[Terrynj]

It's the Mazda Belvu 5 star triple mica 12at7wa. Fairly neutral, great resolution, pace and bass response. Very addictive.

Seems the 6v6gty is similar to those 7408s. I found a NOS set of those for around €40 here in Europe.

Thanks Bram! I am a tweak at heart, so I love having all the options and the research involved in finding our "Diamonds in the rough" .... it is really fun!
Thank you for all your sharing! It is hard when your a Nube and you just dont have any practical experience....having experience shared with you helps so much!

 

[braaam]

  Thanks Bram! I am a tweak at heart, so I love having all the options and the research involved in finding our "Diamonds in the rough" .... it is really fun!
Thank you for all your sharing! It is hard when your a Nube and you just dont have any practical experience....having experience shared with you helps so much!

Glad I found a kindred soul around here! Let's make sure we find the very best tubes for the Appj/400i/s combi

 

[canthearyou]

 
Glad I found a kindred soul around here! Let's make sure we find the very best tubes for the Appj/400i/s combi

Don't leave me out. I'll be testing a few more tubes very soon. The next ones I think I'm gonna try are the Genalex Gold Lions for the power tubes. 

 

[braaam]

Don't leave me out. I'll be testing a few more tubes very soon. The next ones I think I'm gonna try are the Genalex Gold Lions for the power tubes. 

Interesting. I'll be checking out some new issue Tung Sol 6V6s. Will be nice to know how they perform against the Genalex (and vintage tubes).

 

[a44100Hz]

Right now I am using the following:

JJ 6V6 (new, matched)
Reissued Mullard 12AX7 (new)

Which sounds great, is readily available, and was relatively inexpensive.

I'll be getting the following soon:
Genalex Gold Lion 12AX7 (new)
RCA JRC-5751 (NOS)

After I've tried keeping the power tubes the same and changing out the preamp tube, I'll try a new pair of power tubes based on what you guys recommend.

 

[Terrynj]

Had a similar experience with vintage RCA 6v6's. Very shrill highs compared to stock. Maybe yours need more burn in?

Now I'm really confused...looking at NOS tubes at the Audiotubes.com website, Brent Jessee gives a thorough description of all 6V6 versions. In the description of the 1950's RCA GreyGlass 6v6gt's he has for sale at the bottom of the page, he makes this statement..
http://www.audiotubes.com/6v6.htm
 
 
" Used tested good White Box. Very popular vintage tube. Difficult to keep in stock as supplies dwindle and demand soars. Even used ones are much better than the junk being made today. Matched pairs are just $50.00"
 
So to me, that is what makes this process so hard, is the different opinions you will find as you search. You read a definitive statement on a commercial web-site that deals with these tubes everyday, and then you have a trusted source like Braaam that has tried some OLD RCA's and it was a bad experience. Maybe the tubes were bad? If they were tried on the 1502A, then are there compatibility issues with some makes of tubes?
 
He says none of the new tubes are any good, but I also had looked at the Genalex- Gold Lion 6v6gt and still see them as an option... a44100hz has the new JJ 6v6gt's and he's happy with them??
 
I am also still looking at what power tubes I want to try. I am currently looking at the 1950's RCA....found some pairs on ebay that I am watching. E8armydiver recommended NOS RCA 6v6gt's, 1950's era to me, so that is why it concerns me Bram had an issue with them?
 
I am also still considering the Harmon Kardon 7408 tubes. HK has a decent reputation of making quality amplifiers, so i would think a tube made for their more serious equipment, would be a good performer.
 
I really would like to try the 6V6G ST coke bottle tubes...but those go back to the 1930's, and that may be tougher to have success with because of their age (construction and design)...but they look awesome!
http://www.tubemonger.com/MARCONI_CANADA_1950s_JAN_6V6G_Smoke_Glass_ST_NIB_p/935.htm
 
I re-read this before I sent it out, and it sounds more like a rant than a question or a statement! lol    

 I think sometimes you just have to let things soak before you answer become more clear. It may be Tuesday before I get my preamp tube I ordered (Sylvania JHS 5751), so I may just wait till then and see where I am at.

