[rosgr63]

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Stavros, that's because we spend time driving the car while Glenn is under the hood.

 
You are so right David.
I just received my first 6H12C, what a gorgeous looking tube.
If I feel adventurous enough I might test it.
 
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Anyone tried some NOS Valvo rebrand 6SN7's? Has gold contacts and very dark black plates. Big O getter.

 
Any photos?
 
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What is the opinion on the Sophia electric grade A for $100.00 off eBay. I am leary about the purchase.

 
I haven't and wouldn't pay that much for a new production tube, sorry.

 

[DefQon]

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What is the opinion on the Sophia electric grade A for $100.00 off eBay. I am leary about the purchase.

Not worth it, I think Skylab will also agree. The last Sophia grade a went for $45 in the F/S section here.
 
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Any photos?

Not yet I got in contact with one of the local hifi repairman and I enquired about multiple tubes he may have that I may be interested, he mentioned a few of the already mentioned 6SN7's here and 2 I already own and he said the Valvo one is a really good one for SET tube amps or something along the lines. His asking price was pretty hefty so I'm wondering if they are good or not as I can look for them on ebay.

 

[Blackmore]

Very depending of amps they going to be used in, because some amps are very responding to tube rolling and some are not that much, but also the way they are going to be used, as driver or input, which may give differ results as well.
 
As others have already mentioned, their MSRP is to high and there are plenty other, NOS, tubes around that you can buy in batches for USD 100 shipped, just look around, if you like of course, but if your interest for Sophia tube still there, try to find on used market, cos they go like 50% less of their sale price or simply ask for discount directly from Sophia, you never know.
I had them and try in my Cary and I don't think Cary, and me to,  loved them that much, especially when I used them all together with their 300B Princess, the sound was to metallic on top, while the midrange was pretty good, the lower end was to rounded and not much separate from it, so, I found them not be an good match at the end and sold all of them. Later, I tried Sophia 300B Royal in my Cary and again, while, this time, the low end was punchier, it was still getting in the very strange way of mids and the mids sounded hard, where top end also sounded metallic again, very unnatural and after a few hours I got a headache, no jokes, however…Coming to the first part of my response. When I listen Royals from out of Zanden 7000 amp, they were nothing but good, I was pretty amazed how different they were sounding, but even then, USD 1000-1200 for a pair?, pfff, give me a break, really.
I have a good moment with DIY Audio Note clone amp that was running with 4x Black Dragon 300B Chinese made tubes, old production that cost really cheap compared to Royals or  Princess and you know what? The sound was fantastic, but if you see what kind of components were there, especially  Tango transformers, you will understand where that sound are coming from.
 
From expirience above, I am with rosgr63, I will never buy them again, either put in my system, cos ones I was trying listen to TJ Full Music 300B pair in my Cary, but after I turn the amp on, my USD 60 Furutech fuse were gone with the wind,  so, never again.
I am sure Sophia check their tubes better and it may not happened with their product, but you have to be very sure that the tubes you get, are good quality, before you put them in your system.
 
Good luck
 
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What is the opinion on the Sophia electric grade A for $100.00 off eBay. I am leary about the purchase.

 

[Skylab]

Yep, I had the Sophia 6SN7, waste of money in my opinion.  $10 Sylvania 6SN7GTB definitely sounded better.

 

[rosgr63]

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The Japanese went for very hard vacuum on their tubes. They took it very serious and in general, the Japanese tubes have always been underrated. They last a long time and maintain their sound. I have 5 EL34's, which are power tubes, made in Japan. I don't know the manufacture as they are the only ones of style I have, that I have ever seen. They have 1000's of hours on them and still sound better than any EL34 I have ever heard and I have NOS Mullards and Amperex.

 
The Japanese 6SN7 are great tubes.
The Hitachi 6SL7 with short plates is one of my favourites.

 

[dminches]

I used a pair of Hitachi/ITT 6SN7s in my DAC and didn't love them.

 

[Oskari]

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I used a pair of Hitachi/ITT 6SN7s in my DAC and didn't love them.

 
Very open sounding in my amp but too bright for my taste/system. I think they can be very good in the right system.

 

[TheGrumpyOldMan]

Wasn't too impressed with the Sophia Electric 6SN7s either in most combinations I've tried, but recently I put them in with the 596 & some Chathams just for fun, and turns out I really like them in that setup! More so than my Psvanes for example... Whether it's worth SE's asking price is another matter, but they have certainly gone up in my appreciation a lot.

 

[Zub-a-Roo]

Thanks for all the feedback on the Sophia electric.
What is everyone's feelings on the bad boy? I heard good things about Hytron too. My next tube will be between the two.

 

[Xcalibur255]

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Very open sounding in my amp but too bright for my taste/system. I think they can be very good in the right system.

I personally found the Hitachi black plate on the mellow side treble wise.  Super bass, right up there with the Ken Rads with tighter control even.

 

[Blackmore]

I suggest you just buy both of them and decide which one sweets you more, thats the only way.
 
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Thanks for all the feedback on the Sophia electric.
What is everyone's feelings on the bad boy? I heard good things about Hytron too. My next tube will be between the two.

 

[Oskari]

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I personally found the Hitachi black plate on the mellow side treble wise.

 
Bright in a clean, non-edgy, sweet kind of way in this system, but definitely bright.

 

[Xcalibur255]

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Bright in a clean, non-edgy, sweet kind of way in this system, but definitely bright.

It just goes to show that differences in the B+ between amps can change the character of a tube so much it can be hard to make comparisons unless both owners have the same amp.

 

[dminches]

This folder is way too quiet.  Did all of you convert to solid state?  Stavros, you have probably purchased 50 tubes since your last post.
 
I purchased a pair of Tung Sol 6F8Gs from a guy in France.  They had square plates which is a flavor I had not tried before.  Unfortunately one of the tubes had a short.  Today a found a single square plate tube on ebay for $38, much less than I paid for the pair.  I am finding that buying single tubes can be quite economical if you are patient and the tubes are well described to you can put together a (reasonably matched) pair.

 

[Silent One]

Still in the game. But, my savings have been shattered like a tray of original WE300B's falling onto the ground...devastating!