Pics of the Siemens tubes would be helpful. I'm looking for a reasonably priced pair of Siemens E88CC from the early-mid 60s without metal supports on the plates. Bonus if the label print is in good condition as well.

Agreed, except I very much prefer the EZ80! The power and driver tubes can give you more detail of/emphasize certain frequencies, but a good rectifier gives you more clarity.

Whenever I've mentioned power conditioning to the people who design and make these amps the response is unanimously: it doesn't matter and we don't recommend it.

In general langrex is good, but I've received faulty tubes with them never responding to me for a replacement or refund. They're the only game in town with a reliable stock of certain tubes so you gotta just hope for the best. If something goes wrong, I think you're more likey to get a response...

Only you can determine if they're better. Think of it like an educated gamble. In general, people seem to hold the TS/Chatham 6080 in higher regard than the Raytheon 6080. So in that respect, you might be right.

Which 6080/6AS7 is better depends on a lot of factors (e.g., headphones, amp, dac, other tubes in the system, let alone personal preferences). Higher quality 6080 style tubes are GEC, Mullard, Bendix (slotted and non-slotted), Tung-Sol/Chatham, Raytheon. Good 6AS7G are GEC and Chatham. In many...

You're smart to start looking at the structures of tubes to distinguish differences. It's very common to see tubes manufactured by the same factory and batch with very different labels. It's also important to understand that certain structural characteristics of tubes correlate to a preferred...

With the right tubes in the WA2 I was able to mitigate any fatigue from the T1.2. My set up right now is GEC 6080s, GEC A2900s and RFT EZ80s. Can listen for hours, but if I use 5998s it can get to be too much sometimes.

Excellent seller, great communication. Headphones arrived promptly in perfect condition.

I'm looking for a matched pair of GEC 6080s and wanting to spend ~$300 depending on condition. Tested tubes are a big plus or having previous test results with number of hours is fine as well.

If it's any consolation, the consensus seems to be that there is little audible difference between the JW and normal series 396A.

You also probably need a socket saver/riser in the Vali because the 6SN7 adapter won't make it thru the existing hole. I have a KEN-RAD 6SN7 GTA in my Vali 2+ and it sounds even better than a WE 396A (but only by a little). I wish the hole was slightly larger to accommodate more adapters. Cheers :)

The product description says it's a 6N3P which is a Soviet era tube probably made in the 1980s. It has very similar specs to the 5670, though you'll have to tell us how you think it compares sonically.

Apparent dimness usually does not correlate with performance so I wouldn't over index on that. Popping on warm up is not uncommon for the 5998 or 421A tube, especially if it hasn't been used in a while. How often and how long after power up do you hear the popping?

Chatham 6080s have strong bass. Right now I have EI ez80, Tung-Sol 5998 and Amperex 2C51 (needs adaptor) which is giving me a very thick, but pleasant sound.