[UntilThen]

I am guessing being transformer coupled keeps it from sounding too warm..I like the transformer coupled sound, guessing the trannies need to be top notch though.

I'm hoping that will be the case too. Slight warm is ok but I don't like it too warm. However it's all personal preference. In the ultimate scheme of things, it's the total package that counts. That means the source, amp, tubes, headphones... and the type of music of course.

EL3N being big in sound is something I can relate to. That is what I hear with the tubes in Elise. I call it the wall of sound. This is also what I hear with the Takasuki 300b tubes in the WA5 too. It's a big sound and the mids is really something. Vocals ! Really splendid.

 

[UntilThen]

I would also like to add that you don't need to tube roll in the OTL amp. Pop in a Tung Sol 6sn7gt black glass round plates with 6 x 6bx7gt and that's it.

My Tung Sol 12SL7gt tube arrived today. If it sounded like the 6sn7, then that's 2 of those black pearl for me.

I like to expand on this because I wrote this quickly during lunchtime today.

In the 6 months of experimenting with tubes in the OTL amp, I heard some angelic tones. It's as good as it gets. Gec 6as7g, Gec 6080, Tung Sol 5998, Bendix 6080b, Cetron 6336b. All fabulous power tubes. However strangely, I'm gravitating towards 6 x 6bx7 more. There's something in these 6 nuggets tone that had me hook, line and sinker.

So in the last month of deliberation, these are my favourite of all time combination:-

6 x 6bx7 or 6bl7 (for me any brand. I'm not that fussy). Having said that I do prefer 6bx7 more than 6bl7. It's less vivid than 6bl7. The 'matte sheen' tone just appeal to me more than the 6bl7 more 'glossy' tone. This is how I would describe their differences. Maybe I'm subconsciously thinking of the much overdue deck painting !

However I'm very choosy when it comes to drivers. I have lots of drivers which sounds really good but these 4 are just so so special to my ears. I can't even rank them because I love them equally. So here they are one more time, in no order of preference:-

Tung Sol 12sn7gt or 12sl7gt black glass round plates
Sylvania 6sn7w metal base
Mullard ECC33
Gec B36

 

[UntilThen]

I've practically run out of steam buying good tubes. I mean how many superb drivers can you listen to? However if you're not yet crash and burn, you might want to try these. They are supposed to be the premium of all 6sl7. I've not heard them and I should just banished them from my mind.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2-x-6SU...553103?hash=item545c2aab4f:g:8VEAAOSw46ha~vD~

 

[gibosi]

I think it might be tolerable for me.

@gibosi @UntilThen , what tube combinations do you recommend for a lush and romantic sound.

It's hard to beat RCA for lush, warm and romantic, so six RCA 6BL7 or 6BX7 coupled with Siemens C3g, which pair up nicely with almost everything.

 

[gibosi]

I've practically run out of steam buying good tubes. I mean how many superb drivers can you listen to? However if you're not yet crash and burn, you might want to try these. They are supposed to be the premium of all 6sl7. I've not heard them and I should just banished them from my mind.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2-x-6SU...553103?hash=item545c2aab4f:g:8VEAAOSw46ha~vD~

Yes, if you are going to roll 6SL7 that Tung-Sol 6SU7GTY and the Sylvania Gold Brand 6SL7WGT with round plates are pretty great.

 

[UntilThen]

Yes, if you are going to roll 6SL7 that Tung-Sol 6SU7GTY and the Sylvania Gold Brand 6SL7WGT with round plates are pretty great.

Ken you have those tubes? Don't tempt me. You should pop in that TS 6su7gty and tell me how it sound. Having spend the last 3 hours listening to TS 12sl7gt bgrp and 6 x 6bx7, I can confidently say that 12sl7 works very well in the GOTL. Looking at some of the 12sl7 tubes on sale, it's 1st world tubes at 3rd world prices. This is the last time I'm saying this ...for obvious reasons.

