[Xcalibur255]

It sounds like you are looking for a single tube, right?  If you found a Hytron for $8 and it tests new then you got a very good deal indeed.  Your $25 limit rules out the Ken Rads for sure, even if you find a great deal........... a great deal on a Ken Rad is still going to be twice that.  Sometimes you can find singles in the National Union 6SN7GT for $25 or less and those are great tubes.  Any 50's vintage Sylvania GTB will also be under your price cap and will be a competent tube.

 

[kiertijai]

Dear Badd99,
    If you don't mind other options outside 6SN7's, 6SL7's , you may try 6F8G's
    There are several good ones which I am now enjoying e.g. National Union, Sylvania,
Raytheon, GE  (or even Kenrad)  All these tubes I recently purchased were less  than 25$/tube
and you only have to buy one adapter which cost less.  Like this one I got NU+GE for 27$
http://www.ebay.com/itm/190556344471?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1436.l2649
or like this one  : 2 NOS Raytheon jan crp vt99 for 19.99$
http://www.ebay.com/itm/200630501226?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1436.l2649
or even telefunken 6SN7W GTA  with very good SQ that Craig loves around 25-30$
 
However the selection of tubes depends on what SQ of the LCD2 that you would like to be e.g.
if you want the sound stage to open up you may choose Telefunken, if you want heavy bass and sweet mid
you may choose NU or Kenrad, if you want a good balance you may want Raytheon, Sylvania etc.   This depends
entirely on you.
Like now I am enjoying my BA 300B (I use original WE300B 1960's which cost a fortune) with 6F8G NU
(yes, that NU+GE for 27$) with very good result listening with SR009 passing through BA as an preamplifier.
 
I will try 7n7's soon but I don't know which one to choose however I saw Sylvania and NU at good price.
Also the RCA, Raytheon.  I need guidance and input from here too.

 

[Wedge]

Sometimes you can find Sylvanias in that price range, which are very solid tubes.

 

[Skylab]

If the Hytron is the tall-bottle, that is a very fine tube indeed, and likely just right for the LCD-2, IMO.

 

[rosgr63]

Quote:

I have used the Balancing Act for sometime and is now enjoying the tube rolling.
I was proposed the Philips-Pope 6sn7 but the the price is high for a used one
I wonder that is it the same as Philip-MWT 6SN7.  The seller as well as upscaleaudio
mention that it is the best. So what should I do, anyone has used the Philips-Pope 6sN7
  I also used the Balancing Act as a preamplifier and found
that the preamplifier function i excellent preamplifier.  I used it to tame the bright
edge and make the midrange of the Stax SR009 full, rich and sweet flowing.   I used
the GEC B65 and National Union black glass 6sn7 to do the job.  Other 6SN7 is very good too.
   For me I found that I like several 6SN7's : for the warm full sound I prefer the ECC32,
GEC B65, ECC33, and National union.   For the audiophile music I use the Tungsol black glass
round plate, Telefunken 6sn7wgta and Swedish standard, SICTE Fivre.   For rock or
pop music I will use Kenrad , Sylvania metal base or National Union
   I also found that the Mullard 6SN7, Tungsram and Brimar long bottle is very good too.  Seems
like I prefer long bottle Brimar more than the CV1988
   I am now trying to use 68FG's   but I have no experience can someone suggest which one
should I get?   I have tried some and prefer the National Union and Raytheon.
   Can 7n7 be used to , if so which one should I try?
   I don't know much about tubes so I cannot identify some of them,   I have seen long bottle RCA
Westinghouse and Tungsol 6SN7GTB,  are they good too?
Thanks everyone
kiertijai

Dear Kiertijai,
I have seen these Pope valves for some time now.
I don't have any but I don't think much of them.
As Blackmore has explained to me when we were considering these tubesPOPE means:
PRODUCTION SURPLUS EINDHOVEN PHILIPS, but in Dutch its Productie Overschotten Philips Eindhoven
 
I have similar experiences with my BA and 6SN7s I would add the Sylvania 6SN7W and RCA VT 231 smoke glass.
 
The 6F8G are not expensive tubes I suggest you get a selection and try them out.
I find the NU 6F8G Round Plates excellent so far.
 
The 7N7 can be used with a suitable adapter, I have not used any yet.
 
I like the 6SN7GTBs too.
 

 

[kiertijai]

Dear Stavros,
    thanks for your advice.  I will stay away from Pope 6sn7 because it is very expensive.
    I also found that the National Union 6F8G is very good and cheap. I will try the 7n7
National union soon.
    I was told that when you purchase the 6F8G you should try the round plate, is this true?
    while someone suggested that long bottle 6SN7's are usually good, is this true too besides
the military version?
    I recently found several long bottle 6SN7's and it is not expensive  like the RCA, Tungsol,
Westinghouse.  Are they good?  Here are the picture:
I had one long bottle Brimar 6SN7 and one long bottle nickel base Sylvania 6SN7W which are very good, will
this apply to this observation too?
 

