[ValentinHogea]

There are different family's and types...
This is a quick "generalisation", and a combination of my opinion after trying a lot of them, and the written consensus.
 
6AS7-family (ST-bottle/"Coke" bottle):
Good "normal priced" tube: RCA Black Plates 6AS7(g)
"Best" expensive tube: GEC CV2523 (6AS7G)
 
6080-family (Smaller bottle)
Normal-priced.. buttloads. Sylvania 6080, those RCA 6080 you showed etc...
Expensive tubes: "Bendix" 6080WB
 
5998-family (ST-bottle) ("higher gain"):
Chatham Electronics/IBM/Tung Sol (all the same, made by Tung Sol) can be called either 2399 / 5998; Western Electric 421A is also made by Tung Sol, but the WE421A are a higher grade, although this is debated
 
5998A-family (Smaller bottle) ("higher gain"):
5998A and 7236 are said to be pretty much the same. The 7236 is a computer-rated 5998A. A bit faster than the 2339/5998, but worth a try

 

[Greed]

Originally Posted by ValentinHogea View Post

There are different family's and types...

This is a quick "generalisation", and a combination of my opinion after trying a lot of them, and the written consensus.

6AS7-family (ST-bottle/"Coke" bottle):

Good "normal priced" tube: RCA Black Plates 6AS7(g)

"Best" expensive tube: GEC CV2523 (6AS7G)

6080-family (Smaller bottle)

Normal-priced.. buttloads. Sylvania 6080, those RCA 6080 you showed etc...

Expensive tubes: "Bendix" 6080WB

5998-family (ST-bottle) ("higher gain"):

Chatham Electronics/IBM/Tung Sol (all the same, made by Tung Sol) can be called either 2399 / 5998; Western Electric 421A is also made by Tung Sol, but the WE421A are a higher grade, although this is debated

5998A-family (Smaller bottle) ("higher gain"):

5998A and 7236 are said to be pretty much the same. The 7236 is a computer-rated 5998A. A bit faster than the 2339/5998, but worth a try

Thanks for the info... Tube Rolling is confusing at times, especially when you are looking for vintage tubes and they're no reliable places to find them.

 

[ValentinHogea]

There is a matched pair of GEC's and TS 5998's as well as my "Bendix'es" in the FS-part of the forum...
A suggestion is starting there. The "best" tubes from each family except for the 5998A-family.
Pretty rare occasion that all happen to be for sale at the same time. I wasn't as lucky 3-4 months ago when I was tube-chasing.

 

[ValentinHogea]

For the higher gain families:
 
I might add that 7236's seem to be optimal for high impedance loads, while 5998's better with lower impedance loads. After seeing some RMAA-data of a modded La Figaro 339 (and of course using my ears).

 

[BackwardPawn]

What's a decent, affordable 6AS7G?  I have a pair of the Soviet equivalent on the way but I'm finding people either love or hate this tube.  In case I fall into the hate category, what brand should I look for?  Or someone had suggested the Tube Center where you pay for the type of tube, but don't get to choose the brand.  Has anyone had much luck getting their 6AS7Gs this way?  Thanks.

 

[Skylab]

You can generally get RCA 6AS7G's pretty cheap. And they are quite good. I'm certainly one person who much prefers them over the Russian equivalent.

 

[Ultrainferno]

Quote:

You can generally get RCA 6AS7G's pretty cheap. And they are quite good. I'm certainly one person who much prefers them over the Russian equivalent.

 
I finally got to listen to the Svetlana tubes, I expected much worse. reasonably good midrange compared to the RCA

 

[zenpunk]

I really like my vintage Sovtek 6AS7G, but sadly those are also quickly going up in price 

. 

 

[TheGrumpyOldMan]

I have some "Winged C" soviet tubes and find them to be pretty much identical in sound to my Sovteks, to my hearing anyway, and of course with the usual variance and age/burn-in...

 

[BackwardPawn]

I'm pretty sure the Winged Cs and the Sovteks are the same tube.  I'm having trouble finding the RCA tubes cheap.  You can get the Russian tubes cheap, and some other brands, but people on E-bay are asking over $100 a pair for RCA.  You can find them cheaper, but in the description you find it says used rather than NOS (unless the 6080s are the same, with a different shape as there seems to be a much greater supply of them.).

 

[StalkerAssassin]

I'm having trouble finding the RCA tubes cheap, people on E-bay are asking over $100 a pair for RCA.

Here are selling tube RCA late 50 th and early 51 th, appearance tubes NOS.

 

[zenpunk]

Quote:

I have some "Winged C" soviet tubes and find them to be pretty much identical in sound to my Sovteks, to my hearing anyway, and of course with the usual variance and age/burn-in...

Interesting. How can they ask $50 for those :
 

but only $25 (which is still quite a lot!) for those Russian 6H13C at the Tubestore and other retailers?

 

[Oskari]

Quote:

I'm pretty sure the Winged Cs and the Sovteks are the same tube.

 
Indeed:
 
Quote:

http://www.thetubestore.com/Tubes/6AS7-Tube-Types/Sovtek-6AS7G:

'The Winged "C" 6AS7G / 6H13C tube is the same tube Sovtek relabeled and sold as their own for many years.'

 

[Oskari]

Quote:

Interesting. How can they ask $50 for those :

 
How about $85.80 at New Sensor (aka Sovtek)? [http://www.newsensor.com/ProductHighLight.aspx?ProId=198]

 

[Ultrainferno]

at my local dealer's, the Sovtek/svetlana are the most expensive 6AS7G tubes as well. He says they're the best, so the others brands are cheaper. I'm ok with that