Author Topic: Favorite 6SN7 Tubes  (Read 16925 times)

Bigfish8

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Favorite 6SN7 Tubes
« on: February 07, 2009, 01:00:06 PM »
I am seriously thinking about embarking down the 6SN7 tube rolling trail.  I know that the Tung-Sol black glass, round plates are the ultimate 6SN7's but they are insanely high priced.  Some of you guys must have experience with the 6SN7's and I would like to know which of the 6SN7's are your favorites.

Thanks,

Ken

Offline richidoo

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Re: Favorite 6SN7 Tubes
« Reply #1 on: February 09, 2009, 05:31:30 PM »
You are playing with fire my friend!   :rofl: Now I need to get a 6sn7 preamp to mop up your sloppy seconds.   :drool: :rofl:

I've used only two, Ruby Tubes Chinese (probably Shuguang) that came stock with Cary, and some used but strong RCA 6SN7GTB from Vintage Tube Service.  The difference was extremely small, but I think I liked the Chinese a tad better...  :oops: Boooooo!!!   RCA also made them for GE, same tube.

ChrisA has a Cary preamp with the Shuguang stockers (I think,) I think it sounds awesome. We listened to Hantra's Cary SLP-05 last summer full of stock Cary tubes. Everyone agreed it was excruciatingly beautiful with 4 tubes per linestage channel, fully balanced. So they are not shit by any stretch, at least in Cary Audio products... haha

Do yourself a big favor, and check with Bill before you buy anything. ;)

Some interesting links:
http://www.6sn7.com/
http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/archive/index.php/t-70050.html
http://www.audioxsell.com/classified/467823/6SN7-VT231-Ken-Rad-Sylvania.htm
https://www.tubeworld.com/6sn7.htm
http://www.vacuumtube.com/guitar.htm
http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0304/6sn7.htm

Bigfish8

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Re: Favorite 6SN7 Tubes
« Reply #2 on: February 09, 2009, 06:14:28 PM »
You are playing with fire my friend!   :rofl: Now I need to get a 6sn7 preamp to mop up your sloppy seconds.   :drool: :rofl:

I've used only two, Ruby Tubes Chinese (probably Shuguang) that came stock with Cary, and some used but strong RCA 6SN7GTB from Vintage Tube Service.  The difference was extremely small, but I think I liked the Chinese a tad better...  :oops: Boooooo!!!   RCA also made them for GE, same tube.

ChrisA has a Cary preamp with the Shuguang stockers (I think,) I think it sounds awesome. We listened to Hantra's Cary SLP-05 last summer full of stock Cary tubes. Everyone agreed it was excruciatingly beautiful with 4 tubes per linestage channel, fully balanced. So they are not shit by any stretch, at least in Cary Audio products... haha

Do yourself a big favor, and check with Bill before you buy anything. ;)

Some interesting links:
http://www.6sn7.com/
http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/archive/index.php/t-70050.html
http://www.audioxsell.com/classified/467823/6SN7-VT231-Ken-Rad-Sylvania.htm
https://www.tubeworld.com/6sn7.htm
http://www.vacuumtube.com/guitar.htm
http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0304/6sn7.htm


Thanks Rich for the information.  I am reluctantly pursuing the 6SN7 tubes but the darn ModWright Transporter has become a tube rolling nightmare!  Everyone who has tried the EML 5U4G Mesh rectifier believe it is the best sounding of all rectifiers run to date.  Now three guys with good ears have tried the tube adapters allowing them to run 6SN7's versus the 6CG7 type that the Transporter tube sockets are designed to take.  Well, the bottom line is that this old sucker will most likely take the plunge and try some 6SN7's in the ModWright Transporter. 

Thanks Again,

Ken

Offline hometheaterdoc

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Re: Favorite 6SN7 Tubes
« Reply #3 on: February 09, 2009, 06:31:39 PM »
give me a call.  I've got a few vintages of 6sn7s sitting here for you to try, including tungsols.... I sold a lot of them when I got rid of my 6sn7 based preamps a few years back.  But I kept a few.  I've got a really good single 1940s metal base sylvania that I kept saying I was going to build a preamp around.  I couldn't find another that matched as well to this single tube.  a LOT of the old stuff is very microphonic.  It's better sounding than the tungsol round plates...

Shane Sangster
Used to be Night & Day Audio.......

Offline richidoo

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Re: Favorite 6SN7 Tubes
« Reply #4 on: February 09, 2009, 06:58:50 PM »
Thanks Rich for the information.  I am reluctantly pursuing the 6SN7 tubes but the darn ModWright Transporter has become a tube rolling nightmare!  Everyone who has tried the EML 5U4G Mesh rectifier believe it is the best sounding of all rectifiers run to date.  Now three guys with good ears have tried the tube adapters allowing them to run 6SN7's versus the 6CG7 type that the Transporter tube sockets are designed to take.  Well, the bottom line is that this old sucker will most likely take the plunge and try some 6SN7's in the ModWright Transporter. 

I look forward to hearing the improvements. If it's like the last round, it's worth it. I always loved 6sn7 tubes. Interesting to imagine what it might do for the TP.

