WOW. What an old thread to get resurrected in February 2017! 7 years to the day!
I want to chime in late, myself
In case anyone is still interested in Soviet tubes for their head amps.
I got into tubes with the Icon Audio Stereo 20PP, and used its headphone output for about two years. GREAT integrated with a VERY GOOD headphone output. Low on power, though. If it had more grunt, it would perhaps be more qualifiable as a GREAT headphone output. As it stands, though, you need headphones with good sensitivity and average to low impedance. Anyway, over those two years I stocked up on hundreds of vintage 12AX7 and 12AU7.
FAST FORWARD to last month, and I bought the HP8 MKII dedicated headphone tube amp. (same brand) 12AX7 preamp tube, so good there. 6SN7 in the output.. oh no.. not so good. So I start from scratch.
LUCKY for me I discovered the Russian 6SN7 equivalent early on. Saved me a ton of money wasted in tube rolling. WOW. The 6H8C from the 50's 60's and 70's, made in either the FOTON, NEVS, OR MELZ factories is an AMAZING tube. Better than any of my 6SN7, and that includes vintage Raytheon, RCA, Tung Sol and Sylvania. Of course the best of my 6SN7 'maxes' out with a pair of 1950's Sylvania Chrome Dome black plates. But still, they cost 60 bucks for the pair. A pair of the 6H8C in true, brand new NOS condition can run less than 10 bucks!!!! And they quite frankly mop the floor with the Chrome Domes.
I will investigate some of the most desirable and uber-expensive 6SN7 to see what they are all about. But for the greater part of my time and money, I have found an incredible solution that is relatively pennies. I already have a few dozen of the Soviet tubes, and am gonna stock up 'for life' on these babies with a crate or two!!!