[2K9R56S]

  +1 and this is not the gold pin version

 
So the gold pins make them un-horrible?

 

[alota]

   
So the gold pins make them un-horrible?

no but is a little better.
the problem is that some modern tubes are cheap but the quality is not the same compared to nos tubes.
is also true that, today, some nos tubes are like a "Cartier" ring.
another question is that the 6sn7 tube type has a less gain compared with the 6sl7 tube type.
in my opinion, if you didn´t want to spend much,try a matched pair of tung-sol(nos) 6SU7WGT.
find the 6sl7 family in www.tubeworld.com site.
i bought some years ago one pair for 95 Dollars.
is a fairly balanced valve and i liked this tube with the MKVI

 

[DefQon]

   
 
I'm sure I'll be kicking myself for asking this, but can you elaborate on your blanket statement that 'EH tubes are the worst...'?  Worst what?  Sound?  Build quality?  Lifespan?  All the above?

Obviously for the sound which is what I'm talking about. Ask any tube roller here on this forum and any other forums such as AK, AA and diyaudio, the EH tubes are just horrible in audio amplifiers. Used as power tubes in guitar amps and such is a different story, but in any headphone/integrated tube amplifier, stock Chinese and some Russian tubes should be the first thing to go. The cheap GE and RCA stuff are even better than the EH's and these are commonly used EH's I'm talking about, 
the dual triode family and some pentodes.
 
And I'd agree with alota as well, modern Russian re-issue Tung Sol's are pretty bad. 

 

[rosgr63]

The TS 6SN7 re-issues not only sound bad but also suffer from leakages.
You need a tester that goes above 0.25MOhm to verify it.
 
I agree with Aldo and DQ.
 
A pair of TS 6SU7TGY will be one of the best choices as far as 6SL7 go.
Then you can try the ECC35, but I don't know how well they perform in the LD.

 

[Makiah S]

  of course but i think that is not a good tube. another modern orrible tube is tung-sol

 
FOURTY FIVE IS CHEAP... WHAT THE HELL... that is not cheap. Ok what ever. I'm planning to drop $160 into a pair any ways 

  The TS 6SN7 re-issues not only sound bad but also suffer from leakages.
You need a tester that goes above 0.25MOhm to verify it.
 
I agree with Aldo and DQ.
 
A pair of TS 6SU7TGY will be one of the best choices as far as 6SL7 go.
Then you can try the ECC35, but I don't know how well they perform in the LD.

Oh yay :\ 

 

[alota]

  The TS 6SN7 re-issues not only sound bad but also suffer from leakages.
You need a tester that goes above 0.25MOhm to verify it.
 
I agree with Aldo and DQ.
 
A pair of TS 6SU7TGY will be one of the best choices as far as 6SL7 go.
Then you can try the ECC35, but I don't know how well they perform in the LD.

wise man?!!!

 

[Makiah S]

  The TS 6SN7 re-issues not only sound bad but also suffer from leakages.
You need a tester that goes above 0.25MOhm to verify it.
 
I agree with Aldo and DQ.
 
A pair of TS 6SU7TGY will be one of the best choices as far as 6SL7 go.
Then you can try the ECC35, but I don't know how well they perform in the LD.

I'll have to keep that in mind! 

 

[2K9R56S]

Okay.  TS and EH Russian tubes are horrible/worst/sound bad, and even shiny gold pins can't save them.  Duly noted.
 
I'm sure driver tubes costing 2-3 times the price of the TS and EH tubes sound amazing in their own right, I just don't think the TS/EH tubes should be written off.  Regardless of what other people on other boards with other audio amplifiers have to say.  In this case, we're only talking about the MKVI+ drivers...  And to my ears, and obviously mine only, a $50 pair of Russian reissues outperform the stock tubes.  Plain and simple.

 

[DefQon]

  Okay.  TS and EH Russian tubes are horrible/worst/sound bad, and even shiny gold pins can't save them.  Duly noted.
 
And to my ears, and obviously mine only, a $50 pair of Russian reissues outperform the stock tubes.  Plain and simple.

Genuine TS tubes are good but come at a commanding price for the rarer NOS units, for the 12xx7 dual triode family, they are facing the same scarcity as the genuine Tesla tubes (a lot of fakes on ebay).
 
As to your second line, of course a $50 Russian reissue or any cheap $5-8 tube is going to sound better and outperform the stock Chinese tubes, those don't contribute anything to the cost of the amplifier and most are manufacture rejects from the Beijing and Shuguang factories.
 
Get some good Chinese military reissues from the late 70's to early 80's or modern Psvane or Shuguang tubes which are better than any GE, RCA, Sylvania and right on par with some of the best European counterparts you can buy. But you're paying a lot more than just $50 at that level. 

 

[rosgr63]

I agree everybody has their own preferences that's fine.
 
Remember you can get a NOS pair of wonderful RCA or Tung-Sol 6SN7's for $50, that's all.
 
Aldo you know me and wisdom don't go together!

 

[alota]

  Okay.  TS and EH Russian tubes are horrible/worst/sound bad, and even shiny gold pins can't save them.  Duly noted.
 
I'm sure driver tubes costing 2-3 times the price of the TS and EH tubes sound amazing in their own right, I just don't think the TS/EH tubes should be written off.  Regardless of what other people on other boards with other audio amplifiers have to say.  In this case, we're only talking about the MKVI+ drivers...  And to my ears, and obviously mine only, a $50 pair of Russian reissues outperform the stock tubes.  Plain and simple.

no problema at all.
i tried the tubes on the little-dot mkVI. plain and simple

 

[[OverDrive]]

Me on the Little Dot MK VI + use the Sylvania 6SL7GT-VT229 del'40.
Valve from the sound clear and transparent. Great detail and stage.
 
http://www.tubemongerlib.com/gallery2/d/10218-2/Sylvania+VT-229+1944+Jan+CHS+6SL7GT+Black+Plates+Tall+Bottle+1+-+USA.jpg

 

[alota]

  Me on the Little Dot MK VI + use the Sylvania 6SL7GT-VT229 del'40.
Valve from the sound clear and transparent. Great detail and stage.
 
http://www.tubemongerlib.com/gallery2/d/10218-2/Sylvania+VT-229+1944+Jan+CHS+6SL7GT+Black+Plates+Tall+Bottle+1+-+USA.jpg

you´re deaf

 

[[OverDrive]]

then both are deaf... 

 
 Oh, I've almost forgotten, bendix 6080WB power tubes ( recommendend by a deaf!!!!) 

 
 
 

 

[zenpunk]

yeeees , those VT229 are very good.