The Reference 6SN7 Thread

[Poladise]

Does anyone know when these may have been made? I cant find any pictures of other Kenrads with the same print layout.
They're more clear sounding than the stock tubes they replaced in my LD VI+, but they're quite dry and and a little grainy in upper mids. Was hoping the Kenrad VT231's would have a bit of bloom and be more euphonic than the cheap stock tubes.
 

 

 

[bbmiller]

The first posting of this thread I am assuming was when it was started "5/14/05 THREAD STARTER" is that 2005 I am not sure how you decode dates in that format? If it is in that first posting they talked about new stock Electro-Harmonix EH6SN7 does what was said back then still holds sway in accordance to the latest thinking in November 2004. I will post what is said below, but before I do I have another question. The only data sheet I can find Electro-Harmonix EH6SN7 is in Russian and I am thinking it is saying it has a heater current of 600 mA., But I am not sure so could you look at the link which is here and tell me?
 
One more thing before I repost are these electro-Harmonix tubes still being made in this year and month of November 2014. Perhaps you don't know either, it seems it takes some more clever searching then I am certainly able to do to find this out.

NEW STOCK – Electro-Harmonix EH6SN7 [PHOTO HERE]
[black plates, black base, black labels on glass, top getter]
● “The Electro Harmonix were the most dynamic in the MPX3 . The Bass is also the best and biggest of the three; quite detailed and tight. Midrange is also full of detail air and transparency up and down the range. Gets a little too bright in my system at times, but generally the most fun and involving tubes to listen to so far for me.” –bobjew
● “With the Electro Harmonix 6SN7's in current production, there is no need to suffer.” –Hirsch
● “They are fast-paced tubes with a bit of a heavy bass and ired with a slower driver tube the combo sounds quite nice.” –donovansmith
● “I came across a new 6SN7 tube by Electro-Harmonix and it sounds great. This tube seems to be a very good copy of the Sylvania VT231.It has killer bass and an excellent midrange and vocal performance. It warms up quickly and is not noisy or microphonic at all. It is an excellent value at $10.00 a pop. […] The build quality is high and they are very, very closely matched as tested on my tube tester. These get a "best buy" recommendation from Tuberoller. Try them before dropping big bucks on the Ken-Rads or CBS Brown or Red based tubes.” –Tuberoller
● “The biggest finding is that the Electro-Harmonix 6SN7 tube is about as good as a Syl 6SN7GTB.” –scottpaul_iu

NEW STOCK – Electro-Harmonix EH6SN7 Gold Pins [PHOTO HERE]
[gold pins, brown base, otherwise identical to non-gold pin version]
● “Aside from the obvious differences between the tubes– gold plated pins and the new goldish colored base; they look exactly the same. The model number is the same. The box has the same graphics with the addition of "gold pin" and printed in gold instead of black. Not surprisingly, they also sound very similar.” –bobjew

 

 

[dBel84]

I am not clear on exactly what it is that you were looking for but Tube Depot has them in stock . For data sheets on most tubes I use Duncanamps as they link to many different resources. .dB

 

[bbmiller]

  I am not clear on exactly what it is that you were looking for but Tube Depot has them in stock . For data sheets on most tubes I use Duncanamps as they link to many different resources. .dB

 
OK originally what I was looking for is these tubes still as highly thought of as when original postings were made. I was sure that at the time of those original postings the people were sincere in their beliefs but I was wondering if the ensuing years if these tubes have gone down pecking order hierarchy because thinking has evolved?

My research to seems to indicate that as you say tubedepot are still selling these and still talking about them like they are still made. I thought perhaps given the age of that original posting they may not still be made.

Well seeing what you can see in that buying option box in the screen capture picture I posted above I now have a new question. Would checking all those options, which if add up correctly would take you to $10 more to be very worthwhile. It seems that my little dot IV MK SE does not require match tubes since the driver tubes are not in push-pull cross the tube driver tubes, but are in push-pull across the two triode sections in a double triode. Well that would mean you could take care of any inconsistencies in gain by adjustment of your media player, but if I were to check all the others options I would probably check that one to since it would be only two dollars. Well have you or anybody here paid for hand-picked tube selection with good results.

The talk of the promo on the tubedepot site exit sound like new production tubes may be even better than NOS tubes due to not being made by hand and hence more consistent. What have been the experiences of people on this thread new manufactured tubes as compared with NOS?

 

[Skylab]

Personally I don't like the EH 6SN7 at ALL. I much, much prefer even a run of the mill 60's-70's Sylvania 6SN7GTB.

 

[bbmiller]

Personally I don't like the EH 6SN7 at ALL. I much, much prefer even a run of the mill 60's-70's Sylvania 6SN7GTB.

