The Reference 6SN7 Thread

[JKDJedi]

Hi,

Just received one ZALYTRON 6SN7 tube from Upscale yesterday.
The other one is GE.
Will test it with ALO Studio Six hp amp later.

What numbers if any are on the Zalytron?

 

[meomap]

What numbers if any are on the Zalaytron?

The other side only stated 6SN7GTB.

 

[JKDJedi]

The other side only stated 6SN7GTB.

Ok, no date stamp. Never heard of that tube before and was wondering who built it.

 

[Slade01]

Hi,

Just received one ZALYTRON 6SN7 tube from Upscale yesterday.
The other one is GE.
Will test it with ALO Studio Six hp amp later.

Ok, no date stamp. Never heard of that tube before and was wondering who built it.

Most likely CBS/Hytron 5692.

 

[Keno18]

Ok, no date stamp. Never heard of that tube before and was wondering who built it.

The "GTB" I think indicates that at least it's in the latest generation of 6sn7s.

 

[JKDJedi]

Have these on their way, a bit of an impulse purchase from Upscale Audio to use in my Feliks Elise. All Upscale notes is that they are early Russian, found in a cave in Brazil, intriguing but not very specific. Can anyone help me ID their make / year of production?

So how you liking the Fotons? See some that are low on price and others a little up there.

 

[LoryWiv]

So how you liking the Fotons? See some that are low on price and others a little up there.

They are well built, dead quiet, but a bit too warm, and add slight grain to mids in my chain with Tung Sol 7236 as output tubes. That said, bass is tight, treble very natural and non-fatiguing, a lot to like.t These may also need a few more hours to shine, only 20 hours or so thus far..

 

[bcowen]

You really need to get out more, Bill.

How would I know the difference between 93% and 99% if I did that? Geez, your logic sometimes escapes me.

 

[bcowen]

Thanks @bcowen you got me so obsessed with the Frankie that I on a daily routine would go around on the internet sending emails searching Ebay and what not, asking if they had a JAN CBRZ 7N7 Lansdale. And it seems like that day has come... (In the mail)!!

Sweet!! Be interested in your impressions once you get them.

 

[bcowen]

Hi,

Just received one ZALYTRON 6SN7 tube from Upscale yesterday.
The other one is GE.
Will test it with ALO Studio Six hp amp later.

The Zalytron is actually a 5692 (a top tier 6SN7). If you got that for a good price, right on!!! The GE will make a good doorstop.

 

[JKDJedi]

The Zalytron is actually a 5692 (a top tier 6SN7). If you got that for a good price, right on!!! The GE will make a good doorstop.

crap, now I want one! The Zaly not the GE

 

[JKDJedi]

They are well built, dead quiet, but a bit too warm, and add slight grain to mids in my chain with Tung Sol 7236 as output tubes. That said, bass is tight, treble very natural and non-fatiguing, a lot to like.t These may also need a few more hours to shine, only 20 hours or so thus far..

Sounds like you described my Raytheon 6SN7WGT, so I asked because I grabbed a 1958 pair for collections sake. See how they sound off my Darky (Darkvoice)

 

[bcowen]

Sounds like you described my Raytheon 6SN7WGT, so I asked because I grabbed a 1958 pair for collections sake. See how they sound off my Darky (Darkvoice)

Be aware the Fotons take a significant amount of break-in time unless you resolder the pins. @Paladin79 discovered that relationship as I was experiencing (and reporting) 100+ hours of play time before the tubes really started to sing (and the graininess would go away by then as well). Once the pins are resoldered, that break-in time goes down to a few hours. It seems that either poor soldering techniques or a bad solder formulation which has deteriorated over time -- or both -- are the major (if not the sole) contributor to this. But once either resoldered or given enough play time, the Fotons remain one of my personal favorites in the Lyr 3 even over tubes that cost considerably more.

 

[Paladin79]

Be aware the Fotons take a significant amount of break-in time unless you resolder the pins. @Paladin79 discovered that relationship as I was experiencing (and reporting) 100+ hours of play time before the tubes really started to sing (and the graininess would go away by then as well). Once the pins are resoldered, that break-in time goes down to a few hours. It seems that either poor soldering techniques or a bad solder formulation which has deteriorated over time -- or both -- are the major (if not the sole) contributor to this. But once either resoldered or given enough play time, the Fotons remain one of my personal favorites in the Lyr 3 even over tubes that cost considerably more.

I can now try a Foton in a Lyr 3, perhaps a 53 or 54 tonight.

 

[bcowen]

I can now try a Foton in a Lyr 3, perhaps a 53 or 54 tonight.

Let it warm up for a bit, and then play this. The Foton was made for it.