[Paladin79]

blink of an eye... and it's here... thanks @PsilocybinCube Tung Sol 6080

I just received one myself but no chance to listen yet.

 

[attmci]

Hello all, to help along with the study of this fascinating tube hobby, I enclose some pictures of my 5998’s

Box dated July, 1963. Tube coded 418. hmmm.

 

[Slade01]

Box dated July, 1963. Tube coded 418. hmmm.

418 code...jinkies, a clue! The plot thickens...

 

[PsilocybinCube]

418 code...jinkies, a clue! The plot thickens...

It's 3 less than a 421a....hmmm....

 

[PsilocybinCube]

@JKDJedi mentioned this many pages ago, but it have to reiterate how utterly underrated the cheapo Thomson 6080 from France is. It sounds cleaner than almost any tube I've heard. It doesn't have the warmth or depth of the 5998 but it's as good or better than most power tubes I've paid more $ to purchase.

 

[Paladin79]

@JKDJedi mentioned this many pages ago, but it have to reiterate how utterly underrated the cheapo Thomson 6080 from France is. It sounds cleaner than almost any tube I've heard. It doesn't have the warmth or depth of the 5998 but it's as good or better than most power tubes I've paid more $ to purchase.

Nice amp
How do you like the Westinghouse driver with the Thompson?

 

[PsilocybinCube]

Nice amp
How do you like the Westinghouse driver with the Thompson?

I like the Westinghouse quite a lot. It's definitely got a great sound. I have three Westinghouse 6SN7 tubes. The taller Reliatron 6SN7GTB with a top D-getter I find a little bass-light, but very detailed. The Selectron 6SN7GTB is almost the same build as the Reliatron but it uses a top O-getter.

The shorter base, clear top, and bottom getter of the Reliatron from the picture is my favorite. It doesn't have some of the top-end sparkle of the GTB's with the top getter, but it has waaay more bass. It's not quite as rich in the mid-range as the Melz, but that can be helped with a proper power tube like the 5998.

This is listening with the HD800 where I find myself drawn to bass-forward tubes.

 

[JTbbb]

418 code...jinkies, a clue! The plot thickens...

It's 3 less than a 421a....hmmm....

You guys are talking riddles to me, what are you thinking.

 

[JKDJedi]

I like the Westinghouse quite a lot. It's definitely got a great sound. I have three Westinghouse 6SN7 tubes. The taller Reliatron 6SN7GTB with a top D-getter I find a little bass-light, but very detailed. The Selectron 6SN7GTB is almost the same build as the Reliatron but it uses a top O-getter.

The shorter base, clear top, and bottom getter of the Reliatron from the picture is my favorite. It doesn't have some of the top-end sparkle of the GTB's with the top getter, but it has waaay more bass. It's not quite as rich in the mid-range as the Melz, but that can be helped with a proper power tube like the 5998.

This is listening with the HD800 where I find myself drawn to bass-forward tubes.

have to try that combo tonight.

 

[PsilocybinCube]

have to try that combo tonight.

This morning I tried the 5998 with the shorter base Reliatron that was pictured with the Thomson. In my opinion, the 5998 kind of makes things bloom and increases the sound stage. It was a bolder sound if less precise than the Thomson.

I've always thought that shorter-base tubes were supposed to be inferior (i have no idea why I think that...) but I prefer the clear top, bottom getter, short-base version of the reliatron.

 

[CaptainFantastic]

I have this beauty coming in. Is this a brown base, a black base, or dark brown? I will find out on closer inspection next week.

 

[JKDJedi]

I have this beauty coming in. Is this a brown base, a black base, or dark brown? I will find out on closer inspection next week.

And the box... . Nice.

 

[Slade01]

You guys are talking riddles to me, what are you thinking.

It's just a reference to what the hell the "418" code actually means. If its a (manufacturing) date code, it doesn't seemingly correspond to the box date (but the box date could mean something different anyways like just when the tube was received or whatever, and not manufacture date. If its reference to EIA code (highly unlikely since tung-sols are "322") etc. So yeah, its just another one of those would be mystery in deciphering codes that may not have a lot of consistencies back in the day or convoluted histories of branding/rebranding/manufacturing etc.

 

[Slade01]

I have this beauty coming in. Is this a brown base, a black base, or dark brown? I will find out on closer inspection next week.

Looks Dark Brown. Very nice and distinctive. It definitely looks like a sharp looking top tier tube. Congrats!

 

[gibosi]

You guys are talking riddles to me, what are you thinking.

The date code on one of your 5998s, "418", indicates that the tube was manufactured in the 18th week of 1954. But the box shows a date of July 1963. So if that tube came to you in that box, it implies it sat in a warehouse for 10 years!

But perhaps another of your 5998's came in that box? It is not clear to us....