[DefQon]

I'm talking the 6H8C. That say's its a 6N8S?

 

[ozaudios]

  I'm talking the 6H8C. That say's its a 6N8S?

The translation of 6N8S from Russian to English is 6H8C.
The Russian N is an English H
The Russian C is an English S

 

[DefQon]

  The translation of 6N8S from Russian to English is 6H8C.
The Russian N is an English H
The Russian C is an English S

What a disgrace I'm half Russian and I completely forgot about that. I meant the 6H8C tubes I have are cheap Russian's. Don't know about the Melz.

 

[baronbeehive]

  Those MELZ tubes with holes in the plates were made for the USSR Military- never sold to the public -used for nuclear power plant control systems, and used on the Russian Space Station, and used for guidance systems on missiles. They are considered to be the highest quality tube ever made in the USSR, they were expensive to build, and were only used for special military purposes.
 
They sell for about $175 for a pair. Often called a 1578 MELZ.

 
Probably so called because they are in danger of MELZ-down.....

 

[ozaudios]

   
Probably so called because they are in danger of MELZ-down.....

Moscow Electro-Lamp Plant          http://www.melz-evp.ru/about.html  
 
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Moscow,_Elektrozavodskaya_Street_MELZ.jpg

 

[baronbeehive]

ln repIy to ozaudios, Skylab comments about 6AS7G's, he says that the 6080 performs identically to the 6AS7g but that makes such as Sylvania and Raytheon don't add anything over and above the RCA's: http://www.audioasylum.com/audio/tubes/messages/22/220349.html
 
I was going to try the Raytheon's before getting the Bendixes but since these fulfill my requirements nicely I won't bother now. I've tried the 6SN7GT's and VT231's though, identical sounding and identical construction incidently, and in general Raytheons are clear, quite warm and punchy sounding, but so are the Bendixes, and I'm not letting 'em go now that I've got them........ unless that is, someone has some western electric that are going cheap. I'm not holding my breath and if anyone sees pigs flying let me know.

 

[ozaudios]

I have found some good information regarding 6AS7G tubes at    http://www.bottlehead.com/smf/index.php?topic=3453.0
 
But they do not mention the USA made GE 6AS7GA, a short glass tube similar in size to the 6080 but with a very different structure to any other 6AS7G or 6080 tube that I have ever seen.
 
Although the article quoted by Baronbeehive mentions that "The JAN (Joint Army Navy) versions were supposedly somehow selected specially (tighter tolerances, etc), but there are no construction differences with the non-military versions." I have found JAN versions of the Sylvania 6080 are of a different construction to the Sylvania 6080 Gold Brand. I am not sure how this different structure affects the sound, but I doubt that tubes that are designed and made to different specifications could sound the same.
 
The quoted article also states that "The primary construction differences in a 6AS7G are that some are made with a top halo getter (and the resulting chrome top flashing appearance) and some with bottom-mounted D getters" but I have noticed that the USA made GE 6AS7GA structure is nothing like the UK made GEC 6AS7G tube structure.
.
 

 
This tube has a "H" shaped plate structure, and the UK version has 2 flat plates on either side of the tube.
 
The article quoted also states that "The 6080 is identical in performance to the 6AS7G"..... and I do not agree with this comment!
I have various brands of 6080 tubes and each brand has slightly different sonic qualities (and various structures not at all like the 6AS7G structure), and some of my 6AS7G tubes have sound differences to the 6080 tubes (focusing on different frequencies and having differing sound stage and instrument separation qualities. I do not believe that tubes with different structures and made from different materials could sound identical.
 
Although I must admit that tubes are like wine, some people like what other people don't like, and 2 tubes from the one batch can sound very different, like 2 bottles of wine from the one vintage that have been stored in different places can taste different.
 
The common opinion is that the Western Electric 421A is the best, and I am not arguing with this opinion, I am just trying to find other people who have opinions about how some of the 6080 and 6AS7G (and GA) and the 6N13S and 6N5S tubes sound in the Little Dot MK VI+, and how they are affected by differing driver tubes........like do the Western Electric 421A tubes sound different when used with various driver tubes? And how is the sound of the 6080 tubes changed by pairing them with different driver tubes?

 

[DefQon]

I remember Skylab reporting that the WE 421A is the same as the TS 5998? But you pay a premium for the 421A because it's WE.
 
