[Badas]

I don't mind the short base, not a fan of the coin base though.

I am thinking anything that is quiet, is going to sound very good. 

I've had a lot of problems with noisy tubes in my amp. Especially power tubes. So heartbreaking buying top power tubes to find they were noisy. I find that you really have to mix and match all tubes to get synergy.

One thing I have noticed is the 6BL7 made NU 6F8G and NU6C8G noisy. When I throw in a GE6AS7G they both go quiet. So synergy is important. I don't care about the NU's as I prefer the Tung-Sol version anyway and I have plenty f them.

6BL7 is a very quiet power tube tho.

 

[3083joe]

As I've stated above.

To start out I have 4 sets of 6BL7's.

Three X plate and one flat plate.

One set of X I suspect are not NOS and have a little mileage on them. Nothing wrong with them. Just want to point out they sound even sweeter than the other NOS sets. So they improve even more with time. Incredible sweet treble sound from them.

I think I prefer the X plate over the flat.

So I have purchased 5 more sets. I purchased these:





I will let you know how they perform one I receive them and roll them in my amp.

Nice think I'll pick up a pair.

 

[Badas]

Nice think I'll pick up a pair.

Great. I was hoping you would find us and join the party.

Your work and findings have been valuable.

 

[whirlwind]

 

I don't mind the short base, not a fan of the coin base though.

I am thinking anything that is quiet, is going to sound very good. 

I've had a lot of problems with noisy tubes in my amp. Especially power tubes. So heartbreaking buying top power tubes to find they were noisy. I find that you really have to mix and match all tubes to get synergy.

One thing I have noticed is the 6BL7 made NU 6F8G and NU6C8G noisy. When I throw in a GE6AS7G they both go quiet. So synergy is important. I don't care about the NU's as I prefer the Tung-Sol version anyway and I have plenty f them.

6BL7 is a very quiet power tube tho.

This has been the only tube that I have had any trouble with, other than a few other tubes have some slight micro phonics, but nothing with any other kind of noise, hum or buzzing.
 
A lot of things start coming into play when using an adapter than houses three tubes....I have bought 10 tubes to find 6 quiet tubes that I feel are worthy.

 

[gibosi]

To me RCA was decent before the 60's. After that they just tried to cheapen everything. Shorter base, shorter bottles with the side getter and those horrid coin bases. Ya see it throughout their entire tube line. Really noticeable in their 6SN7 tubes. I avoid any of those tubes.

I noticed we get short base and coin base RCA 6BL7's also.

 
In general, I agree with you. Regardless of brand, I try not to purchase tubes manufactured after 1960....
 
As near as I can tell, RCA was late to the 6BL7. All I have been able to find are 6BL7GTA, but no 6BL7GT. So if I do decide to pick up some RCA, will look for the earliest 6BL7GTA I can find....

 

[Badas]

In general, I agree with you. Regardless of brand, I try not to purchase tubes manufactured after 1960....

As near as I can tell, RCA was late to the 6BL7. All I have been able to find are 6BL7GTA, but no 6BL7GT. So if I do decide to pick up some RCA, will look for the earliest 6BL7GTA I can find....

Hey it has been mentioned you have a fixed adapter? What is that. Can you throw up a pic?

 

[Badas]

Nice think I'll pick up a pair.

He seems to have plenty.

I bought 10 tubes (5 sets) and told him to hold 10 more for next month.

His English is not great so hopefully he will.

 

[3083joe]

Yeah. My quads just got real noisy so need new ones.

 

[gibosi]

Hey it has been mentioned you have a fixed adapter? What is that. Can you throw up a pic?

 
I currently use 2-1 adapters, which work well and sound great. However, as the biasing of a 6AS7 socket more closely matches the proper biasing for three paralleled 6BL7's, eventually, I intend to move to 3-1 adapters.
 

 

[attmci]

   
I currently use 2-1 adapters, which work well and sound great. However, as the biasing of a 6AS7 socket more closely matches the proper biasing for three paralleled 6BL7's, eventually, I intend to move to 3-1 adapters.
 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/191850787735?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
 
These are made for me. LOL

 

[TomNC]

   
I currently use 2-1 adapters, which work well and sound great. However, as the biasing of a 6AS7 socket more closely matches the proper biasing for three paralleled 6BL7's, eventually, I intend to move to 3-1 adapters.
 
 

I tried 2X6BL7 to replace 6as7g, the former's gain is still lower. I'll have to figure out first whether my made-in-China amp can support 3X6BL7 without external current supply. Soundwise, the 6BL7s have some unique merits though.

 

[attmci]

OK. I got a lot of bad 6bl7. All test good ones.
 
Read this:
 
http://www.ebay.com/gds/Why-Vacuum-Tubes-that-test-good-can-sometimes-be-BAD-/10000000003828897/g.html

 

[Badas]

OK. I got a lot of bad 6bl7. All test good ones.

Read this:

http://www.ebay.com/gds/Why-Vacuum-Tubes-that-test-good-can-sometimes-be-BAD-/10000000003828897/g.html

Yeah. That happens.

So far I've found 6BL7 to be very stable. A lot more so than 6080/6AS7g which can be a real mixed bag.

So far my 6BL7's have had very low noise levels for about 10 hours. After that with a few on and offs and cool down periods they have been dead quiet.

 

[whirlwind]

One thing that I have found out about my amp, is that If I am using what i consider very good power tubes, then all of my driver tubes sound better. 5998 is one of those tubes.
 
If I am using what I consider very good driver tubes, them all of my power tubes sound much better.
 
The 6BL7 definitely make every driver tube that i have put in my amp, sound great.
 
The C3g driver tubes, make every power tube sound great......maybe I am wrong, but that is what my ears and gear are telling me....maybe gibosi can chime in on his thoughts.
 
He owns probably 50 tubes to every one that I own

so he can probably tell much more than me.
 
Maybe I am full of it, because to be honest I could live with the sound of my amp with some of the cheapest tubes that I own....they still sound very good and I tip my hat to Glenn for this.
 
The amp has an over all warm tone, that I just adore and sounds great with all tubes, really, even the cheaper ones....it is much more transparent to tube rolling than my other tube amps.
 
All of that being said, I just adore the sound of these 6BL7 with the HD800....Glenn said it would sound really good and he was right.
 
The bass extends deep and the slam is to die for and it is not at all sloppy...very tight and controlled and I am currently using an old RCA 1633 smoked glass driver that sound exceptional in my book....I think i gave $7 delivered for it, off of e-bay.
 
I am definitely getting more of the 6BL7 tubes. I like them very much.   

 

 

[JazzVinyl]

I completely agree with what you say, Whirwind, and have had the very same expirences.

Especially, the thought that the 6BL7's makes all my driver tubes great. And your statements about deep, with slam, without being sloppy.

The Glenn amp benefits, the Elise benefits, wonder if we have any DV336se users who have tried 2x 6BL7's?


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