The Reference 6SN7 Thread

[Isaacc7]

I have a few of the "frankie" 7N7s, and I do thoroughly enjoy their SQ and probably don't listen to them enough, but there is a different 7N7 that is my favorite. I don't think I have seen this specific tube come up on the market (least where I look) except for this one, which I bought about a year ago.

JAN-CHS-7N7 short bottle, with all blacked out glass and very defined flashing up top - I have looked under the black tint as best I could, and there's a fairly thin/skinny rectangle shaped mica with two parallel plates. But, I can't make anything else out unfortunately. I also try not to use this tube too much, lol.. I had a frankie burn out on me several months ago, and I think that scarred me for life

I have some tall bottle 14n7 tubes that look identical to these. I have yet to like them as much as the clear glass 14n7, they always sound grainy to me.

 

[RobertSM]

I second 6F8G's. I don't have any Raytheon, but for detail the Sylvania Z0 Leaf 6F8G's are amazing! Tung Sol Black Glass Round Plate are my favorites, but they are a bit warmer and more "wet" sounding (IMO).

What exactly do you mean by 'wet' as a descriptor of sound? Is it slow? Lethargic? I'm unsure.

 

[bcowen]

I have a few of the "frankie" 7N7s, and I do thoroughly enjoy their SQ and probably don't listen to them enough, but there is a different 7N7 that is my favorite. I don't think I have seen this specific tube come up on the market (least where I look) except for this one, which I bought about a year ago.

JAN-CHS-7N7 short bottle, with all blacked out glass and very defined flashing up top - I have looked under the black tint as best I could, and there's a fairly thin/skinny rectangle shaped mica with two parallel plates. But, I can't make anything else out unfortunately. I also try not to use this tube too much, lol.. I had a frankie burn out on me several months ago, and I think that scarred me for life

I've listened to quite a number of 7N7's, but can't say I've heard one that looks like that. May need to go on the hunt again.

 

[Isaacc7]

I have a few of the "frankie" 7N7s, and I do thoroughly enjoy their SQ and probably don't listen to them enough, but there is a different 7N7 that is my favorite. I don't think I have seen this specific tube come up on the market (least where I look) except for this one, which I bought about a year ago.

JAN-CHS-7N7 short bottle, with all blacked out glass and very defined flashing up top - I have looked under the black tint as best I could, and there's a fairly thin/skinny rectangle shaped mica with two parallel plates. But, I can't make anything else out unfortunately. I also try not to use this tube too much, lol.. I had a frankie burn out on me several months ago, and I think that scarred me for life

I tried a search but I couldn’t find a description of the frankie 7n7. Hadn’t heard of that before. Any pictures?

 

[bcowen]

I tried a search but I couldn’t find a description of the frankie 7n7. Hadn’t heard of that before. Any pictures?

They are the tall bottle Sylvanias with 1/2 - 2/3 of the inside of the bottle covered with the getter flash. Full racetrack (oval) mica top and bottom, and opposing T-plates. I have them with gray plates and black plates, but honestly can't tell a lot of difference between them sonically.

As best I've been able to determine, 7N7's were made only by Sylvania and National Union regardless of the branding, and Sylvania made the great majority of them (NU only made them for a short period of time). The Frankies are Sylvanias, and it appears Sylvania even made them with National Union branding (leftmost tube), perhaps after NU ceased producing them.

 

[g0ldl10n]

They are the tall bottle Sylvanias with 1/2 - 2/3 of the inside of the bottle covered with the getter flash. Full racetrack (oval) mica top and bottom, and opposing T-plates. I have them with gray plates and black plates, but honestly can't tell a lot of difference between them sonically.



As best I've been able to determine, 7N7's were made only by Sylvania and National Union regardless of the branding, and Sylvania made the great majority of them (NU only made them for a short period of time). The Frankies are Sylvanias, and it appears Sylvania even made them with National Union branding (leftmost tube), perhaps after NU ceased producing them.

That's super interesting about the different plates (black and grey) and not being able to tell/hear differences between them. I have one with grey plates, and 3 others with black plates, and for me (at least with my setup) I think the grey plates sound better. Ofc, that's just my opinion and it honestly surprised me when I heard a difference between the two different plate colors. Do you know what is the cause of the different color? Is this from different coatings, or different metal compositions that make up the plates?

 

[bcowen]

That's super interesting about the different plates (black and grey) and not being able to tell/hear differences between them. I have one with grey plates, and 3 others with black plates, and for me (at least with my setup) I think the grey plates sound better. Ofc, that's just my opinion and it honestly surprised me when I heard a difference between the two different plate colors. Do you know what is the cause of the different color? Is this from different coatings, or different metal compositions that make up the plates?

