Can't be done. It's a transformer issue.

I liked the Korneff but sold it. :tears: I'm thinking about an Inspire 45.
I've had 300B and 2A3 amps but the 45 rules, YMMV.

Attachment 57023

FB,

I had Dennis build me a 45 amp with a volume control. Great sounding amp!

:tears:

Update on some tube rolling. After 300 hours I swapped out the Psvane EL84 Tii for a Gold Lion EL84. Wow the GL is a lot better. Even after only 24 hours burn in I like it much better. More forward, more punchy, better details, clearer, etc....

As I say that, I realized I also changed out the Sylvania 6SN7 for some vintage Tung Sol 6SN7 tubes so that might explain some of the difference as well. I'll have to swap the tubes around again after I've gotten 300 hours on this current batch.

Ack! Just looked at the Bay and another on-line tube reseller and found that my favorite 6SN7, the Westinghouse 6SN7GTB in tall bottle, black plate, and copper rod is now selling for over $80 each NOS! I bought four last year and paid an average of $18 each. All four sound alike to my ear.

Some of the Westinghouse 6SN7s are Sylvania rebranded. Those have shorter glass bottles and lack the 337 manufacturing code.

Glad I picked up enough to last a lifetime. They are still my favorite in my Inspire.

I find it interesting in that I can have a vintage Sylvania / KenRad / Raytheon in there and everything sounds pretty good. Then I can swap in a Westinghouse and there is this subtle change where the music is more natural, more open and I just go "Ahhhh." Then if I stick a new Tung-Sol in, there is a compression, a shrinking of the soundstage, and I wonder where the magic went.

Today's prices on many 6SN7s are crazy. I don't think it is particularly difficult to manufacture yet some are priced at $75 to $150 each, new. Russian EH and Tung-sol are just $20-$25.

Today's prices on many 6SN7s are crazy. I don't think it is particularly difficult to manufacture yet some are priced at $75 to $150 each, new. Russian EH and Tung-sol are just $20-$25.

Supply and demand. The internet has given some tubes cult status.

I own a Dennis Had Inspire LP-27a and it's time to try some tube rolling. Any favorites that other users like?

I tried different tubes. 27's seem to sound very similar regardless of brand. Used a 6SN7 instead of the 6BX7 and went back to the BX7. 80 rectifier? Just get a NOS. I have a new testing globe 80. Looks great sounds O.K but not worth the $$$. My 2 cents.

You could try 56 tubes instead of 27's.

Is there any new 6SN7s out there (at any price) that you all like as good as or close to NOS?

It took me a while to find a good matched quad set of 1960s Sylvania Black plates for my SLP98 preamp, with two spares. Bought a six set. While they sound great, love them, I kind of want to save/store them and find a filler daily use set.

A 7N7 is an exact duplicate of a 6SN7 and is much cheaper. It's a 9 pin tube, so you just need an adapter to plug it into an octal socket.

Of the new production tubes, the Psvane 181 Tii grey glass is probably the best I've heard. It's mislabeled - it's not actually a 181, it's really a plain old 6SN7. They are also expensive.