[gibosi]

I thought all 5998 tubes were made by Tung-Sol and just re-branded. That was what I read on the forums before. Can anyone here confirm this, so I know for myself?

Or more accurately, Chatham was the only manufacturer of the 5998. In 1957, Tung-Sol purchased Chatham, but the 5998 continued to be manufactured in the same Chatham factory as before. So the only thing that changed was the corporate ownership.

 

[Monsterzero]

Correct me if im wrong,but if any branded 5998 has the domino plates,its golden,correct?

 

[mordy]

Correct me if im wrong,but if any branded 5998 has the domino plates,its golden,correct?[/QUO
Correct

 

[Dogmatrix]

National/Panasonic are brands for western marketing of Matsushita corp Japan . Matsushita did make tubes but not 5998 or any 6as7g variant

 

[attmci]

National/Panasonic are brands for western marketing of Matsu****a corp Japan . Matsu****a did make tubes but not 5998 or any 6as7g variant

????????

 

[Dogmatrix]

????????

The Headfi family friendly editor won't print Matsuchita ie the c is an s

 

[L0rdGwyn]

Has anyone ever laid ears on the Japanese-made 6AS7G/6080 tubes? They seem to have been fashioned after RCA designs, but comparing photos, I have yet to come across two with the exact same construction as the RCAs.

Here are some Toshiba examples:

6080:


6AS7G:


Edit: I think this has been linked before, found some useful information here (may have to be translated by your browser): https://radiomann.sakura.ne.jp/HomePageVT/Audio_US_Triode.html#6080

 

[Dogmatrix]

As well as rebranding it was also common practice for manufacturers to ship completed grid and plate assemblies known as cages . These cages were then built into finished tubes locally thus avoiding import taxes on finished goods . Could be what is going on with these Japanese tubes .

 

[mordy]

Hi L0,
I think headfier Johnnysound has a pair of Japanese NEC 6080 tubes that he says sound excellent. Some of the Japanese manufacturers had close ties with European and US manufacturers but it seems to me that some of the tubes were their original ones.
If I remember correctly, National (Matsuh***ta/Panasonic) used Philips equipment, and Hitachi had a relationship with Raytheon - hence the Hit-Ray brand name.

 

[L0rdGwyn]

As well as rebranding it was also common practice for manufacturers to ship completed grid and plate assemblies known as cages . These cages were then built into finished tubes locally thus avoiding import taxes on finished goods . Could be what is going on with these Japanese tubes .

Interesting. If I go down this road and pick up some Japanese tubes, I'll report back here. I don't actually own any RCA 6AS7Gs or 6080s, but I can get some, for science.

Hi L0,
I think headfier Johnnysound has a pair of Japanese NEC 6080 tubes that he says sound excellent. Some of the Japanese manufacturers had close ties with European and US manufacturers but it seems to me that some of the tubes were their original ones.
If I remember correctly, National (Matsuh***ta/Panasonic) used Philips equipment, and Hitachi had a relationship with Raytheon - hence the Hit-Ray brand name.

Thanks, Mordy, I've reached out to Johnnysound to get his 2¢, see if these are worth investing in!

 

[Dogmatrix]

Hi L0,
I think headfier Johnnysound has a pair of Japanese NEC 6080 tubes that he says sound excellent. Some of the Japanese manufacturers had close ties with European and US manufacturers but it seems to me that some of the tubes were their original ones.
If I remember correctly, National (Matsuh***ta/Panasonic) used Philips equipment, and Hitachi had a relationship with Raytheon - hence the Hit-Ray brand name.

I have some "Ten" tubes I believe are fully Japanese they are excellent only 12au7 though

 

[mordy]

A number of US companies used Japanese tubes, including Radio Shack with their Realistic brand. Also a rebrander called Channel Master. All these tubes have Japan printed on them.
I have some nice sounding 6SN7GTB tubes from Channel Master. It is very difficult to ascertain which Japanese company made them, but by comparing pictures on Google Images I discovered that they were made by NEC (Nippon Electric Co).

The date code is straight forward. The letter is the month, and the first digit the year. F900 = June 1959.
In Germany the laws specifying where the tube was made are different, and tubes made in other countries than Germany just say Foreign. Some good sounding Siemens tubes came from Japan and were marked Foreign.
In general, my impression is that Japanese tubes are of high quality.

 

[L0rdGwyn]

I went ahead a purchased these two pictured Toshiba 6080 pairs above from a seller in Japan, it will be some time but I will post impressions here when they arrive. I am on the lookout for some NEC branded 6AS7G/6080, since they were a Western Electric affiliate. You don't see these Japanese tubes very much, very interested to see how they compare to their American and European counterparts.

 

[gurubhai]

Toshiba 6080 is a great tube and my personal favorite among 6080/6AS7 tubes.
Sounds much better than the RCA 6080 so I am sure they aren't a rebrand.

Didn't really care for the Toshiba 6AS7 though.

 

[L0rdGwyn]

Toshiba 6080 is a great tube and my personal favorite among 6080/6AS7 tubes.
Sounds much better than the RCA 6080 so I am sure they aren't a rebrand.

Didn't really care for the Toshiba 6AS7 though.

Thanks gurubhai, that's good to hear. Have you tried at all the NEC (Nippon Electric) or TEN Japanese 6080s/6AS7Gs?