6sn7 brand

[paolofina]

Hello everybody,
I need help:
I'm looking for 6sn7 tubes for Aikido. I usually listen Pink Floyd, Dire Straits, Miles Davis.
I want: very good bandwidth, bass, detail and soundstage.

Which is the best brand for this characteristics?

SOVTEK
GOLDEN DRAGON
ELETTRO HARMONIX
TUNG SOL
SOVTEK
SHUGUANG

Thank you
Paolo

[Original Burnedfingers]

I don't think that you can just say buy the XXX brand and you will be happy. There are going to be differences in sonics as a result of the brand and type of caps, and resistors. Another factor could very well be the amplifier of choice as well as speakers.

Without starting WWIII here I would suggest trying different tubes in your input stage. My personal belief it that the input usually is the factor in sonic differences.

I like 5692 for jazz, GE 6SN7GTB's or Sylvania chrome top 6SN7GTA's for rock.

I am also very fond of a Russian Military nickle base 6SN7 version 1578 ebay reference # 250193341846

The 1578 is my very favorite tube for any listening. It is superior in my opinion to my 5692's.

The Russian tubes that I have listened to have zero noise in ANY line stage I've used them in. I cannot say this for some of the NOS american tubes I have.

[kevinkr]

You'll just have to try a bunch, without knowing the specifics of your system and your own preferences it is hard to give advice.

In my system, almost without exception I prefer the Sylvania 6SN7GTA/GTB depending on location.

I've yet to get my hands on a pair of 1578, but I have heard very good things about them from a variety of sources.

[Miles Prower]

The only thing I've used 6SN7s for, so far, is cathode followers, so I can't vouch for how they sound as gain stages. However, the Sovtek's are not a bit microphonic. A lot of NOS 6SN7s tend to be mildly to nastily microphonic. That's one thing to consider.

[aletheian]

I have a big box of 6SN7s... I buy them untested and sort them out later. I don't have golden ears, so I'll stick to the noise issues mainly, and let the others comment on the sound. I can give burnedfingers a +1 on the US tubes... I think that the good ones are getting scarce, and many of the older bottles (used or NOS) I own have a bit of ring, and a few have some issues with hum from the heaters, depending on how sensitive the circuit is to that sort of thing... I seem to remember the Tung-Sols working out best as far as noise, but I tend to like the Sylvania in terms of sound, but it varies so much from one to the sent. I have not tried the Soviet versions in a while, but I remember them being fairly neutral and even... not super exciting, but not in any way detrimental that I can recall. So like kevinkr said, get a bunch and try them out.

[Original Burnedfingers]

I don't have golden ears, so I'll stick to the noise issues mainly, and let the others comment on the sound. I can give burnedfingers a +1 on the US tubes... I think that the good ones are getting scarce, and many of the older bottles (used or NOS) I own have a bit of ring,

I have boxes of 6SN7's that I managed to buy over the last few years. Some are new never used NOS tubes and some have a service history. I don't have golden ears either but have formed the opinion that the better circuits show less effects of tube rolling than some of the others. Microphonics is an important factor in 6SN7 choices also. I have noticed even the cheap Soviet
tubes are NOT microphonic at all. Like I mentioned earlier the military 1578 nickle based tube with the 1578 marked on the glass is the one to buy. This tube will clearly tromp my best 5692
red base RCA's.

Yes, some of the hum issues of the US tubes will drive you nuts but on the other hand you will only hear the slight hum when you have your head right next to the speaker.

I would however steer clear of the coin based 6SN7 tubes as all I have tried are total junk for audio but suitable for a TV set.

[bigwill]

6N8S / 6H8C rocks

[kevinkr]

I heat with dc in almost all of my designs and in those where I don't I generally elevate the filament supply well above the voltage on the cathode. I've never had a hum problem with these tubes even with speaker systems in the >100dB efficiency range.

I haven't found any 6SN7GT/GTA/GTB to be particularly microphonic compared to any other tube I have evaluated, and I used a lot of them commercially and my current SE and PP 300B amplifiers use them as well. My previous SRPP, differential SRPP and cross-coupled inverter based line stages used them as well, and again no particular problem with microphonics, so I am not sure why my experience differs all that much from other posters here.

It isn't that they aren't microphonic at all, just that they don't seem worse than any other particular type. (I'm used to dealing with DHTs and they are far more microphonic in general. Yeah 5842 and D3A are less microphonic - a good thing since they have much more gain..)

I have GE, RCA, Sylvania, Tungsol, Brimar, and Russian ones of various vintages, but I really do prefer the Sylvania 6SN7 and Brimars over the others I have mentioned. I also have red and black base 5692 which are over-rated imo.

6SN7 are very easy to find on eBay and the Sylvanias are very reasonably priced compared to say the Tungsol which have a mystique that pushes their prices way uppppp.

My only advice in terms of the issues raised would be to heat with dc and elevate the filament supplies, and choose the least microphonic devices on hand if you have a problem. I haven't tried any of the current crop.

IMHO Still one of the very best sounding medium mu triodes in existence for voltage amplifier applications.

YMMV...

[bigwill]

I hear DC heating has detrimental effects on the heater filaments, is this true?

[kevinkr]

In 20yrs I have not had one filament failure attributable to dc heating - none at all.. So while I have heard the rumor I have had no problems.
Of course YMMV..