[HOWIE13]

  Well the 76's arrived and they sound good! Bass is really taut, sound stage is wide, good balance of warmth and smoothness on the top end... they do how ever Clip something NASTY with any really low synth Sub Bass.
 
I did notice they stayed REALLY really cool while in my starlight, so I might let them burn in a little over night. See if that helps any 
 

 
I'm wondering how the Ember might differ, given it's a little more powerful than my lil starlight 

Just realised these are the successors of the 6P5. The Zenith  6P5 is excellent in Ember, almost the same as the Visseaux. Not noticed any problems in sub-bass, even in very low pitch church organ music.

 

[jaywillin]

i would think the extra power of the ember helps tighten up the bass as compared to the starlight

 

[mandrake50]

I have a question for you folks that have been using the Visseax 6J5G tubes. I picked up a pair a while back. Was going to use them in my Sunrise III, but had some adapter issues. I screwed ups the Sunrise. Sent it to Jeremy for some TLC and ordered an Ember at the same time. I just got the adapter to plug directly into the 12xx7 socket and to two 6J5 sockets. With the EMber, no sweat, it all works. They do seem to have more breadth to the sound field, but overall softer than the 6SN7 KenRad that I had in there. I need to listen some more.
 
Anyway, the seller advertised:
Condition: LOOKS LIKE NEW / UNUSED / NOS / NIB, COMES IN ORIGINAL VISSEAUX BOXES
Cosmetical: PERFECT
Physical: PERFECT
Transconductance Testings %: 92 ● 92 (Minimum Good is 65 on B&K 747B)
Shorts//Gas//Leakage//Grid Emission: NONE
Getter Type: LARGE FOIL D GETTER ON BOTTOM
Plates Type: SMOOTH & BLACK (Matte), 24mm, COPPER SUPPORTS, SILVER GRIDS, ENGRAVED BASES 
Various: EXCELLENT FRENCH MADE 6J5G TUBES BY VISSEAUX DURING THE 50's 
Here is his picture:

 
I don't find any identifying codes on the tubes. I did notice that the top of the plate structure on one tube is lower by quite a bit and somewhat cocked. On one tube, call it "A" there are mica "wings on both sides of the top of the plate structure (right side in the photo). The one that has the top of the plate structure at a slight angle, only has the mica piece on one side of that structure. This can be seen in the photo above.
 
Hmmm also the heater support area at the top of the plates in the center glows brighter on tube A, and on tube B it extends a few mm further below the structure. It seems strange that this would asymmetry would  be attributable to production tolerances... but I am no tube expert.
 
I only looked this closely because I initially thought that there could be a slight channel imbalance. After warm up, and A/B with my H10, I was likely imagining things.
 
Anyway, what do you folks that have  the Visseaux tubes think about the differences. Is it anything that matches your experience. Anything that I should be concerned with? I know, the proof is in the listening... which I will do more of, but I am an engineer. This structural difference is making me wonder if I should try to return these tubes. They cost about $85 for the pair, For me that is a bunch for a set of tubes.

 

[DecentLevi]

Well from the description and photos, those Visseaux seem to be in excellent condition. I take it you're ordering a backup pair? Especially if it's from eBay seller Yitry, his service is quite top notch

 

[mandrake50]

  Well from the description and photos, those Visseaux seem to be in excellent condition. I take it you're ordering a backup pair? Especially if it's from eBay seller Yitry, his service is quite top notch

This is my first pair... they are in the Ember as we write. Sold by bestubes
 
BTW, do thes have less gain than a typical SN7 or 12AU7 ?? Seems that I need to crank the volume open considerably more.
 
Oh, and  wonder if you read my entire post... I kind of did it in sections...??

 

[nwavesailor]

See next post

 

[nwavesailor]

I have 2 pairs of the Visseaux 6J5G from the same seller in France, Bestubes. I have bought hundreds of tubes in the past 15 years and my experience with these tubes and this seller has been nothing short of outstanding. NIB / NOS and tested on my 2 testers to be an exact match plate to plate on both pairs.
 
These were made in the 1950's and the size of the glass bottles do vary as do where the internal structure line up relative to the size. Slight tilt, not an issue. One of your heater wires is likely a hair more exposed and appears brighter, not an issue.
 
The only thing I found in one pair of these tubes was a larger than average pin diameter that made inserting into the adapter a bit snug, again not a concern or deal breaker for me.
 
These tubes are so freaking great sounding that my jaw still drops EVERY single time I listen!!!
 
I have no affiliation with Bestubes, just a very happy customer.

 

[mandrake50]

Thanks for the reassurances. I too have one tube that is very tight in the socket.. compared to the other one anyway. I thought I was going to break the adapter getting it inserted the first time...
THX again.
They do sound good!

