[Tuneslover]

Yes they do. An outstanding new production tube you should try is the Electro-Harmonix 12BH7. You can even get the gold pin version for under $30 new.

I might just have to add the 12BH7 to my cart. Thanks for the quick feedback.

 

[bequietjk]

@Tuneslover
I cannot speak for the Ember but only for the Horizon III.

6SN7 sounds round, balanced and fuzzy warm. This is the RCA 6SN7 that Jeremy supplied when i ordered the adapter + 6SN7 tube. My only gripe with it is that it tends to get a little boring to listen to IMO. Then again my listening sessions go for hours...

The EH 12BH7 of mine is still burning in but it is a very exciting tube. Maybe a little bright for my tastes but we'll see how it flowers in the long run burn-in.
For the 6N6P, the one I got from Garage1217 seems great. I haven't put too much time into it.

@Luckbad Been following you for a bit and thank you for the LPS recommendation. The step from SMPS to a LPS was massive for my Project Horizon. Now I want to build my own R core for it, being that 48V is very hard to find pre-built. Also curious to know how Atomicbob's noise nuke sounds! Very curious.

As of right now I'm really enjoying my GE 6189 12AU7. I think it was like $14? I don't know what it is but this is a really enjoyable one for me. It seems very well balanced and neutral across the board with a find level of detail. Intimate soundstage and tight midrange. Not too extensive on the low bass but hey I can't expect too much from my HD600s. I'd recommend this tube.

 

[bequietjk]

So.... I love the clear top rca 12au7 that comes with the Horizon. Pretty much top of my tier list for the tubes that I have handy. My personal favorite. It just sings to all audio thrown at it whether it be dance music, acoustic from Michael Hedges, fps gaming...

As for the 12BH7 by EH I feel that it's on par with the clear top but with a different flavor, where it is smoother all around. Just I don't feel it has the excitement of the clear top.

I have a couple tubes coming in
-NOS 1956 Sylvania Philco 12BH7A
-Mullard 12AX7/ECC83

MOST excited for the Mullard. Jeremy at G1217 said he preferred Mullard tubes so I think I'm gonna take my dive into their stock. At some point I'd like to try the NOS line of Mullards but my wallet will do with current productions.

Can't wait!

 

[bequietjk]

Welp. This Philco sounds amazing.
-VERY tight, controlled and mid-centric.
-Unoffensive, crisp highs.
-Clear vocals.

Synergy with the PHIII and HD600s for sure, in my humble opinion. This is the first I've heard my 600s sound like loudspeakers!

 

[wushuliu]

Bought EH 12bh7 for my Sunrise and I love it. Perfect match for my 6XX. It trades off some the tubey roundness of my NOS stock (GE, Sylvania, Tung Sol) for lower noise and better linearity. It's clearer mids and high frequencies are balanced out by the 6XX. Makes electric guitar nice and crunchy, drums have improved attack and dynamics. Great for listening to rock (which is mostly what I listen to anyway). I love that I can swap tubes and have a completely different sounding amp.

 

[tubebuyer2020]

Anyone tried variable gain tubes like ECC189 / PCC189?

 

[Vonx]

So.... I love the clear top rca 12au7 that comes with the Horizon. Pretty much top of my tier list for the tubes that I have handy. My personal favorite. It just sings to all audio thrown at it whether it be dance music, acoustic from Michael Hedges, fps gaming...

As for the 12BH7 by EH I feel that it's on par with the clear top but with a different flavor, where it is smoother all around. Just I don't feel it has the excitement of the clear top.

I have a couple tubes coming in
-NOS 1956 Sylvania Philco 12BH7A
-Mullard 12AX7/ECC83

MOST excited for the Mullard. Jeremy at G1217 said he preferred Mullard tubes so I think I'm gonna take my dive into their stock. At some point I'd like to try the NOS line of Mullards but my wallet will do with current productions.

Can't wait!

I've come to a similar conclusion about the rca clear top 12au7. It's just a great all-rounder, and my favorite overall midrange of all of my tubes (although Baldwin rebranded Matsushita comes close). My conclusions by tube:

RCA Clear top 12au7: This was included with my Sunrise 3, and now I understand why. It is n profiled, with the most mid-bass and lower mids of all of my tubes. Gorgeous and realistic midrange, all the way through. Lacks a little extension in the deepest bass and highest treble, but definitely not the worst in those areas either. My favorite tube for both HD800SDR and AD700x, as they both benefit from the thicker lower midrange and upper bass thickness.

EH 12BH7: Excellent extended top end, but a little lean in the lower mids and bass. Decent midrange but not super special there. It's an upward titled profile. I thought it would be my favorite tube with HD6xx, but it wasn't, see below.

Baldwin rebranded Matsushita 12au7: I'd characterize this as neutral-warm and clean with some of the best extension of the whole lot. Subbass is the best of the lot, with a clean but somewhat subdued midbass (perfect for offsetting hd6xx thickness), followed by an excellent midrange and decent top end. This is my favorite tube for the HD6XX, as it compliments it perfectly.

I tried a few 6 volt tubes, some of them expensive (amperex 7308), and some wouldn't bias at all (6N1P-EV). While they were fine, I think 12 volt tubes just sound better in this amp.

Additional notes from ownership: High gain sounds significantly better on this amp in virtually every scenario, even if it doesn't give you a lot of pot room. Also, 1 ohm output impedance is also significantly better to my tastes for all of my headphones including hd800, and ONLY the hd6xx sounds better in 32 ohm than 1 ohm. 69 ohm is too mushy and relaxed for anything IMO.

I love this amp to death despite owning many more expensive ones, both tube and SS. It still has my favorite midrange with the right tubes, OI, and headphones. The adjustability and gain/impedance/rolling potential make it work great with basically everything. No idea why it doesn't get more attention when it trumps all the sound/dollar ratio darlings of the price range IMO.