How much do you think your preferred run of the mill 60's-70's Sylvania 6SN7GTB could varying one from the other. Were you able to get hand-picked (via tube tester) choices of this tube would that be much preferable all make little difference?

 

[Skylab]

No, I don't think there is more variation between NOS tubes than current production tubes. Maybe less. Tube production was much more robust in the tube heyday era than it is today.

 

[Stereolab42]

Avoid tubedepot. They've sold me unmatched matched pairs, and noisy low-noise tubes.

 

[bbmiller]

  Avoid tubedepot. They've sold me unmatched matched pairs, and noisy low-noise tubes.

Do you think there is such a thing as that handpicking tube seller we should like? I mean handpicking via tube testing.

 

[Stereolab42]

  Do you think there is such a thing as that handpicking tube seller we should like? I mean handpicking via tube testing.

 
Stick to eBay. I'm serious -- as a buyer you hold all the power. Find sellers with golden feedback and plausible testing results, and get your own tester also. Buy once, then if the goods check out, mark that seller as a favorite.

 

[punit]

Personally I don't like the EH 6SN7 at ALL. I much, much prefer even a run of the mill 60's-70's Sylvania 6SN7GTB.

 On my Liquid Glass, the EH 6SN7 is an amazing match with LCD XC & X but sounds Bad / not so great with HD 800, T1, TH 900. Its has an aggressive sound which suits the Audeze's I guess.

 

[bbmiller]

  I am not clear on exactly what it is that you were looking for but Tube Depot has them in stock . For data sheets on most tubes I use Duncanamps as they link to many different resources. .dB

OK data sheet from duncanamps because they link to many resources really does seem great, but looking at the screenshot below could any of you all give me a source to decode the abbreviations they are using. I mean under the 6SN7-GT rating designation they have the abbreviations VH, IH, CGK, CGA and on the  6SN7-GT application data designation they have class, VA, VG1, IA, RA, S abbreviations and I am having trouble finding out where duncanamps or anybody else decodes these abbreviations for you so could somebody here tell where to find the decoding of those abbreviations or decode them for me here.

 

[Skylab]

Are you planning to design your own amps? If not, I don't know what you want that info for.

Anyway:

Vh is heater voltage
Va is plate voltage
Ia is plate current
Ra is plate resistance
S is transconductance, which is the one useful number for laymen, albeit laymen with a mutual transconductance tube tester, or perhaps those who trust the transconductance numbers in eBay auctions

 

[bbmiller]

Personally I don't like the EH 6SN7 at ALL. I much, much prefer even a run of the mill 60's-70's Sylvania 6SN7GTB.

 

Are you planning to design your own amps? If not, I don't know what you want that info for.

Anyway:

Vh is heater voltage
Va is plate voltage
Ia is plate current
Ra is plate resistance
S is transconductance, which is the one useful number for laymen, albeit laymen with a mutual transconductance tube tester, or perhaps those who trust the transconductance numbers in eBay auctions

Well you didn't say it, but from what you decoded for me already I am thinking IH much mean heater current which is appointed to me for if I am to use my little dot amplifier with my octal power tube adapters and not exceed the heater current limitations I will have to limit the power tubes I roll to one amp or supply current externally which is complicated.
 
In the above quote you stated "even a run of the mill 60's-70's Sylvania 6SN7GTB" was better than the EH 6SN7. Well if it's even an run-of-the-mill I was thinking of asking you, since you talk so much on these forms and consequently may know a lot, about what cound be better than went be run-of-the-mill and even in a 6SN7 family tube what wound be better . But after learning more from those indeed very good duncanamps datasheets I began to think maybe that question was too small. What I mean I saw that another family of tubes 6AS7 had the same pen out, but knew from other talk on these head FI forums that that family could exceed my one amp limitations for power tube rolling.
 
Which brought me to questions on how the tube numbering system works. The EH 6SN7 family and the  6AS7 family differ by the the S and N in the third digit. Internet searches are vacuum tube numbering systems get kind of fuzzy once you get to the third digit. But perhaps you and others would say learning that numbering system is not the way to go when looking for reviews for the same octal penout both the  6SN7 family and 6AS7 family share. Can anybody here give me a comprehensive list of all octal families with these pinout which have a enough heater current to be good power tubes, but not so much that they exceed one amp heater current is it just the 6SN7 family that fulfills this requirement or is there any other I could consider.
 
Well Skylab I'm going to ask it in your opinion what is the best octal tube power to used with both half in push-pull with the pen out  6SN7 has and not exceeding one amp heater current? And if those are quite expensive what is the best reason me price ones that meet these requirements.

 

[Skylab]

My opinion is: If the amp is designed to use a 6SN7, then one should use a 6SN7