My memory is vague here so correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Nic Rhodes]

The 6AS7GTA would be low on my wants list of tubes....loads of great 6AS7GT, 6080, 5998s etc are all well above

 

[ozaudios]

  The 6AS7GTA would be low on my wants list of tubes....loads of great 6AS7GT, 6080, 5998s etc are all well above

Have you tried the 6AS7GA tube? I have tried many 6080 tubes, and this 6AS7GA sounds surprisingly good, but that might just be the MELZ driver tube it is coupled with.

 

[ozaudios]

Quote from " http://www.watfordvalves.com/product_detail.asp?id=158 "
 

General Electric / 6AS7GA-GENERAL ELECTRIC

 

6AS7GA is a full military specification military valve that is selected for long life under extreme operating conditions.
This is a superb audio performer hence this valve is used in some very expensive high end audio applications due to the valves deep solid bass and clean midrange.
The valve produces a large sound stage with a tight punch sound which many customers have preferred over the Russian 6AS7G.
The valve is straight sided and internally supported to reduce vibration and comes in the original government box

 

[DefQon]

It has big bass.

 

[Nic Rhodes]

  Have you tried the 6AS7GA tube? I have tried many 6080 tubes, and this 6AS7GA sounds surprisingly good, but that might just be the MELZ driver tube it is coupled with.

 yes, not one of my favourites, my gut hunch is it is a modified variant of another tube to make it have similar characteristics. Not one for me shame due to the price....

 

[ozaudios]

With the recent tube rolling I have noticed some differences in sound quality, mostly with sound-stage. The Svetlana 6N5S has the biggest sound-stage of any tube I have tried. But overall the amplifier has had amazing high frequency detail, I think it might be called transparency. The detail of the music has been so clear and crisp (especially in the very high frequency range) that it reminds me of a sheet of clear glass or crystal. I found that Disco Music and Synthesiser sounded just amazing. 
 
Yesterday I put 4 new Sylvania Gold Brand 6080 tubes into the Little Dot MK VI+, and there was a dramatic change in the sound signature. The bass increased and the high frequency crystal clear detail reduced, and electric guitars just came to life. The amp turned into a Rock machine. Queen and Deep Purple and Jimi Hendrix have never sounded so good. I can still hear the symbols crashing but at a reduced volume. The screaming guitars came to life, like a spotlight is shining on the guitar players. Disco still sounds very good, and synthesisers  still sound great, but these tubes are just made for electric guitar and Rock. I did listen to some Classical music and the stringed instruments in the low frequency range sounded great (what are those over-sized violins that stand upright called? They sounded just wonderful, like they were right beside me!) 
 
Unlike the other Sylvania J.A.N. tubes that I have tried these Gold Brand have some differences in the plate construction. The other Sylvania and the RCA 6080's have 4 plates side by side at even intervals, like a bank of 4 plates. The Gold Brand have 4 plates arranged in 2 banks of 2. So 2 plates on one side with a heater between them, and 2 plates on the other side with a heater between them. This is the only visual difference I have noticed, so I presume it is why the Gold Brand tubes sound so very different. These tubes are not for everyone, some people would hate them, but for Rock and Roll lovers and screaming guitar addicts these are the tubes to have in the Little Dot MK VI+

 

[baronbeehive]

  .......
 
Yesterday I put 4 new Sylvania Gold Brand 6080 tubes into the Little Dot MK VI+, and there was a dramatic change in the sound signature. The bass increased and the high frequency crystal clear detail reduced, and electric guitars just came to life. The amp turned into a Rock machine. Queen and Deep Purple and Jimi Hendrix have never sounded so good. I can still hear the symbols crashing but at a reduced volume. The screaming guitars came to life, like a spotlight is shining on the guitar players. Disco still sounds very good, and synthesisers  still sound great, but these tubes are just made for electric guitar and Rock. I did listen to some Classical music and the stringed instruments in the low frequency range sounded great (what are those over-sized violins that stand upright called? They sounded just wonderful, like they were right beside me!)
 
.......

 
Those oversized violins are called cellos

. Thanks for your interesting observations on the Sylvanias. I wondered what they sounded like because they were number one on my "to get" list, (which was growing by the minute). The arrival of the Bendixes has rendered them obsolete though now. They are supposed to be more musical sounding after the Melz's I assume you had in before which I believe are high frequency detail monsters. You are right when you mention the LD's sound signature especially the high frequencies as I keep saying my headphone setup outperforms my speaker set up ATM, except possibly in the bass department, and I am having to investigate this with my speaker amp to see how I can improve things. Keep us informed of your observations and if you have any favourites.