 

[braaam]

It's possible the RCA's where past their prime although the seller stated that they tested good. It's a bit of a lottery, and they are used tubes (not NOS). Also, I will do some more testing with different pre-amp tubes.

I'll be testing some vintage brown base RCA 6V6GTY's soon to find out if they perform better.

Those coke bottles look awesome!

 

[Terrynj]

It's possible the RCA's where past their prime although the seller stated that they tested good. It's a bit of a lottery, and they are used tubes (not NOS). Also, I will do some more testing with different pre-amp tubes.

I'll be testing some vintage brown base RCA 6V6GTY's soon to find out if they perform better.

Those coke bottles look awesome!

Yeah, I am sure with the age of these tubes, I am surprised at how well they still seem to be performing, so I am sure there are some that may test good, but have other issues.
The GTY's are supposed to be very good...I have been checking those out too. I am excited to see how they work for you..... I'm not sure if I like the brown base, but it is very retro looking. 
One of the things I am still trying to find out is the biasing on this amp. The 1502A does "Auto-biasing"?? So does that mean I can stick a 6v6g ST coke bottle tube in it from the 1930's and not have to adjust anything?? I love the coke bottles too, but dont want to redesign the whole amp with resistors because there are no bias pots on the motherboard. I think is the biggest challenge for me with the 1502A, is what our liberties are with this amp.what are the restrictions?

 

[canthearyou]

Yeah, I am sure with the age of these tubes, I am surprised at how well they still seem to be performing, so I am sure there are some that may test good, but have other issues.
The GTY's are supposed to be very good...I have been checking those out too. I am excited to see how they work for you..... I'm not sure if I like the brown base, but it is very retro looking. 
One of the things I am still trying to find out is the biasing on this amp. The 1502A does "Auto-biasing"?? So does that mean I can stick a 6v6g ST coke bottle tube in it from the 1930's and not have to adjust anything?? I love the coke bottles too, but dont want to redesign the whole amp with resistors because there are no bias pots on the motherboard. I think is the biggest challenge for me with the 1502A, is what our liberties are with this amp.what are the restrictions?

Very good question. I'm eagerly awaiting the answer.

 

[a44100Hz]

From Army's review: "This is an Auto Biasing, Solid State Rectified,Class A Single Ended Triode(12AX7) driving a pair of Triode Strapped 6V6 Power Tubes."

http://www.head-fi.org/products/appj-pa1502a-6n4-6p6px2-tube-headphone-amplifier-black/reviews/14901

 

[Terrynj]

  From Army's review: "This is an Auto Biasing, Solid State Rectified,Class A Single Ended Triode(12AX7) driving a pair of Triode Strapped 6V6 Power Tubes."

http://www.head-fi.org/products/appj-pa1502a-6n4-6p6px2-tube-headphone-amplifier-black/reviews/14901

Hi a44100hz!   Yes, I read that, but I just wanted to find out for sure before I start sticking some of these "variations" in my new amp...smoking $80 set of tubes or my amp would be a crusher. Ive been chatting with E8armydiver since I bought my amp, I asked him these questions a few days ago, but I haven't heard back from him yet...but he's working nights right now...so I'll just wait. I guess Im being overly cautious, but I find it better to ask now, then after Ive smoked my new toy!

 
Have you gotten in your Genalex Gold Lion tubes yet? I looked at those hard and would be my fall back to ...those look like pretty solid tubes!
Post up when you get them! Anxious to hear!

 

[a44100Hz]

I'll have a gold lion 12AX7 on Monday, most likely. I've never gain-adjusted a tube amp so if you're supposed to do it, I didn't have to. Like the Vali 2, I've just been swapping tubes in without changing any internals.

 

[Terrynj]

  I'll have a gold lion 12AX7 on Monday, most likely. I've never gain-adjusted a tube amp so if you're supposed to do it, I didn't have to. Like the Vali 2, I've just been swapping tubes in without changing any internals.

OK, that's good to know...I'm a newbie... I just got my amp a week ago, and never even looked at a tube until 2 weeks ago. I have a technical background.... I maintained IT rooms for hospitals in the 80's, and sold corporate servers, networks...also did Home Audio Video...Home theaters etc up till the early 2000's, but I'm not a build my own pre-amp kinda guy...dont know component level stuff so much...just being cautious. I dont know this new stuff at all...but I love it!
 