Bigfish8

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Re: Favorite 6SN7 Tubes
« Reply #5 on: February 11, 2009, 07:46:34 PM »
give me a call.  I've got a few vintages of 6sn7s sitting here for you to try, including tungsols.... I sold a lot of them when I got rid of my 6sn7 based preamps a few years back.  But I kept a few.  I've got a really good single 1940s metal base sylvania that I kept saying I was going to build a preamp around.  I couldn't find another that matched as well to this single tube.  a LOT of the old stuff is very microphonic.  It's better sounding than the tungsol round plates...



What a guy!  Thanks Shane, it will be great to roll several different pairs to determine which sounds best in my system.  I am running NOS Tung-Sol 12SN7's (not round plates) I purchased from Andy of Vintage Tubes in the Mapletree Preamp.  I have read some articles that it might be best to run tubes from different manufacturers in the source and preamp to maximize/balance the best qualities of each tube.  Anyway, more tube rolling fun to look forward to in the near future.  There is only one problem with tube rolling - it is addictive! :rofl:

Ken

Bigfish8

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Re: Favorite 6SN7 Tubes
« Reply #6 on: February 18, 2009, 06:48:19 PM »
A couple of guys with ModWright Transporters have purchased some tube adapters from Taiwan and are rolling 6SN7's in addition to the 3 beta testers for Bolder's Adapters.  I should be receiving a set of the adapters from Taiwan within a few days.  Everyone who has tried the 6SN7 tubes in the ModWright Transporter claim them to be a huge step-up in performance versus the 6CG7 9 pin types that the ModWright Transporter was designed to accept.  I can hardly wait to start rolling these octal beauties into my unit. :drool:

Ken

Offline richidoo

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Re: Favorite 6SN7 Tubes
« Reply #7 on: February 25, 2009, 03:16:18 PM »
Sounds very promising Ken. I love 6SN7 sound.  Got the adapters yet?

Bigfish8

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Re: Favorite 6SN7 Tubes
« Reply #8 on: February 25, 2009, 04:15:07 PM »
Sounds very promising Ken. I love 6SN7 sound.  Got the adapters yet?

Yes Rich I received the adapters on Friday.  I rolled in a set of RCA-VT 231 Smoked Glass 6SN7 GTs made in the 40's.  These tubes are rated on Brent Jesse's site as being the second most preferred sounding 6SN7's behind the Tung-Sol Round Plates. 

My impressions are that the EML Mesh 5U4G Rectifier made a favorable step change in the sound from the Transporter.  The RCA 6SN7 Signal tubes had some impact on the midrange but I have not heard enough improvement over the NOS RCA 6CG7's to justify the expense.  Others are telling me that the Tung-Sol round plates do out perform the RCA VT-231s in their systems but I think I will wait and see how this plays out.  Philistine posted late yesterday on AC that he believes the 6SN7's really just provide us with more options to tailor the sound by providing us with more tube rolling options.  Based on my results this weekend I would support Phil's comments.

Ken

Offline Bill O'Connell

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Re: Favorite 6SN7 Tubes
« Reply #9 on: February 26, 2009, 10:13:38 AM »
Ken/Bigfish,
 You mentioned 12SN7's, Have you tried 12SX7? I just received a pair and am waiting on a preamp that will use the 12sn7's and I'm already to roll. :lol: I'm sure the preamp will need some break in time as the Mundorf SilverGoldOil 4.7uf caps were HUGE that went into the pre but I'm all excited like a kid waiting to open up presents on Christmas Day.
 6SN7's surely have more body and texture to them then lets say the 12_ __7 family of tubes but in regards to 12SN7 just being the 12v version of the 6SN7 and are much less expensive then searching for NOS 6SN7's even though I have a lifetime supply of 6SN7's, I chose to go the 12SN7 route.

 My favorite 6SN7's were the mid 1940's KenRad Blackglass VT231 ( great bottom end on these), National Union Blackglass VT231, RCA Smoked glass 6SN7's(beautiful warm presentation) and of course the Tungsol roundplates. The Sylvania metalbase are exceptional also but hard to find quiet ones and that was 10 years ago.
Bill O'Connell,
Retired /Morningstar Audio/Eastern Electric distributor for North America
847-255-1150
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Offline dangerbird

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Re: Favorite 6SN7 Tubes
« Reply #10 on: August 27, 2009, 04:10:30 PM »
I'm currently using some NOS Sylvania's Brown Base GTA's,,,, the Old Ken-Rad's are no slouch,, there is an RCA that I have GTB IIRC and it has a wire going from one post to the other(top inside of tube),,I don't know if it's of any significance, but it sure does sound sweet.

Deton Nation

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Re: Favorite 6SN7 Tubes
« Reply #11 on: September 09, 2009, 03:24:14 PM »
I have Russian 1578 6sn7s, They have T plates with little circles cut in them. They are my favorite, though I havent heard Tungsols best yet. Second would be the Sylvania VT-231s JAn CHS.. VEry nice. Not as airy as the 1578s, but a really nice midrange!