 

[rosgr63]

There are two types of 6F8G with round plates:
 
The Tung Sol Round Plates, similar to the 6SN7 BGRP plates.
The NU Round Plates, similar to some Brimar 6SN7 ones.
 
I like them both but prefer the NU.
A stronger, unused NU tube will give you a different/better presentation.
 
I like the long bottle 6SN7GTB made by Westinghouse, NEC, Hitachi, and others.
 
I like the Sylvania 6SN7W metal base and find the black base where the lower mica is inside the base very good too.
 
These are my opinions, others have different views which are welcome.
 
Craig likes the 1578, I don't.
Rob likes the TS 6F8G RP better than the NU one.
 
 

 

[Oskari]

 
Quote:

I was proposed the Philips-Pope 6sn7 but the the price is high for a used one
I wonder that is it the same as Philip-MWT 6SN7.  The seller as well as upscaleaudio
mention that it is the best. So what should I do, anyone has used the Philips-Pope 6sN7

 
Philips-MWT doesn't make much sense because MWT was short for Marconi Wireless Telegraph. I guess you mean Miniwatt or Philips Miniwatt, which does make sense because even the combination was used by Philips as well as both the Philips and Miniwatt brands on their own. A Miniwatt tube may well be the same thing as a Pope tube, but not necessarily. The brand printed on the tube doesn't guarantee this. I, for example, have this Miniwatt-branded 6SN7GT (see photo) which was made by MBLE in Brussels; it's got the L factory code for MBLE. Obviously this is not the same as a tube with a factory code for a Dutch plant. MBLE's own tube brand was Adzam but there are lots of tubes made by them carrying other brand names of the Philips group.
 
Quote:

I have seen these Pope valves for some time now.
I don't have any but I don't think much of them.
As Blackmore has explained to me when we were considering these tubesPOPE means:
PRODUCTION SURPLUS EINDHOVEN PHILIPS, but in Dutch its Productie Overschotten Philips Eindhoven

 
So, they are Philips tubes by yet another name. What do mean you don't think much of them? I'd like to hear one. On the other hand, I must say that I don't think much of the MBLE tube. I pulled it pretty fast when I tried it because I didn't like what I heard. Perhaps I didn't give it a fair chance, though. I should try it again some day.
 

 

[Badd99]

Thanks guys...I have an offer to buy a  Ken-Rad USA 6SN7GT Black [] Plate Bottom Getter
 
its the black glass down to almost the bottom where the bottom strip is metallic silver for $15 free shipping...would this be a problem with a single ended pre-amp?

 

[rosgr63]

Quote:

So, they are Philips tubes by yet another name. What do mean you don't think much of them? I'd like to hear one. On the other hand, I must say that I don't think much of the MBLE tube. I pulled it pretty fast when I tried it because I didn't like what I heard. Perhaps I didn't give it a fair chance, though. I should try it again some day.
 

I would not pay $400 for a Pope pair.
One can get a nice Philips 6SN7WGTA Blue or Green label for $40.
 

 

[Oskari]

 
Quote:

I would not pay $400 for a Pope pair.
One can get a nice Philips 6SN7WGTA Blue or Green label for $40.
 

I wouldn't pay that much either but a Dutch-made tube is a totally different animal to a US-made Philips ECG (nee Sylvania) tube.
 

 

[Blackmore]

I believe that the price of POPE tubes, as may some others, is the result of their small batch, but also that they have been made at famouse Eindhoven plant, which for many, means high quality. As for the sound, I dont know, and, as far as I can remember, never have read any review about them.
 
Basically, POPE was the name to use for export, Philips did this with many things, just sold them under differ names and I believe Philips Miniwatt 6SN7GT is the same tube
http://www.tubes.rs/Tubes/NOS/Audio/PreTriodes/6SN7/6SN7GTPhilips.htm

 

[kiertijai]

I have to correct the price of Philips-Pope 6SN7's , previously they were sold by upscaleaudio.com
However later because the small number of the Pope 6sn7,  they will sell only for those who buy one of their gear
When I approached upscaleaudio.com again it was not available.   I saw the ad in audiogon for 4 tubes of Pope 6SN7
for 435$ (previous price is 600$ for four tubes ).  While I communicated with him , he pulled out the ad and said
that he did not want to sell anymore because he had enough money for the RMAF now.  The seller said that the
Pope is the best of the best so I want to try but may be only a pair or one tube but he wanted to sell all four. So
the deal was off.  However if they are the same as Philips-Miniwatt (sorry for the mistake it's not MWT) I have saved
a lot of money and thanks for every one that help giving your opinion.

 

[Blackmore]

Just recently, I missed the Ebay sale of this Philips, I was pissed, cos it was sold cheap, but if you take a look, this one is GTA and have a little differ print on it, but also seems to be taller
 

 

[Blackmore]

And here is another POPE, which is simply ECC33 Mullard, which also proves that POPE doesnt give you 100% that its been Made in Holland only