 

[nwavesailor]

  Thanks for the reassurances. I too have one tube that is very tight in the socket.. compared to the other one anyway. I thought I was going to break the adapter getting it inserted the first time...
THX again.
They do sound good!

I, unlike yourself, am NOT an engineer! I did, however, take a Dremel tool with a sanding implement and very carefully removed a little excess material off the larger diameter pins.

 

[Astral Abyss]

 
This is my first pair... they are in the Ember as we write. Sold by bestubes
 
BTW, do thes have less gain than a typical SN7 or 12AU7 ?? Seems that I need to crank the volume open considerably more.
 
Oh, and  wonder if you read my entire post... I kind of did it in sections...??

 
I bought a pair of tubes from that seller also.  One of mine is also slightly shorter than the other and the heaters glow a bit brighter and stick out further.  One tube also has slightly off-angle internals.  Doesn't matter though.  I can detect no audible difference between them and they sound wonderful.
 
As far as the tube you have with only one mica piece, is it possible the other side broke off and is laying in the bottom?

 

[mandrake50]

   
I bought a pair of tubes from that seller also.  One of mine is also slightly shorter than the other and the heaters glow a bit brighter and stick out further.  One tube also has slightly off-angle internals.  Doesn't matter though.  I can detect no audible difference between them and they sound wonderful.
 
As far as the tube you have with only one mica piece, is it possible the other side broke off and is laying in the bottom?

That piece may be in there. I turned it upside down and shook it... nothing fell out of the bottom. It is hard to see the bottom part of the tube because of the flashing from the getter.
I thought about that because of one of the other members here saying he had a piece of something (possibly mica) loose in his tube.
Good to read that what I am seeing is not unique to my set. THX !

 

[HOWIE13]

 
That piece may be in there. I turned it upside down and shook it... nothing fell out of the bottom. It is hard to see the bottom part of the tube because of the flashing from the getter.
I thought about that because of one of the other members here saying he had a piece of something (possibly mica) loose in his tube.
Good to read that what I am seeing is not unique to my set. THX !

I have one with a rattle. Can't see anything moving around and it works perfectly. With any tube type heater elements can appear to vary in intensity, often depending on how exposed they are. That doesn't affect the sound though.
Those tubes of yours look very good. Like fine hand-painted pottery they can all have slight differences but all my exhaustive testing, and even with the wife abusing them as she knocks them around cleaning the table, has not revealed any differences in sound. They are a bit quieter than single dual triodes, most of my 12AU7's and 6SN7'S have a mu of around 20, and 6J5's around 17 on my tester. The adapter may take off a decibel or so too.
If you are used to a Ken-Rad 6SN7,VT231 with the dark glass top, the 6J5 sound is fuller in the mids and uppers. I love the bass of that K-R but find the rest of their sound sometimes a bit on the thin side.
6J5 coke bottle Visseaux are getting very scarce. On eBAY they are $70-90 per tube just now. ENJOY!! 

 

 

[Astral Abyss]

  I have one with a rattle. Can't see anything moving around and it works perfectly. With any tube type heater elements can appear to vary in intensity, often depending on how exposed they are. That doesn't affect the sound though.
Those tubes of yours look very good. Like fine hand-painted pottery they can all have slight differences but all my exhaustive testing, and even with the wife abusing them as she knocks them around cleaning the table, has not revealed any differences in sound. They are a bit quieter than single dual triodes, most of my 12AU7's and 6SN7'S have a mu of around 20, and 6J5's around 17 on my tester. The adapter may take off a decibel or so too.
If you are used to a Ken-Rad 6SN7,VT231 with the dark glass top, the 6J5 sound is fuller in the mids and uppers. I love the bass of that K-R but find the rest of their sound sometimes a bit on the thin side.
6J5 coke bottle Visseaux are getting very scarce. On eBAY they are $70-90 per tube just now. ENJOY!! 

 

 
I believe that's just a stock photo the seller used for his multiple pairs of tubes.  When I bought from him it was the same photo and my tubes don't look like those.

 

[Makiah S]

i would think the extra power of the ember helps tighten up the bass as compared to the starlight

yea I might adjust the output resistance on my starlight n see If I can't get better results. That or just sell it with a bunch of tubes n buy the ember ii

the store also offered me an equal ish exchange, so I'm not sure yet what i'll do

 

[jaywillin]

yea I might adjust the output resistance on my starlight n see If I can't get better results. That or just sell it with a bunch of tubes n buy the ember ii

the store also offered me an equal ish exchange, so I'm not sure yet what i'll do

i have the sunrise iii, it has a little power, and cost a little less, it runs in class a too, 
i'm very pleased with it