Now I'm looking at @leftside because he will roll the mother of all 12sl7 tubes - the ECC35.

 

[UntilThen]

@gibosi @UntilThen , what tube combinations do you recommend for a lush and romantic sound.

I don't know how lush and romantic you want it to be. If you combine drivers and power tubes as well as rectifiers that are warm and lush, you might get creamy chocolate.

However off the top of my head these are warm and lush drivers:-
. Mullard ECC31
. RCA 6sn7gt vt231 smoke glass

power tubes:-
. for really warm and lush there's only one - RCA 6as7g

 

[wazzupi]

Ok got a bid going for ecc31 6 days left bid is at 10 dollars "stares intensely at screen"

 

[lukeap69]

Not necessarily. Order an OTL with two sockets for C3g and six sockets for 6BL7 / 6BX7. Thus far fewer tube combinations. And enjoy.

Except my Darna uses tube rectifiers, that is her configuration. I use preamp (Schiit Sys actually) to reduce the volume to have a little bit of play on the OTL when running 6BL7/6BX7. I think a set of 6BX7's and a pair of good 6AS7's will be what's needed and you"ll have a flexible setup already.

 

[leftside]

If you don't mind spending (a bit ), I would recommend Gec B36 with a pair of Gec 6as7g.

Here I have Gec B36 as driver with Gec 6080 and Gec 6as7g as power tubes. Decadent sound.

Agreed. This is most likely the combo(s) I'll be running with the GOTL. I got my GEC 6AS7Gs for reasonable prices, and the GEC 6080's for cheap at 28 GBP each. The GEC 6080's have broken pin guides, but as they have the numbers on the bottom of the tube, they are easy to line up and sound great in my WA22. They seem to have a different tone to other 6AS7G equivalents. I'm a big fan of the GEC tubes, and am going to save for 4 KT88's for my main amps.

Unfortunately the GEC 6080's are getting harder and harder to find. Seems the GEC 6AS7G's come up for sale more often.

 

[leftside]

@Sound Infinity use the 6h13c or 6080 if you using C3g as driver. Too much gain for c3g and 6bx7 together. Agree with gibosi on this one.
My GOTL is using the same transformer as gibosi

All the C3g's I've tried in the 300B have been dead silent.

I tried out the Russian 6H13C at the weekend. As Glenn has said, those are definitely great bang for the buck tubes! Obviously, not as much gain as the TS 5998, but still sound good.

 

[leftside]

However I'm very choosy when it comes to drivers. I have lots of drivers which sounds really good but these 4 are just so so special to my ears. I can't even rank them because I love them equally. So here they are one more time, in no order of preference:-

Tung Sol 12sn7gt or 12sl7gt black glass round plates
Sylvania 6sn7w metal base
Mullard ECC33
Gec B36

Can't argue with that. On top of that also possibly ECC31, ECC32 and ECC35. I've also got some fairly exotic 12AX7 and 12AU7 including 1952 - 1954 welded plates that I'm looking forward to trying.

 

[leftside]

Ken you have those tubes? Don't tempt me. You should pop in that TS 6su7gty and tell me how it sound. Having spend the last 3 hours listening to TS 12sl7gt bgrp and 6 x 6bx7, I can confidently say that 12sl7 works very well in the GOTL. Looking at some of the 12sl7 tubes on sale, it's 1st world tubes at 3rd world prices. This is the last time I'm saying this ...for obvious reasons.

Now I'm looking at @leftside because he will roll the mother of all 12sl7 tubes - the ECC35.

6SL7

 

[wazzupi]

6SL7

I won the bid on two black glass round plate 6su7gty nos nib for 140$ was it worth ?

 

[Xcalibur255]

Anyone that don't know this who have the OTl. If you leave the voltage switch in the wrong position and put a lower voltage tube in.
The low voltage power supply will current limit and the blue light in the switch will go out.
This is to save expensive tubes if left in the wrong position.

That's a pretty clever design feature Glenn.