[Wes S]

Definitely my favorite tube at the moment. Neutral to slightly warm, very clean and detailed sound, good dynamics, superb imaging. It works extremely well with my Elex. I’ll spend some time listening with my Aeons this evening to see how they do.

What other tubes have you tried? That would be really cool, if a new production tube can hang with Sylvania Bad Boy, Brimar CV1988, and Westinghouse D getter. Have you tried any of those 3 tubes?

 

[RJ58]

Definitely my favorite tube at the moment. Neutral to slightly warm, very clean and detailed sound, good dynamics, superb imaging. It works extremely well with my Elex. I’ll spend some time listening with my Aeons this evening to see how they do.

Also curious what other tubes have you used (particularly wondering if you have heard the Psvane UK 6SN7)? I recently got an Elex, and am burning in a Psvane UK 6SN7 (which as of now I like more than both stock tubes) right now in my Lyr 3.

 

[attmci]

I honestly don't think I am that committed to the cause to get a tube tester. I will just buy from trusted stores going forward, real shame as I have never had a problem with eBay purchases until now. I guess it was inevitable at some point...

Lesson learned. The tube can be tested good when you receive it. You should use it extensively in the next few days to perform a stress study.

 

[441879]

What other tubes have you tried? That would be really cool, if a new production tube can hang with Sylvania Bad Boy, Brimar CV1988, and Westinghouse D getter. Have you tried any of those 3 tubes?

The two Schiit tubes, a 1950s Tung Sol, Sylvania 2 hole bad boy, and a couple forgettable GE tubes from the late 50s. Of the collection, the Bad boy is comparable to the Psvane with more slam and dynamics, excellent if not quite as good imaging, less clarity.

The Psvane has Impressive detail and clarity with my Elex- so far the only headphone I’ve tried the Psvane with. The Elex falls behind the Aeons on clarity but ahead on dynamics so I’m looking forward to some comparative exploration this evening. It may turn out with the Aeons the Bad boy’s more dynamic signature will win out.

I’ve been comparing on this track. Tidal has it as a master recording and well worth a listen if you like the Allman Bros.

https://tidal.com/track/79421831

 

[Wes S]

The two Schiit tubes, a 1950s Tung Sol, Sylvania 2 hole bad boy, and a couple forgettable RCAs from the late 50s. Of the collection, the Bad boy is comparable to the Psvane with more slam and dynamics, excellent if not quite as good imaging, less clarity.

The Psvane has Impressive detail and clarity with my Elex- so far the only headphone I’ve tried the Psvane with. The Elex falls behind the Aeons on clarity but ahead on dynamics so I’m looking forward to some comparative exploration this evening. It may turn out with the Aeons the Bad boy’s more dynamic signature will win out.

cool. Thanks for the info. Just to clarify, there is no 2 hole "Bad Boy".

 

[441879]

cool. Thanks for the info. Just to clarify, there is no 2 hole "Bad Boy".

Not everyone agrees. If you check out Jesse James’s site, he feels they sound identical to the 3 hole. I’ve never heard the three hole so I don’t personally know.

http://www.audiotubes.com/6sn7.htm

Here’s what I said about the tube when I originally got it, though after a few hundred hours I’d say the slam has increased from my original assessment.

My impressions of the Sylvania 1952 6SN7GT “Bad Boy” (Two hole version):

So I bought this tube from Brent Jesse at Audiotubes.com. Not exactly cheap, but it has a reputation for clarity which is probably why I bought it. I say “probably” because I’m not sure I bought it for the right reasons. The staging is phenomenal. Add clear and nicely sweet treble, solid, textured mids, and very articulate upper bass and you have a fantastic tube. When coupled with a decently resolving pair of phones, a good recording can sweep you away into a beautiful, hyper real world, There’s a catch though: recording problems show up loud and clear. I’m not talking about subtle errors like compressed dynamic range or AD conversion errors. I’m talking things like crappy miking, poor room acoustics, etc. it doesn’t happen on most of my music, but it happens quite a bit more often than I would expect having heard the songs multiple times and never been bothered.

I guess I’m now beginning to understand why clarity may not always be a plus. Not say I don’t love this tube- It’s a truly great tube. It’s just that if you have a very detailed, resolving amp hooked up to a pair of very detailed resolving headphones, a very detailed resolving tube might occasionally be too much of a good thing. Anyway, specific headphone comments:

Aeon Flow Closed (AFC): This headphone, despite being closed, shows the Bad Boy’s strengths. Specifically, the sound is neutral, clean, detailed, and balanced. There’s plenty of sparkle but no harshness and doesn’t feel bright. The super detailed slightly forward mids are nicely complemented by a wide and deep soundstage that does well with live recordings, giving them great realism. The upper bass is tight, but polite. A great combo for well recorded live music. Impact and slam are good but not noteworthy. Personally I like a little more tube sound with this headphone, but with a good recording, this is nirvana.

