Dennis Had Inspire Amps

[Cdrdel]

I have run the 6F6 metal cans in my "Universal" Amp. To my ears, they sounded very smooth, detailed and airy. They are very reasonably priced for NOS tubes. I was using horn-loaded (95 SPL) speakers at the time Jeff Bagby's (RIP) Fusion 8's. No issue with volume or impact.

A little more expensive, but still reasonable are 6L6 metal cans. That has the 6F6 "sparkle" as Dennis likes to call it. It gives you a few more watts and excellent sound.

I've since switched to GR Research Studio Monitor (89 SPL) speakers and have switched Tung-Sol KT-120's-too cheap to get a pair of KT-150's, so I haven't tried yet. Using a NOS Mullard 5AR4. I've had this setup for months now and I love the resolution, detail, and meatiness of the sound. I listen mostly to Alt, Indie, and occasionally classical and jazz. As a side note, I have built a few of Danny Richie's speakers before and the open baffle tweeter is a game-changer for amazing resolution and airiness; especially if you don't have the space for the full open baffle.

When I have the time, I will pair the monitors with open baffle bass, then I can bust out the 6F6's again, with OB servos filling in the low end.

Be well

[sfleming]

I tried some 6F6 and likely will again given the low cost. The quad I got for the PSE had a bad tube so I returned the whole set to Viva.
I've got some 6V6gt coming soon, and am looking to see what else I might like to add.
I just changed out my Lowthers for Visatons, so I need to get used to them to see what my system wants next. Currently, I'm glad I did it.
I'm probably going into the 6sn7 hunt next. I've seen in the archives a few suggestions. I've had good luck with Chinese tubes in the past, but that's been a while and the topic of the Shuguang factory fire last year and all that is frustrating and causes a bit of pause in looking at their tubes on the auction site.

[sfleming]

Good grief, I knew from years of reading audio forums that the 6sn7 was widely used and there was a lot of dialogue around the tube regarding favorites and such, but since I've never had any gear that used it I never paid that much attention to it. And here I thought the 12au7 was a rabbit hole, heh.
One could spend weeks 'researching' before buying these things. Additionally, there are so many new Shuguang/PSVANE variants out there now that I've come to start looking! Anyway just commenting. I'll take a stab at a few in the near future and report back.

[Bombadil]

6SN7 were used in so many devices in the 1940s & 1950s. The ENIAC computer used thousands. Other early computers used hundreds. Used in many early audio amps, used in early TVs. They made millions of them, and then they quit making them for a long time. I find them in old tube lots all the time.

Now there are more than a dozen new production 6SN7-types.

Many of the vintage ones are relabled but many different companies made them and they made several different versions. I don't know how many different types of Sylvania were made.

Then there are variants, like the 5692, which isn't really a 6SN7, although it is pin compatible. It is spec'ed at a much lower voltage and current level than a 6SN7. There are VT-231 tubes, which are 6SN7, in fact they are standard production 6SN7 which were simply relabeled to meet military inventory demands. There are Russian 6H8C and 6N8S, the earlier ones made for the Russian military and said to be very good. Then there are later production which are said to be more average.

New production Chinese bear the label CV181, which are really 6SN7 but with a CV181 label. The original CV181 is not equivalent to a 6SN7. Someone over there thought they would sound more exotic, and perhaps able to sell at a higher price, if they called them CV181. Seems to be working.

One could go crazy trying to gather them all up to compare.

[Comzee]

Originally Posted by Bombadil

New production Chinese bear the label CV181, which are really 6SN7 but with a CV181 label. The original CV181 is not equivalent to a 6SN7. Someone over there thought they would sound more exotic, and perhaps able to sell at a higher price, if they called them CV181. Seems to be working.

Ya the CV181 is really bad marketing. Although, the Psvane CV181 grey bottle is still the best new production 6sn7 I've ever tried.

My overall favorite 6sn7 is the Melz 5 hole black plate pan getter.
The ubiquitous Melz 5 hole on ebay are grey plate halo getter (later production runs).

I think I had had to wait 15 months on a saved eBay search to finally find the black plate pan getter version.

Melz are a generally more microphonic 6sn7 tho, that's the big downside.

(Actually just checked, there's a few pairs of the plate black pan getter on eBay right now if you search "melz hole plate" if anybody is interested.)

[Bombadil]

I've never seen one of those in person. The kind of tube one would love to try out for an hour before handing over the cash.

[FloridaBoy]

Originally Posted by sfleming

Good grief, I knew from years of reading audio forums that the 6sn7 was widely used and there was a lot of dialogue around the tube regarding favorites and such, but since I've never had any gear that used it I never paid that much attention to it. And here I thought the 12au7 was a rabbit hole, heh.
One could spend weeks 'researching' before buying these things. Additionally, there are so many new Shuguang/PSVANE variants out there now that I've come to start looking! Anyway just commenting. I'll take a stab at a few in the near future and report back.

I have tried quite a few of the Shuguang/Psvane 6SN7's and have not been disappointed. It's nice that you only need one in the PSE. In an older post I rated them from bright to dark sounding.

Presently I'm using a Sophia Blue in my PSE and it is staying. YMMV.

[sfleming]

The Sylvania I have in there now is pretty darn nice. I don’t have a frame of reference though.

[FloridaBoy]

Originally Posted by sfleming

The Sylvania I have in there now is pretty darn nice. I don’t have a frame of reference though.

If you like it just leave it and .

[bearcity]

Originally Posted by FloridaBoy

If you like it just leave it and .

But if I spend twice as much it should sound that much better, right?