6N1P for buffer instead of 6DJ8, 6922

[JojoD818]

have tried sovtek 6N1Ps for buffers and as for the sound I have no objections. I even tried it in my x10d buffer clone, VBIGC and I liked it. I don't know why others don't like the 6N1P but don't let them stop you from experimenting. 😀

cheers.
JojoD

 

[tttking]

Thank you for sharing your experience on 6n1p, JojoD. Have you ever compared the sound with preamps with other popular tubes?

 

[JojoD818]

I have a pair if Sylvannia 6DJ8, Sylvannia 6922, a pair of Electro Harmonix 6922, Sovtek 6N1P, and other unmarked 6922s.

I don't rate my tubes by which is good and which is bad. These tubes have their own character, sort of a personality. I am no tube expert but for me the 6N1P is a warm tube. But that's just me, this things are kinda subjective.

🙂

 

[fdegrove]

Hi,

have tried sovtek 6N1Ps for buffers and as for the sound I have no objections. I even tried it in my x10d buffer clone, VBIGC and I liked it. I don't know why others don't like the 6N1P but don't let them stop you from experimenting.

Buffers being total negative feedback circuits making it notoriously hard to assess the tube used within that circuit unless it changes the intended operation parameters somewhat.

If a certain application makes the use of a buffer designed around a 6N1P or related tube a useful option I would probably not opt to waste a perfectly good ECC88 in that app either....

For other, more critical apps designed around the ECC88 however the ECC88 shows clearly less harmonic distortion than a 6N1-P would.
Unfortunately correct data for the 6N1-P are rather scarse making design work around it rather more tedious.

Cheers, 😉

 

[tttking]

Thanks, JojoD. It was my impression too, except that I did not have anything else to compare with, other than a Jolida 502 integrated amp with 12AX7s as drivers (modified to run the push-pull 6550s as triodes). My 6n1p SRPP with a class A DOZ DIY power amp (from ESL) also sounds more lively and clearer than my Jolida. The bass is also more controlled. The 6n1p improved the sound drastically and provided good control over the bass, comparing to my other solid state preamps, as well as comparing to direct link from my CD player to the DOZ. It is the first time that I am quite happy with the sound of my system.

 

[JojoD818]

As Frank said, more critical circuits demand lower noise and distortion tubes such as for use with phono preamps and other noise sensitive circuits.

I love my tubes 😀 , so my philosophy is to use my tubes where they will sound the best they can. That way I don't have any bad sounding tube. 😀

I hope your aware that the 6N1P has a higher heater current rating than the 6922/6DJ8. Just a reminder.

😉

 

[tttking]

Thanks for the warning about heater current. I am using a tranformer from an old integrated amp with plenty of juice. It looks like that 6n1p may do pretty well in a line stage then.

 

[JojoD818]

they can be useful in linestages too, you can try a foreplay style linestage or if you have 4 6N1P then you can try a version of the Aikido. but 4 6N1P tubes means 2.4A on the heaters if they are in parallel.

JojoD

 

[tttking]

I forgot to memtion an oddity about 6n1p's that I found. The Svetlana produces a tube called 6n1p which has completely different characteristic curves from anybody else's. The safest way is to use the spec from the particular tube manufacture's web site if they are still in business. The characteristic curve I attached was obtained from Sovtek a few years back when I built my SRPP. I believe the Svetlana 6n1p's will run much hotter with the same plate voltage and screen biase.

 

[JojoD818]

it's true, again, like Frank said, it is hard to obtain a general specs of the 6N1P. doing what you said is a wise decision since it seems that these tubes vary a lot by manufacturer.

 

[tttking]

Come to think about it. It may be that high harmonic distortion that Frank is talking about that I enjoy listening so much. Probably mostly even order harmonics.

 

[arnoldc]

i have been babysitting a decware zen buffer, and when compared to my passive with a DACT, the buffer sounded louder (duh!) and had better focus. but when i come to think of it, i'm losing the openness in sound, and instead getting dynamic compression. it had 6N1P.

 

[mcs]

I forgot to memtion an oddity about 6n1p's that I found. The Svetlana produces a tube called 6n1p which has completely different characteristic curves from anybody else's.

Svetlana has never made any 6N1Ps. The logo on the "Svetlana" 6N1Ps I have is not the Svetlana logo ("winged C").

I would just use the data from the original Russian data sheets - whether Svetlana tubes are used or not. The circuits from the Svetlana 6N1P app. note do work though (the ones I tried at least)...

Best regards,

Mikkel C. Simonsen

 

[lineup]

some little reading

Using the Svetlana 6N1P Dual Triode in New or Existing Designs
( I see this was already posted before )

Technical bulletins on using Svetlana for audio
Hi-Fi Audio Technical Notes for Using Svetlana Tubes

 

[tttking]

ArnoldC, just some personal experience to share. My 6n1p srpp sounded somewhat less dynamic, with sweeter highs, a little more open, much more musical and with more controlled bass than my passive amp (with a home made step attennnuator). Over all, the SRPP sounded quite natural and reminded me quite a bit of the live concerts that I have been to. Somewhat weaker bass, a little less clear in the details and a hint of harshnes in the highs though. I am using a good CD source and a DOZ class A power amp. BTW, the Sovtek's sounded better than the Svetlana's in my SRPP.

 

[planet10]

Measured 6H1pi data

dave

 

[arnoldc]

hi tim, yours is configured srpp and the dec is simple cf. must the the cause in the difference in character. 🙂

 

[tttking]

Hey Dave, that was a really nice looking set of charts for 6n1p, one hundred times better than the Sovtek ones. Thank you for sharing with us. The data do look similar to Sovtek's ugly charts.

ArnoldC, maybe the SRPP is not a bad thing after all.

 

[planet10]

that was a really nice looking set of charts for 6n1p, one hundred times better than the Sovtek ones. Thank you for sharing with us. The data do look similar to Sovtek's ugly charts.

Check out his whole site... more tubes measured, some interesting amps & such, and a DIY curve tracer.

dave

 

[Mother of PEARL]

Some real data for an '80s version, a 6N1P-EV is: at 150 plate volts and -1V on the grid, plate current is 10.75mA, gm is 5.3mS, µ is 37.5, rp is 7.1KΩ.
This is ACCURATE data for the part, taken from a sample of 125 parts on a special test rig of my own construction and processed in an Excel spreadsheet I built.

Best,
Bill Perkins
PEARL, Canada