6SN7 some good some bad

[Original Burnedfingers]

I'm sure if you are a fan of the 6SN7 tube you have discovered your favorites by now. Everyone has a favorite brand of tube.


My recent Russian purchases...

The 1578 has to be auditioned to be believed. It is the premimum

Russian tube of choice and will hold its own sonically with the

5692. They are well worth the money and wait. The cheaper 6N8S

should be avoided at all costs. It lacks clarity, detail, depth, bass,

in short all the good qualities of tubes. They do however made an

interesting paper weight. The only thing I can say in their favor is

that they weren't microphonic in nature.

Got a tube story?

[andyjevans]

I can't find any mention of 1578 - not in my AVO manual. does it have another name, or do you have a reference?

[rdf]

If you can trust E-bay the Soviet equiv is 6N8S:

http://www.mif.pg.gda.pl/homepages/f...113/6/6N8S.pdf

[kevinkr]

IMHO The Sylvania 6SN7 with offset V style black plates are pretty hard to beat. (My top day to day choice.) Also true of 1940's Jan Tungsol types. The Sylvania types are fairly common on eBay and not terribly expensive. (Yet..) Sylvania types are very distinctive with the V structure and were rebranded and sold by many other vendors.

Early Tungsol when attainable are expensive.. I don't care for the later ones, nor are any vintage GE in my estimation anywhere as good as the Sylvania.

I, umm also really like any Brimar 6SN7 I have ever encountered. Anyone got some just laying around that they wouldn't miss?
These might be the best, it's a toss up between them and the Sylvania in my estimation..

Many like the 5692, these can be quite expensive, late black base ones mostly appear to be standard Sylvania 6SN7 types and should be quite nice. I don't care for the vintage ones I own. (Brand forgotten for the moment.) I don't really get the hype around these, but they may be incompatible with my high voltage design proclivities.


The Russian 6N8S sounds pretty crummy compared to any western manufactured 6SN7 I have encountered. (Linearity measurements were worse as well.)

[lndm]

Kevinkr,

Agree - the Brimar 6sn7 is very clean.

[Miles Prower]

I'm using Sovtek 6SN7s. These are quite good: no tendency towards microphony. Giving them a sharp rap does not register any disturbances while o'scoping the output. They also look to be constructed in a robust manner, even including grid radiator "wings" that the US branded types don't have (at least not in the pics over at Valve Museum). In the project where they're being used (cathode follower final drivers) they sound great and work good.

[Original Burnedfingers]

This is from an ebay ad................................................

The manufacturer is the Moscow electro tube factory. Special military Development. Was issued by small sets.

The tube is unique that has double marks 6N8S and "1578".

Military marks "1578" means parts similarity inside a cylinder, Microphon effect is reduced to a minimum,

Resource of work - not less than 5000 hours.

The tube is very beautiful.

Date of manufacturing May 1976.


Both the 1578 and the 6N8S are not microphonic in nature. The standard 6N8S does lack the quality of sound that the 1578 has.
When playing a tract off a CD there is a marked difference between the two. The 1578 is a decent tube however.

The standard GE tube is quite good sounding while the newer coin base GE tube isn't worth plugging into a socket.

[Nordic]

I had my first birthday in May of 1976.

[amperex]

The Sylvania 6SN7W, 6SN7GT & 6SN7GTA with the 'T' type plates kicks the heck out of vintage RCA & GE 6SN7s that add nasty distortion lovingly called warmth.

[Ryssen]

Myself I like the Sylvania types best both 6SN7 and 6SL7.
I know this is not the thread topic ut could you list some god brands of the 6SL7 as well?