[shwnwllms]

I bought several pairs of 6P5G when I first starting using 6J5's in a Garage 1217 amp! They were good and inexpensive but nothing terribly exciting, IMO.

Some of them certainly look very cool though

 

[Designsfx]

Has anyone paired the 6P5 with other tubes to produce an “exciting” outcome?

 

[jonathan c]

Has anyone paired the 6P5 with other tubes to produce an “exciting” outcome?

.... such as this?

 

[LobalWarming]

Thanks, I was just reading up on them. I had my eye on a pair or two but the consensus on this thread seems to be the 6J5/6C5 are mainly preferred over 6P5. I can’t help but wonder if it’s due to the lower amp factor μ 13.8 (equivalent to 76) versus 6J5/6C5 μ 20 (equivalent to 6SN7)

Oh yes, the wonderful tyranny of majority preferences... because everyone hears the same.

For me, the point of tube rolling is to experience the differences among tubes in my amps - I'll be the judge of whether I enjoy a specific tube type. I can enjoy a pair of Sylvi or RCA 6P5s as much as GEC L63s dependent on mood, music and focus. There are really no bad tubes in the octal twin family - unlike the ECG 5814 family of sonic crime.

For my tastes, often a good pair of 6P5G/GTs are a more enjoyable, nuanced presentation than any of the dozens of 6C5s in my stash. I enjoy 6P5G/GT for their own merits. The 76 was one of the most linear driver tubes ever designed and I can hear that legacy in the 6P5. The lower amp factor is non-issue in my experience. The 6C5 while exciting to many, was a cost-down exercise to move some nasty pentode inventory as pretend triodes.

As with all things tube rolling, you need to hear 6P5s for yourself. All the exciting words/opinions of others on head-fi is the starting point, not the destination nor the journey.

As @bcowen states: "We must collect them all!" - Or maybe he just meant early 50s Foton 6N8Ss and his task is complete.

 

[David A Silva]

.... such as this?

Yikes

 

[shwnwllms]

Oh yes, the wonderful tyranny of majority preferences... because everyone hears the same.

For me, the point of tube rolling is to experience the differences among tubes in my amps - I'll be the judge of whether I enjoy a specific tube type. I can enjoy a pair of Sylvi or RCA 6P5s as much as GEC L63s dependent on mood, music and focus. There are really no bad tubes in the octal twin family - unlike the ECG 5814 family of sonic crime.

For my tastes, often a good pair of 6P5G/GTs are a more enjoyable, nuanced presentation than any of the dozens of 6C5s in my stash. I enjoy 6P5G/GT for their own merits. The 76 was one of the most linear driver tubes ever designed and I can hear that legacy in the 6P5. The lower amp factor is non-issue in my experience. The 6C5 while exciting to many, was a cost-down exercise to move some nasty pentode inventory as pretend triodes.

As with all things tube rolling, you need to hear 6P5s for yourself. All the exciting words/opinions of others on head-fi is the starting point, not the destination nor the journey.

As @bcowen states: "We must collect them all!" - Or maybe he just meant early 50s Foton 6N8Ss and his task is complete.

All excellent points, I’m just trying to determine if it’s worth it to go down this rabbit hole (and where exactly to start) when I’m pretty happy with my stash of 6J5/6C5 at the moment

 

[mordy]

Oh yes, the wonderful tyranny of majority preferences... because everyone hears the same.

For me, the point of tube rolling is to experience the differences among tubes in my amps - I'll be the judge of whether I enjoy a specific tube type. I can enjoy a pair of Sylvi or RCA 6P5s as much as GEC L63s dependent on mood, music and focus. There are really no bad tubes in the octal twin family - unlike the ECG 5814 family of sonic crime.

For my tastes, often a good pair of 6P5G/GTs are a more enjoyable, nuanced presentation than any of the dozens of 6C5s in my stash. I enjoy 6P5G/GT for their own merits. The 76 was one of the most linear driver tubes ever designed and I can hear that legacy in the 6P5. The lower amp factor is non-issue in my experience. The 6C5 while exciting to many, was a cost-down exercise to move some nasty pentode inventory as pretend triodes.

As with all things tube rolling, you need to hear 6P5s for yourself. All the exciting words/opinions of others on head-fi is the starting point, not the destination nor the journey.

As @bcowen states: "We must collect them all!" - Or maybe he just meant early 50s Foton 6N8Ss and his task is complete.

In addition to personal taste I want to point out that the sound of a tube often is amp dependent.
The same tube may not sound the same in different amps.
And the synergy with other tubes is always very important.

 

[CAJames]

I bought several pairs of 6P5G when I first starting using 6J5's in a Garage 1217 amp! They were good and inexpensive but nothing terribly exciting, IMO.

That was my experience as well. Couldn't compete with the better "metal can" 6J5s in my experience. Just FWIW/YMMV as always.

 

[shwnwllms]

In addition to personal taste I want to point out that the sound of a tube often is amp dependent.
The same tube may not sound the same in different amps.
And the synergy with other tubes is always very important.

Exactly, one of the reasons I was digging into the amp factor on the 6P5. Certain tubes that sounded incredible on my Pendant sound meh on my Agartha (12A*7 family). Agatha 2021 takes a 6SL7 driver, but 6SN7s and equivalent work as well. I’m hesitant to deviate much beyond that.

Interesting post from @L0rdGwyn on the lineage of 6P5 from a few years ago

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-reference-6j5-thread-l63-6c5-12j5-6p5-etc.934653/post-15722390

 

[bcowen]

As @bcowen states: "We must collect them all!" - Or maybe he just meant early 50s Foton 6N8Ss and his task is complete.

LOL! There is no universally recognized end point to hoarding collecting tubes, right? He who dies with the most tubes wins, although when that time comes the spouse will probably find the nearest dumpster to deposit them all in.

 

[jonathan c]

And the synergy with other [----] is always very important.

.... just ask Princess Fiona and Shrek ...

 

[jonathan c]

LOL! There is no universally recognized end point to hoarding collecting hoarding tubes, right?

Wrong! (A) Prevent current enjoyment by others of said tubes; (B) Ratchet up market value, in the meantime, of said tubes; (C) Higher market value of said tubes permits borrowing against said tubes to acquire more of said tubes. [So there you have it!! ]

 

[CAJames]

LOL! There is no universally recognized end point to hoarding collecting tubes, right?

Pass the candle.

 

[JTbbb]

LOL! There is no universally recognized end point to hoarding collecting tubes, right? He who dies with the most tubes wins, although when that time comes the spouse will probably find the nearest dumpster to deposit them all in.

Not when she finds out what they are worth.

 

[mordy]

LOL! There is no universally recognized end point to hoarding collecting tubes, right? He who dies with the most tubes wins, although when that time comes the spouse will probably find the nearest dumpster to deposit them all in.

My wife asks me why I don’t sell some of the tubes I have:
-You know, one day it is all going to end up on the sidewalk!
Maybe I should show her the value of my quad of GEC 6AS7G?