Thanks a44100hz!

 

[a44100Hz]

Haha sure; I've only been using tubes for a few weeks. The sound is so good though!

Try this: www.audiotubes.com/12ax7.htm

Scroll down to "OK, SO TELL ME HOW THEY SOUND!!"

 

[Terrynj]

  Haha sure; I've only been using tubes for a few weeks. The sound is so good though!

Try this: www.audiotubes.com/12ax7.htm

Scroll down to "OK, SO TELL ME HOW THEY SOUND!!"

You know, when you posted this website, I thought..I've seen this before, but I saw the 6V6 side, which is what I'm looking at now, but this is an awesome Pre-amp write up I wished I had noticed this before...I really appreciate you pointing me this way...really good info.
 
Not sure if you were kidding about the 2 week thing, but yeah..about 2 weeks. I've been listening to music since the 60's...I love music......I went to all the concerts back in the 70's... like I said before, I did Custom Home Audio Video for 15 years .....I've never heard anything like what I heard when I got my HE400s's on December 10th...my life changed! I wanted some new BT HPs and couldn't decide between 2 -$150 Blue tooth HP's...really was a hard decision. I told my wife that what I really wanted was some good headphones and found Head-fi.org, and made the leap and bought the HE400s headphones..omg....omg..I have never heard anything like the sound I heard from those.....
 
So now my budget expanded...I bought a new DAC/AMP, the soundblaster E5 to replace my Fiio E11 (my hp's were VMODA M80's), the HE400i's went on sale..I bought those too..then I start getting drawn in by the tubers. I read E8armydivers stuff on the 1502a...bought that and got it on January 14.....24 hours in the day is not enough for me to sit here and search through all my music...I've modded both headphones and it is unbelievable the sound I am getting. Dont take this the wrong way, but young people do not understand how valuable the FLAC files are we have access to. I stream TIDAL and it is incredible when you add the Planar HPs. 
 
Back in the day, manufactures would not release  high resolutions versions of their music, movies, etc... for fear of people copying and re-selling..now with the the world turning to streaming....we have access to stuff that i never imagined. Even on TV, I have a large 4k tv and I HAVE NEVER seen anything like what I see now. I stream HD movies and the details are riduclous... I mean ridiculous...we are watching old movies...the Empire Strikes Back. Back to the Future 1..and you can see the eyelashes on the actors...friggin stunning and this is on a 75" TV... 
 
So now I have this same resolution in audio!!!!! I am sorry, but I can not contain myself about this world which is now the norm. The tube world is now a way of tweaking and enjoying what we have before us. We have the highest resolution sources, the best DAC/AMP scenarios, and the best display devices in these HP's .....which duplicating with Speakers and Amps is Mondo expensive..and probably still wont be as goods as my HE400s's. Plus too, Large sound systems are very intrusive and quiet HPs's lets us enjoy without offending the neighbors.
 
Heres a change of pace...anytime I get into a subject i always look at the best, and see what I can afford from there. One product I always remembered from the past was McIntosh amps...so i thought..what tubes do they use? I found some interesting pages....this is a company that refurbishes antique high end amps...they list the tubes they use...guess what! 12AX7A, 12AU7, and on down, then their power tubes..6L6...heres some links....look at the tubes they use...
 
http://vintagevacuumaudio.com/product/1-pair-of-mc30-mcintosh-tube-amps-newly-restored-one-year-warranty/
 
Look down the list, this is a historic website for Mac Amps, you will see tubes used in McIntosh tube amps
http://www.roger-russell.com/amplif2.htm#mc2155
 
This is a great article on how bands used McIntosh amps
http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue77/vintage_mcintosh_experience.htm
 
And this is fun to watch...the making of a McIntosh 275 amp...gorgeous!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HgS6gvokEI
 
Sorry to get off topic, but to me ....this is on topic for the big picture on what we are doing!
 
Bon 'Appetit my friends, the eating has never been better!