I've used 6N23P which is pretty much identical to a 6DJ8 and also used 6N1P. 6N1P sounds much better. Quite a few here have both, can't remember specifics but i remember i enjoyed the Westinghouse more.

My RCD tripped the other day (g/f was cooking, say no more) but headphones were ok, they are HE-500's though so maybe planars fare better.

I bought mine from ebay seller Nixie Store, can't see any more advertised but might be worth shooting them a msg to see if they can source some more. https://www.ebay.co.uk/str/nixiestore/Vacuum-Tubes/_i.html?_storecat=12424677

I posted in this thread a while back, haven't got the tubes anymore i sold them on, couldn't justify keeping them at the price :) Post below... Also pretty much done rolling now, my dad is getting old and pretty much retired so started taking him fishing again which is another expensive...

Bangybang probably bought them all for his relabelling operation.

I've actually had 2 of these B65's in the Lyr 3, really not worth the money when you can get Brimar for 1/5th of the price.

For me i found early on in owning Lyr 3 that gain setting makes no difference to me so have been using high gain since then (planars), never tried low gain with the 1578. Something else i find weird though but could be my imagination, sometimes when volume pot is lower than i would like for...

Earlier in the thread i think people used 6SL7 with no ill effects so 7F7 will be OK. 7AF7's do seem scarce though and a little more pricey than 7N7.

7AF7? :) The round plates seem a bit of a giveaway, and reportedly better sounding than 7N7 types. Question is, i'm too lazy to read up, but do they share same pinout as 7N7? or need another adaptor?

Output power into lower impedence loads (25-50ohms)? Remote control?

Yes couldn't hear any differences. Haven't tried the unobtanium Brimar 13D2 though, that is supposed to be a different beast.

Nothing in it really except for minute tube to tube variation. Probably hard to find because the same people who pay for triple micas, gold pins, pinched waists and D getters in other tubes think the black glass makes them somehow special.

Only mods i've done to mine is silver cable (made no difference), Lawton Audio angled leather pads (really good, better soundstage and confort) and i've removed the cloth from the grills which has made the sound a bit more airy. Paired with Bifrost 4490 Gen 5 USB and Schiit Lyr 3 I'm happy...

Been able to have a good listen to the NEVZ 6N8S '82 Brown base and it's quite a nice tube. Over all quite a "tubey" sounding tube with a mild U shape Bass extends real low and has a lot of heft, maybe a touch boomy but not excessively so. Mids have liquidity but a touch recessed. Treble...

Not sure i'm putting this in the right place, mods please move if that's the case :) I'd like to draw some attention to the GBVP, Brimar are looking to bring Valve manufacturing back to Britain and are looking for volunteers to make this happen...

Giving the NEVZ brown base another go. Sounded un-exciting last time but that was without any burn in, put it on the back burner since then and have come back to it today. Tube was made 12/82 so quite late production, tube does look pristine compared to most Russian tubes. Seems promising...

I dread to think what the prices will be with UK wages. (How much do Grant Fidelity charge for Chinese tubes?) Might do some volunteering to see if I can score a pair free when they start production :)

Those new Brimars are made in Russia or China. They are looking to bring production back to the UK and have repatriated some of Mullard's tooling back from eastern Europe but could be years yet before they're up and running. See here: https://brimaruk.com/menugbvp/great-british-valve-project-2/

I saw earlier in the thread someone used ECC32, top tier tube i believe, only problem is it draws 50% more heater current than a 6SN7 so might fry a transformer with prolonged use. ECC33 is a safer bet.

Could be many things.... Cathode impurities could vary from one tube maker to the next, also the spacing between the cathode, grid and plate, grid material, maybe plate material and impurities? Also how the heater wiring is made, some might draw slightly more or less current thus boiling off...

Mine is November '69, not heard any other years, but that '70's one for $48 is a steal, really worth a punt at that price. Payed $120 for mine.

They're all much of a muchness really, i have clear glass with orange print and black glass with brown base and can't really choose much between them. Haven't tried the black glass with black base though.

Brimar might be better match for HD800, overall a warmer tube, wider too but the treble is more refined compared to MELZ. MELZ 1578 does seem a tad warm to me in Lyr 3 but Brimar definitely warmer.

Specs are pretty close to 6SN7 too, only cathode resistor is the only spec that sorta wildly different.

That would be a waste of even the cheapest lead free chinese solder :laughing: