best sounding 6922/e88cc tubes :D

Any cca would be a good bet.

the selected Electro Harmonix gold pins has so similar high end performance but in different style compare with some big brand NOS. they are also less expensive, and easier to find. however, NOS are still superior, but you'r gonna pay a lot.

Amperex Bugle Boys sound quite good while being relatively cheap and easy to get.

Mullards

Your description fits Mullards, but I personally don't like that type of sound. But CCA's are so dang expensive nowadays, it's hard to recommend them. Amperex 7308 is also a very nice, middle-of-road tube that's hard to not like.

If you run into a good German E188c tube, snap them up real fast also...

Read Joes' article on Audio Asylum. It's got all the information you are looking for. "Best" is probably not the right word to describe tubes. Think of swapping tubes is a tweak. Depending on what your system signature is, you can try different tubes to change the sound characteristics.

In my experience, Mullards are very warm, but lack the dynamics and bass control. Siemenses have better dynamics and bass control and still a tad warmer than my liking. Amperexes are the most overall balanced, in my opinion. This is just a gross generalization. There are more differences between the different tube type/vintage within each brand. In all my systems, I prefer the Amperex tubes.

I run Amperex made in W. German (for driver and both channels) in my Earmax Pro clone. They sound great.

I just scored a pair on Ebay for my Melos.
How would you describe the sound?
Bob

My God! The Prices of NOS tubes has gone up A LOT! What else is in your system? I've only heard the earmax at the Stereophile Show many, many years ago. I was thinking about getting this amp until I started participating in this forum.... Few things to watch out for:

1/ I was under the impression that only the EarMax Pro uses 6DJ8 tubes and only in the driver section (the pair on the outside)?

2/ All the tubes used for the Earmax/Earmax Pro have two sections, so each section of the INPUT tube "processes" the sound for one channel. These include the 12AT7, ECC81, ECC86. You want to make sure that the two sections match. (Make sure the seller has tested these using mutual conductance tube testers, at the least). For the driver tubes, check with the manufacturer to see if tube matching is critical. If this amp is a push-pull type, it will be critical. If not, no need to have matched tubes, but still you want the two tubes to be from the same manufacturer and same internal structures.

I remember that there were a lot of posts on the Earmax at one time, maybe do a search and see what other users have successes with?

Good listening,

Take a look at the bottom of the tube, right in the center of those pins. If you see a number, it's made by Siemens. If you see a number inside a diamond, then it's made by Telefunken. There were only a few manufacturers back then, but sometimes they buy tubes from other manufacturers and relabel them. I have Amperexes that were made in Japan, Hungary, Germany, and France. But sometimes you have to check the internal structure and also the code etched on the glass to be able to tell where they are really from. There were a lot of Amperex, Siemens, Mullards labeled and sold under RCA, HP, National, etc.

I like the Electro Harmonix Gold 6922 (with gold pins - some sellers have a gold grade that is not the Gold model with gold pins but the non-Gold model they grade as gold) for music.

For slightly more of a SS sound (more vocal clarity) with video material, I use Philips first or Tesla second for slightly more SS quality.

I list some,

Telefunken CCa
Telefunken E188CC
Telefunken E88CC
Siemens CCa 50's D-getter (extremely rare)
Siemens CCa 60's
Mullard CV4108
Amperex "PQ" E88CC
Philips Holland "SQ" E88CC