[Badas]

  That's the beauty of audio, you can like something the others don't and vice versa. As long as you like it, it's all good.
In all honesty, I usually just put in RCA or Chatham (copper rod) 6AS7G. They're good enough for me, all my "fancy" tubes are in my tube closet.

 
Yeah. That is the funny thing. I have lots and lots of 6AS7G's (Chatham, Tung-Sol, Raytheon, Sylvania and RCA). The Tung-Sol 6080, Tun-Sol 7236, Brimar 6080 and the stock tube GE 6080.
 
They all sound very, very similar. Slight edge to Tung-Sol and Chatham 6AS7G. So in the end I tend to use the Russian 6N13 which also sounds the same as the others. I do that because it looks nice, cheap and quiet.
 
I wonder if some amp circuits are limiting? and it really doesn't matter what power tube is installed.
 
I got massive changes in the rectifier tube and good changes in the driver tubes. Bugger all in the power tubes.
 
Lately I have done a lot of power tube rolling looking for that last 5% bass. Nothing delivers it. I might just go back to using the Russian and be done with it.
 
I'm not complaining. The amp sounds fantastic. Woo WA22 by the way.

 

[rosgr63]

  That's the beauty of audio, you can like something the others don't and vice versa. As long as you like it, it's all good.
In all honesty, I usually just put in RCA or Chatham (copper rod) 6AS7G. They're good enough for me, all my "fancy" tubes are in my tube closet.

That's what I've been using for many years.

 

[Badas]

  That's the beauty of audio, you can like something the others don't and vice versa. As long as you like it, it's all good.
In all honesty, I usually just put in RCA or Chatham (copper rod) 6AS7G. They're good enough for me, all my "fancy" tubes are in my tube closet.

 
Never been a fan of the RCA's (6AS7G). Every set I have collected has had some level of noise. Won't go away either. Like the Chathams tho.
 
How do you note the copper rod? What do we look for?
 

   
Good thing, because I just stuck a bunch of toilet paper and rocks in those boxes 

 

Nice.

Very quick.

 

[Ultrainferno]

   
How do you note the copper rod? What do we look for?
 

 
Just look at it. If it's copper you would see it immediately (Chatham and tung sol mostly)

 

[Badas]

Okay. I'm done with power tube rolling. I threw in my last set of 6080 style tubes. The Tung-Sol 7236's.
Boom they have the bass on tap. However they are dull. All the dynamics are gone. All 6AS7G's have the 6080's beat on dynamics.

So I have determined that I like 6AS7G type. Out of my collection I like the Chatham and Tung-Sols the best. I just purchased two more sets of the Tung-Sols today. I like the ones without those flaps down the bottom the best. Then the Raytheons and Russian 6N13's lastly Sylvania and RCA's. The RCA's could be decent but I have 3 sets of noisy versions. So I give up on them.

I would love to try the Tung-Sol 5998, however at $85 for one $170 a set it is not going to happen.

 

[Lorspeaker]

the tungsol 5998 has that 5% more bass than all my runofmill6AS7s.. 
u might have to fork out that 85bucks...LOL
 

 

[Nic Rhodes]

I have always liked the Mullard 6080 tubes and they are still great value (but don't tell anyone) I feel they get overlooked a little with the GEC but have geat qualities in their own right.

 

[Badas]

  I have always liked the Mullard 6080 tubes and they are still great value (but don't tell anyone) I feel they get overlooked a little with the GEC but have geat qualities in their own right.

 Okay. I will get a few sets in to try. It will be the last 6080 tube I will try. Was the pic I posted yesterday of the Mullard 6080 a okay version?
 

 

[john57]

That look more like a 6080WC tube, The box looks kind of new to me.

 

[gibosi]

And the tube graphics, especially the "shield", look to kind of new to me too . See the National Valve Museum link below for the older "shield":
 
http://www.r-type.org/exhib/aaa0725.htm

 

[Badas]

  That look more like a 6080WC tube, The box looks kind of new to me.

Is the WC okay?
 
Yeah the box does look new. They are from Langrex. Best tube seller in the world.
I don't know how they do it. All their stuff is the best condition.
 
Check out the rectifiers I got from them this morning. Brimar 5Z4GY. From 1962. Best friggin rectifier I have ever heard
by the way. Ended up getting 14 of them.
 
Anyhow back on track. check out the box. Other than the mild discolouring of the box they look like I have time traveled back to 1962.
 

 

[Jimmy24]

I have always liked the Mullard 6080 tubes and they are still great value (but don't tell anyone) I feel they get overlooked a little with the GEC but have geat qualities in their own right.

How do the Mullard 6080's compare with the other top tier tubes? I was also curious about these but if my 5998's provide better sound I don't really feel the need to buy other output tubes.

 

[Ultrainferno]

 
Is the WC okay?
 
Yeah the box does look new. They are from Langrex. Best tube seller in the world.
I don't know how they do it. All their stuff is the best condition.
 
Check out the rectifiers I got from them this morning. Brimar 5Z4GY. From 1962. Best friggin rectifier I have ever heard
by the way. Ended up getting 14 of them.
 
Anyhow back on track. check out the box. Other than the mild discolouring of the box they look like I have time traveled back to 1962.
 

 
They look cool indeed. I blew 2 of them up in my 300B amp as it was drawing too much current (over double what the 5Z4G can take)

 

[Badas]

   
They look cool indeed. I blew 2 of them up in my 300B amp as it was drawing too much current (over double what the 5Z4G can take)

 
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh, that would have been fun. Not.

 
They work damn well in my Woo WA22. A mate has them in his WA5 as well.

 

[JamieMcC]

 
 Okay. I will get a few sets in to try. It will be the last 6080 tube I will try. Was the pic I posted yesterday of the Mullard 6080 a okay version?
 

It looks like a Mitcham Mullard with the AJ1 designation. Out of interest does it flash on start up from cold? Some of them seem to have this feature and some don't.
 
 
 
 

How do the Mullard 6080's compare with the other top tier tubes? I was also curious about these but if my 5998's provide better sound I don't really feel the need to buy other output tubes.

 
Very good I would say if you take the GEC and Mullard 6080 they both have certain aspects that from my perspective are very close to or on par with the top tier tubes. This might be say, treble, midrange, resolution, timbre, tone, bass, musicality, PRaT, etc for examples
 
The GEC and Mullard will excel at one or two and be very good at a second and the third and fourth fifth etc will be ok. In contrast a top tier tube might excel at three, four, or five of the areas. To my mind unless you have a pretty decent set up and totl cans spending large on top tier tubes can be a expensive folly.  With a mid tier headfi set up sure they will sound great and you will notice their impact sonically. But you really will be missing some of the real magic they are capable of delivering.
 
To burn a 50 year old top tier tube and not to hear them reach their potential and really sing seems a real shame to me.