All quiet on the SN front - recommended choice of tubes

[cbutterworth]

I am finally seeing llght at the end of the tunnel with my Aikido. For this reason, I am beginning to think of which 6sn7's specifically I should use.

My real drive for building a tube preamp was the desire to add some of the classic tube smoothness / warmth / mellowness to my music, which ranges from classical through "space" through classic rock.

In all likeliness, there is no one tube fits all.

So, in terms of tube warmth (and preferred lack of microphonics), what would folk recommend?

Of course, there is also the trade-off in price.

Charlie

[ray_moth]

I have found ElectroHarmonix 6SN7EH to be good.

[kevinkr]

Vintage Sylvania.. Not too expensive and older versions will give the most exotic 6SN7 a good run for the money. I have a lot of them spanning the 1950's to early 1980's - they're all good although I prefer the 1950's and 1960's versions a little bit to the later ones. I have a very few 1940's vintage and these are considered the mecca of Sylvania 6SN7..

I also have Tungsol, GE, and others, but strongly prefer the Sylvania. Tungsols are highly regarded, but hideously expensive even used, and I don't care for their sound in my amplifiers. I keep them around for that unexpected epiphany. I always pass on the GE I don't care for them at all..

Brimar made good sounding ones as well, but they can be a bit pricy.. I recommend them if the price is right.

WWII vintage RCA or Kenrad with black or gray coatings on the glass are regarded very highly as well, and I have a couple I have listened to unfortunately I haven't got enough to make a matched pair, and they don't like really high voltages either.. They deserve their reputation I guess..

[jayme]

Did you swap between the GEs and the Russian tubes, and notice a difference?

I'm running ElectroHarmonix 6SN7s in mine...I haven't tried anything else yet, as I have heard that the EH sounds very good, and that the Aikido is rather insensitive to tube rolling (due to the inverted noise injection acting to linearize the "tube distortion").

However, I just realized that I am running the output tubes above their peak plate dissipation, tho...so I might try some 6BX7s on the outputs.

It does sound quite good as-is, however.

[Jeb-D.]

I like NOS Tung Sol black plates. They wern't too expensive, I got a pair of used but good for $20 shipped on ebay.