[jimmyjames8]

Anybody have any experience/recommendations on these new production pre amp tubes? Both offer premium versions, gold pins and one vendor offers testing.matching for ultra low noise. Thinking abour going with the EI's but here some chatter about the EH's. Help a toobie noobie out.

 

[edisonwu]

I love my selected EH gold pins from jacmusic. They sound very similar to the NOS tubes.

http://www.jacmusic.com/ehx/more-inf...-matching.html

 

[gundam91]

Quote:

Originally Posted by edisonwu I love my selected EH gold pins from jacmusic. They sound very similar to the NOS tubes.

You are joking, right? EH 6DJ8/6922s are just "selected" Sovtek tubes with tighter tolerances. EI tubes are from Yugoslavia. So they will have different sonic characteristics. "Ultra low noise" is probably overkill as most current production tubes are already dead quiet. Unless you are using them in a very sensitive phonostage, standard version should suffice. So, save your money.

As for sound, both will sound thin (lack of body) and lean when compare to decent NOS tubes from pre-1980 period. For the money, I look on eBay for this guy from Hungary selling Tungsrams produced in the 1980s. A friend of mine just got a batch for like $15/tube. It will beat any current production 6DJ8/6922 hands down.

If you are using 12AX7. Check out Groove Tube's 12AX7M. Supposedly, they reverse engineered the Mullard 12AX7 to produce this tube, hence the "M" designation. It has received good reviews from users on Audio Asylum.

 

[edisonwu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gundam91 You are joking, right? EH 6DJ8/6922s are just "selected" Sovtek tubes with tighter tolerances. EI tubes are from Yugoslavia. So they will have different sonic characteristics. "Ultra low noise" is probably overkill as most current production tubes are already dead quiet. Unless you are using them in a very sensitive phonostage, standard version should suffice. So, save your money. As for sound, both will sound thin (lack of body) and lean when compare to decent NOS tubes from pre-1980 period. For the money, I look on eBay for this guy from Hungary selling Tungsrams produced in the 1980s. A friend of mine just got a batch for like $15/tube. It will beat any current production 6DJ8/6922 hands down. If you are using 12AX7. Check out Groove Tube's 12AX7M. Supposedly, they reverse engineered the Mullard 12AX7 to produce this tube, hence the "M" designation. It has received good reviews from users on Audio Asylum.

I was told before that EH 6922 is selected Sovtek's(??). But I doubt that. At least I don't think this situation is like TFK E88CC and TFK CCa (selected E88CC by TFK). Their sounds are totally different, not even similar at all.
I have both a pair of Sovtek E88CC and a pair of EH E88CC-G (Sovtek E88CC is just sold but not sent). I don't see any tonal resemblance between these two brands' tubes. A huge differences. If tubeworld's Cryovalve selected tubes are better than their not Cryovalve version, why the selected EH E88CC-G by jacmusic doesn't work in this way? I have also seen some retailers mark different TFK CCa in different grade with different prices.

 

[gundam91]

Quote:

Originally Posted by edisonwu If tubeworld's Cryovalve selected tubes are better than their not Cryovalve version, why the selected EH E88CC-G by jacmusic doesn't work in this way?

I have not purchased tubes from these vendors, but I think you are confusing the two. Tubeworld's "Cryovalve" indicates that they have cryogenically treated the tubes, meaning probably dipping the tubes in Nitrogen. Supposedly, from all the discussion floating around these days, submerging tubes and any other metal in Nitrogen will have an effect on the metal's property. I have not personally tried any "Cryo'ed" stuff, but people that have tried it swear that the process has drastically improve the sound.

From what I can see, there's nothing "platinum" about jacmusic's tube matching process. All they do is ensure the stability of the tube measurement after a long burn-in period. This is far, far from cryogenically treating tubes. He also did not mention testing for low noise. When you ask for match pairs/quads and pay a few dollars extra, any of the reputable vendors would do this for you.