Hifiman HE-400i: The open nature of these phones work very well with the Bad Boy. Instrument and musician placement is solidly nailed down. The sound profile for the Hifiman isn’t as real sounding as the AFC’s,but clarity is as good as I’ve ever heard these cans sound. Not as clear as the AFC’s but in this case that might actually not be so bad as they seem more tolerant of bad recordings, have a better soundstage, and more present bass with a little more slam.

In summary: the 1952 Sylvania 6SN7 GT is a fantastic tube if you want tons of clarity, balance, soundstage, and detail. It’s not very tubey though so look elsewhere for warm and gooey.

 

[attmci]

Not everyone agrees. If you check out Jesse James’s site, he feels they sound identical to the 3 hole. I’ve never heard the three hole so I don’t personally know.

http://www.audiotubes.com/6sn7.htm

Here’s what I said about the tube when I originally got it, though after a few hundred hours I’d say the slam has increased from my original assessment.

My impressions of the Sylvania 1952 6SN7GT “Bad Boy” (Two hole version):

So I bought this tube from Brent Jesse at Audiotubes.com. Not exactly cheap, but it has a reputation for clarity which is probably why I bought it. I say “probably” because I’m not sure I bought it for the right reasons. The staging is phenomenal. Add clear and nicely sweet treble, solid, textured mids, and very articulate upper bass and you have a fantastic tube. When coupled with a decently resolving pair of phones, a good recording can sweep you away into a beautiful, hyper real world, There’s a catch though: recording problems show up loud and clear. I’m not talking about subtle errors like compressed dynamic range or AD conversion errors. I’m talking things like crappy miking, poor room acoustics, etc. it doesn’t happen on most of my music, but it happens quite a bit more often than I would expect having heard the songs multiple times and never been bothered.

I guess I’m now beginning to understand why clarity may not always be a plus. Not say I don’t love this tube- It’s a truly great tube. It’s just that if you have a very detailed, resolving amp hooked up to a pair of very detailed resolving headphones, a very detailed resolving tube might occasionally be too much of a good thing. Anyway, specific headphone comments:

Aeon Flow Closed (AFC): This headphone, despite being closed, shows the Bad Boy’s strengths. Specifically, the sound is neutral, clean, detailed, and balanced. There’s plenty of sparkle but no harshness and doesn’t feel bright. The super detailed slightly forward mids are nicely complemented by a wide and deep soundstage that does well with live recordings, giving them great realism. The upper bass is tight, but polite. A great combo for well recorded live music. Impact and slam are good but not noteworthy. Personally I like a little more tube sound with this headphone, but with a good recording, this is nirvana.

Hifiman HE-400i: The open nature of these phones work very well with the Bad Boy. Instrument and musician placement is solidly nailed down. The sound profile for the Hifiman isn’t as real sounding as the AFC’s,but clarity is as good as I’ve ever heard these cans sound. Not as clear as the AFC’s but in this case that might actually not be so bad as they seem more tolerant of bad recordings, have a better soundstage, and more present bass with a little more slam.

In summary: the 1952 Sylvania 6SN7 GT is a fantastic tube if you want tons of clarity, balance, soundstage, and detail. It’s not very tubey though so look elsewhere for warm and gooey.

If Brent think the 2-hole is identical to 3-hole, could you ask him to replace yours with 3-hole BB?

Thanks for your efforts.

 

[tafens]

New tube arrived today. Just plugged it in. With no hours on it it’s a little bright on top, which probably means it’s making some high frequency distortion. Experience with other tubes suggests it will smooth out in 20-50 hrs

-Took a lot less than 20 hours. This tube is amazing! Very holographic imaging. Crystal clear

I’ve had my eyes on that one for a while.. how does it sound as compared to the stock Tung-Sol?

 

[441879]

If Brent think the 2-hole is identical to 3-hole, could you ask him to replace yours with 3-hole BB?

Thanks for your efforts.

I don’t think he would- the 3 hole is more in demand and priced accordingly . That’s pretty much why I posted my impressions. If it doesn’t match your experience with the 3 hole, then there may be a difference (though my impressions are subjective).

 

[441879]

I’ve had my eyes on that one for a while.. how does it sound as compared to the stock Tung-Sol?

Good question- It’s the weekend almost so I’ll spend some time comparing tonight and give you my opinion either Saturday or Sunday.

