Dear Mr. Wizard,
Like so much else in the world of audiophilia, it's subjective and a matter of individual taste. From what I've read on the Darkvoice threads, talked about with other Darkvoice 336i users, and learned experimentally, the RCA 6SN7GT grey glass (with a common street price of $40-$50 NOS) seem to consistently garner top-rankings. Aside from, or rather alongside, the quest for optimal synergy, there's a lot of trial-and-error, getting to know how certain tube "families" (e.g. RCA, Sylvania, Tung-Sol) sound, getting to know what your gear delivers and, finally, getting to know the kind of sound you like best. For me, it's always more fun "along the way" rather than arriving at, as are all too often, our fickle endpoints.
For me, the RCA "house sound" is rich and tonal, but can be a little tubby in the bass. Sylvanias tend to be clear, neutral, airy and extended, with a controlled bottom end. GEs are nicely balanced and even through the sound spectrum, solid performers, but with nothing jaw dropping along the way. When you get the top-ranked NOS (and appreciably more expensive) RCAs, Sylvanias, Tung-Sols, etc., you get the best, respective house sound. I usually split my rear and front tubes between a rich, warm RCA and a clean, detailed Sylvania. That way you exploit the best of both worlds and enjoy the additive strengths of the tubes.
I have a decided preference for the openness and detail of Sylvanias, but like the lush midrange of RCAs, too. Put the two together and you get a nice, hybridized dose of both.
So far, using "common man" tubes (read: can be gotten for less than $20 apiece), I've really liked the following:
Front, Rear
Sylvania 6SN7GTB, RCA 6080
Sylvania 6SN7WGT, JAN RCA black plate 6AS7G
GE 6SN7GTA, RCA grey plate 6AS7G
RCA 6SN7GT, GE 6080 or Sylvania 6AS7G
With four optional fronts and 4 optional rears, you get 4x4=16 unique combinations. While you may not like every one of them, you'll have a lot of fun and gain a lot of knowledge en route to chosing the best one or two.
I love getting budget tubes to sound great in a budget amp.
Meanwhile, I have a Sylvania (true) chrome dome on order, and am scouring the countryside for the mythical Bendix 6080.
Look online: e-Bay, Audiogon, tube dealers. Be patient--especially on e-Bay, and you can often land a good deal.