I don't know the why's of the plate color. I would assume it was a due to a vendor change or maybe even a specification change, but that's just guessing. If nothing else, it likely indicates different manufacturing years (or periods) as I doubt they would have used both at the same time.

 

[ColSaulTigh]

What exactly do you mean by 'wet' as a descriptor of sound? Is it slow? Lethargic? I'm unsure.

"Wet" vs. "dry" in describing sound is one of those things that's hard to describe. To me, music should have a natural fluidity as instruments, vocals, or tones flow throughout a piece of music. "Wetter" music sounds more fluid. There's a sense of longer decay between notes, voices reverberate slightly longer, and there's a sense that everything is just more "alive". "Dry" on the other hand is more precise, articulate, and immediate. Music sounds slightly clinical and almost digital. Notes have a separation between them. Vocals become clear and a bit separated from the underlying instruments. It's like tasting the individual ingredients of a cake instead of a fully baked cake itself, if that makes sense.

 

[triod750]

"Wet" vs. "dry" in describing sound is one of those things that's hard to describe. To me, music should have a natural fluidity as instruments, vocals, or tones flow throughout a piece of music. "Wetter" music sounds more fluid. There's a sense of longer decay between notes, voices reverberate slightly longer, and there's a sense that everything is just more "alive". "Dry" on the other hand is more precise, articulate, and immediate. Music sounds slightly clinical and almost digital. Notes have a separation between them. Vocals become clear and a bit separated from the underlying instruments. It's like tasting the individual ingredients of a cake instead of a fully baked cake itself, if that makes sense.

If this is what it means, I get it. While dry can be spectacular wet is more of how I hear live music which is my reference. Acoustical live music, that is. I don't understand 'dig it all' .

 

[RobertSM]

"Wet" vs. "dry" in describing sound is one of those things that's hard to describe. To me, music should have a natural fluidity as instruments, vocals, or tones flow throughout a piece of music. "Wetter" music sounds more fluid. There's a sense of longer decay between notes, voices reverberate slightly longer, and there's a sense that everything is just more "alive". "Dry" on the other hand is more precise, articulate, and immediate. Music sounds slightly clinical and almost digital. Notes have a separation between them. Vocals become clear and a bit separated from the underlying instruments. It's like tasting the individual ingredients of a cake instead of a fully baked cake itself, if that makes sense.

Thanks so much! I really like and appreciate you breaking it down. And honestly I see things similarly to you on this.

 

[leftside]

I don't know the why's of the plate color. I would assume it was a due to a vendor change or maybe even a specification change, but that's just guessing. If nothing else, it likely indicates different manufacturing years (or periods) as I doubt they would have used both at the same time.

Cheaper anode material in the grey plates. Which is why the earlier black plates tubes are more in demand. True - for most tubes - not just 6SN7.

 

[mordy]

I second 6F8G's. I don't have any Raytheon, but for detail the Sylvania Z0 Leaf 6F8G's are amazing! Tung Sol Black Glass Round Plate are my favorites, but they are a bit warmer and more "wet" sounding (IMO).

From the number of 6F8G tubes I have, I prefer the National Union.

 

[mordy]

I tried a search but I couldn’t find a description of the frankie 7n7. Hadn’t heard of that before. Any pictures?

If I understand correctly, Frankie refers to a certain flat type haircut - these tubes are more squared off on top and less rounded than the others, in addition to the extended flashing and oval "race track" mica.
I think that I have such a pair branded GE. On the tubes you can read faintly the word Lansdale. Lansdale is the location of a Sylvania factory, but I believe that it first belonged to National Union and was bought by Sylvania in the very early 50s.
As mentioned before, the majority (regradless of brand) of 7N7 tubes were made by Sylvania, but I was under the impression that the black glass ones were made by NU. I have seen pictures of black glass NU triple mica 7N7 tubes with green print.

 

[Ake_Y]

I'm looking for a paired Melz 1578. I found these two, but the first's price ( 450 USD ) is around twice of the second's ( 250 USD ) . Please suggest which one I should pick. Thank you.

 

[LobalWarming]

I'm looking for a paired Melz 1578. I found these two, but the first's price ( 450 USD ) is around twice of the second's ( 250 USD ) . Please suggest which one I should pick. Thank you.

The first pair is from the 80s... if you like a brighter tube - great, but for me those are harsh tubes for a harsh price. The cheaper pair aren't actually 1578s, but 6H86s, and are mellower and to me more enjoyable than 1578s from the late 70s and 80s.

1950s 1578 here: https://www.ebay.com/itm/165653930700 - cheaper than $450 per pair... just have to buy a quad...