I just got in my matched quad of NOS Russian output tubes for my Baldwin amp yesterday. The main reason for buying these tubes was just to get an inexpensive quad of output tubes to diagnose a slight noise issue with my amp that was being put through the speakers. The noise wasn't loud, but it was quite annoying none the less. I wasn't sure if it might have been the output tubes (as I already swapped the preamp and rectifier tubes) and still had the noise. I was starting to wonder if it might have been the 50+ year old coupling and/or bypass caps. After replacing the Chinese Shuguang 6L6GC's with these Russian 6Pi3C's, the speakers are absolutely dead silent. No hum, hiss, crackle, sizzle, pop, tick... Nothing. So apparently it was the 6L6's causing the problem.
I put the 6Pi3C's in and had them running for approximately 2 hours last night before heading to bed, and I have had them running since 7am this morning. So far, these tubes sound great!
Mind you, I'm not ranting and raving over them, but these tubes sure do sound extremely good for the money. They still have the impact and massive bass control of the 6L6's driving my NHT 2.9's, and they still have that smooth, extended top end of the 6L6's, but what they add into the mix is the warm, full glowing sound in the midrange, much like a EL34/6BQ5 or SE amp. It's the best of both worlds.
Of course, YMMV considering the amp(s) you use these Russian tubes in, but I do urge you to try them out in your setup. I'm sure you won't be disappointed. And at their price point on eBay, you can't go wrong. I paid about 20 bucks more for mine than most of the listings on eBay only because I wanted them ASAP and the NOS ones I found were in California, not in Russia, Ukraine, etc, etc.
Please don't listen to the people who say these tubes are junk and don't sound good. My NHT's are quite detailed and respond very well to differences in the signal chain, both good and bad.
Here's a couple iPhone pics of them, one at night and one during the day. As you can see, they also have that blue glow to them...
I put the 6Pi3C's in and had them running for approximately 2 hours last night before heading to bed, and I have had them running since 7am this morning. So far, these tubes sound great!
Mind you, I'm not ranting and raving over them, but these tubes sure do sound extremely good for the money. They still have the impact and massive bass control of the 6L6's driving my NHT 2.9's, and they still have that smooth, extended top end of the 6L6's, but what they add into the mix is the warm, full glowing sound in the midrange, much like a EL34/6BQ5 or SE amp. It's the best of both worlds.
Of course, YMMV considering the amp(s) you use these Russian tubes in, but I do urge you to try them out in your setup. I'm sure you won't be disappointed. And at their price point on eBay, you can't go wrong. I paid about 20 bucks more for mine than most of the listings on eBay only because I wanted them ASAP and the NOS ones I found were in California, not in Russia, Ukraine, etc, etc.
Please don't listen to the people who say these tubes are junk and don't sound good. My NHT's are quite detailed and respond very well to differences in the signal chain, both good and bad.
Here's a couple iPhone pics of them, one at night and one during the day. As you can see, they also have that blue glow to them...