 

[attmci]

I don’t think he would- the 3 hole is more in demand and priced accordingly . That’s pretty much why I posted my impressions. If it doesn’t match your experience with the 3 hole, then there may be a difference (though my impressions are subjective).

"2-hole BB" is good, "3-hole" is better for sure. I have both.

 

[441879]

This is a comparison of the Psvane CV181-TII


and the Russian made Tung Sol Schiit provides as an option with the Lyr 3.




It’s not exactly a fair competition since the Psvane is 4x more expensive and is a total premium product compared to the much more mainstream Tung Sol. Nevertheless, the Tung Sol is a great tube for the money. Here’s what I said about the Tung Sol last year:


The highs are clean and smooth. Great detail and resolution. Lows are meaty like a Prime steak. Upper bass is like a warm soft blanket on a cold night. Not as neutral sounding as the Russian NOS. More tubey with a very polished and smooth character. Basically a great big euphonic sound. Makes both my 400i and AFC sound gorgeous. I suspect it makes any headphone sound great as long as it can handle the upper bass without bloat. Holographic soundstage makes you feel like you’re standing in the audience. Dynamics are energetic but not overpowering on my phones.


Not too bad eh? Anyway, I’ll be comparing these two tubes with two headphones: My trusty Mr Speakers Aeon Flow Closed Phones (AFC) and my Focal Elex (Elex).


For those that haven’t heard AFCs, they are a great match to the Lyr. Being power hungry, they require a strong amp to sound their best, but when you give them what they want they reward you with deep, rich bass, amazing detail, and a sweet, mostly neutral sound.


The Elex doesn’t need the power of the Lyr but it certainly doesn’t hurt. I put fenestrated sheepskin pads on, which ups the slam and reduces fatigue. I love this headphone because of its dynamic sound and excellent imaging. It’s fairly neutral but a little mid forward (in my experience). It’s not as detailed as the Aeons but the realism is higher. The Aeons are a little like taking a microscope to your music. These bring you into the studio or concert and are awesome for live recordings.


Psvane with the Elex:

Great clarity. The upper mids and treble are crisp without sounding distorted or fuzzy. Overall very smooth and detailed. The bass is tight with no bloat or distortion. Slam and dynamics are great, but that’s pretty much to be expected with the Elex. Imaging is holographic- it’s easy to imagine you’re sitting in the audience. Upper mids sound a little forward.


Tung-Sol with the Elex:

The Tung Sol is actually a great sounding tube and with this headphone, it gives up less than one would expect based on the price difference. It’s a little more dynamic and a little looser sounding in upper bass, a little harsher sounding in the lower treble and the upper treble is a little fuzzy with less sparkle and it’s slightly fatiguing. That said, the differences are small. If I only had this tube and the Elex I would be quite happy with the combination.


The Psvane with the AFC:

First off, the Psvane works exceptionally well with the Aeons. Detail & clarity is as good as I’ve ever heard. Treble is outstanding- The Aeons have a sweet airy treble which combines well with the low fatigue and smooth yet detailed Psvane. The Aeons are slightly recessed in the mids which the Psvane balances nicely by being a little mid forward. The great imaging of the Psvane enhances Aeon soundstage nicely. Overall the combination sounds like I spent $1000 more for the headphones than I did.


Tung Sol with the AFC:

The Tung Sol is dynamic and sounds great thanks to the Aeons taking away the little bit of fatigue I felt with the Elex. However, The Tung Sol isn’t able to capitalize on the Aeons ability to deliver detail, the upper bass is not quite as tight. The treble is drier, the middle is softer, and the sound is muddier. It doesn’t elevate the Aeons like the Psvane.


Overall:

The Psvane definitely beats the Tung Sol, but it requires a pretty detailed set of headphones to really appreciate how much more it can deliver. Dynamics aren’t it’s specialty, but it delivers them solid and clean and without distortion or bloat. Imaging is definitely a strength. None of my headphones are on the level of An HD 800 so I don’t know how far the Imaging can go, but at least with the Elex (the better imaging of the two phones) It’s superb. Easily the best I’ve heard.

 

[441879]

"2-hole BB" is good, "3-hole" is better for sure. I have both.

The last thing I need is another tube so I won’t ask what the differences are. Some things I’m better off not knowing.

 

[attmci]

The last thing I need is another tube so I won’t ask what the differences are. Some things I’m better off not knowing.

This could be a rebranded BB if you wanna to give it a try.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Crosley-br...047835?hash=item3d857514db:g:v6sAAOSwAvNcetiO

 

[ilikepooters]

The last thing I need is another tube so I won’t ask what the differences are. Some things I’m better off not knowing.

I'm in the same boat, think i've finished tube rolling for now, at least that's what my wallet is telling me