is an exact description of the PEARL electron tube cooler's form, function and effect.

. . . The 198 pg. PEARL Audio Note, “PEARL Tube Coolers and Equipment Reliability” provides both a present-day overview and several magazine reviews as well as an extensive review of the period literature and patents.


. . . As of Jan. 1, 2017, PEARL TUBE COOLERS are underwritten by a lifetime, transferable end-users' warranty that is also retroactive, meaning that every PEARL cooler in the hands of an end-user is now warranted against defects in materials and/or workmanship.

. . . If your coolers have black O-rings, please contact us for no-charge, replacement high temperature, silicone O-rings.

. . . SEE FURTHER DETAILS . . .





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. . . .PEARL CRYOVALVES are another of our industry innovations.

. . . While consulting in 1987 to Museatex, the Calgary-based company that has since grown into EMM Labs we were presented with an opportunity to chill down a quantity of tubes to -300ºF in Museatex' liquid nitrogen chilled "cold box" freezer. To say that we were taken by the changes wrought is to make rather an understatement and, after much research and development, we have been treating tubes ever since.

. . . A noteworthy outcome of our research is that our cryogenic treatment is an immersion process run for fully 100hrs. at a -325ºF soak temperature. This, as opposed to the only 8hr. "soak" in what amount to "cold boxes" that typically chill to only -300ºF by liquid nitrogen vapor alone employed by those following our footsteps. Because the extent of metallurgical change that occurs during cryo-temperature processing is a well established "time at temperature" product, longer treatment at lower temperatures will produce more of the changes so beneficial to audio performance.

. . . Subsequent to cryo treatment we do a 100hr. vacuum enhancement procedure followed by a lengthy triple-anneal process. Following these processes we do a 100hr. burn-in during which stochastic electrostatic forces are employed to further stress relieve the tubes' inevitably vibration sensitive and often highly resonant grid structure(s). This done we clean and polish away the hard, and very bad sounding oxide coating from the thru-glass pins not cleaned by the manufacturer, as most are not. Finally, we do a comprehensive series of parametric gain (and gain match in dual triodes), noise and microphony measurements and provide all the data on the box in which the tube is shipped.

. . . While others claim to provide the industry's best services, we remain the process innovators and continue to provide a level of service that is simply unmatched, much less bettered.

. . . SEE FURTHER DETAILS . . .





 

   
. . . PEARL Iso-Sockets uniquely isolate 7- & 9-pin vacuum tubes from air- and structure-borne stimuli.

. . . Electron tubes employing wire-wound grid structures are microphonic by nature. Below are several papers documenting research into the causes and effects of microphonic signal modulation:

. . . Research, Prototype and Development Projects  

 

. . . . .PEARL PR-2 Precision Reference, 2-way Loudspeaker

 

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. . . . .PEARL SC-180 180-watt Monoblock Power Amplifier  
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. . . . .PEARL KT-88/KT-120 50-watt Monoblock Power Amplifier  
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