[hardpike]

He is back
Vali 2 and Hall9000

 

[hardpike]

Detail of the inverted UFO

 

[Old Deaf Donkey]

So, I am starting an organised tube rolling exercise on Vali 2 (connected to Mimby). The purpose is to determine what sound signature I like best, possibly several for different kinds of music. Based on reading, I decided to use 2 sets of headphones: dynamic – AKG K702, and planar magnetic – HE400i, assuming that they will produce different signature with the same tube. I have already seen signs of it (e.g hating EH6922 with K702, but loving it with HE400i), but the HE400i need more use to reach their sound profile, so too early for conclusion.

I have assembled the following test sample of tubes for rolling:

Type | Marked | Brand/Producer | Note | Year

6922 | 1239 | ? | Vali 2 stock tube

6922 | 6N23P | Reflektor OTK

6922 | 6922 | Electro Harmonix

5670 | 396A | Western Electric | Black plates, square getter | 1961

5670 | 5670W/2C5V6N3 | GE

5670 | JRC 5670 | RCA | 1964

6SN7 | 6SN7GT OTK | SOVTEK

6SN7 | 6SN7GT | Motorola by Tung-Sol | "Mouse ears"

6C8G | CRC-6C8-G JAN | RCA

PCC88 | | Philips Δ Heerlen

The process will take – I guess - about half a year. Should there be interest, I can share brief reports once in a while as I go along.

I would be grateful for opinions on the tubes sample and the headphones selected, as I can easily add more, if convinced.

 

[Mr Trev]

So, I am starting an organised tube rolling exercise on Vali 2 (connected to Mimby). The purpose is to determine what sound signature I like best, possibly several for different kinds of music. Based on reading, I decided to use 2 sets of headphones: dynamic – AKG K702, and planar magnetic – HE400i, assuming that they will produce different signature with the same tube. I have already seen signs of it (e.g hating EH6922 with K702, but loving it with HE400i), but the HE400i need more use to reach their sound profile, so too early for conclusion.

I have assembled the following test sample of tubes for rolling:

Type | Marked | Brand/Producer | Note | Year

6922 | 1239 | ? | Vali 2 stock tube

6922 | 6N23P | Reflektor OTK

6922 | 6922 | Electro Harmonix

5670 | 396A | Western Electric | Black plates, square getter | 1961

5670 | 5670W/2C5V6N3 | GE

5670 | JRC 5670 | RCA | 1964

6SN7 | 6SN7GT OTK | SOVTEK

6SN7 | 6SN7GT | Motorola by Tung-Sol | "Mouse ears"

6C8G | CRC-6C8-G JAN | RCA

PCC88 | | Philips Δ Heerlen

The process will take – I guess - about half a year. Should there be interest, I can share brief reports once in a while as I go along.

I would be grateful for opinions on the tubes sample and the headphones selected, as I can easily add more, if convinced.

Brief reports would be awesome.
For the record, my 400i likes the EI Yugo (Orion Radio brand) 12au7 best - possibly tied with the 6sn7 mouse ear, but the 12au7 only needs one adapter (less hassle, not as fuggly)

 

[timb5881]

Ei tubes are great tubes. If you can find a 6DJ8 one, you will be in for a treat as well. I have the Elite version with gold pins now in my Vali2. The 12AU7 with the nickel plates are to dye for in my opinion.

 

[Old Deaf Donkey]

If you can find a 6DJ8 one, you will be in for a treat as well.

this at least would not require yet another adapter. Would it work comparably in terms of sonic qualities to EI12AU7?

 

[timb5881]

Yes, I have both 12AU7 and 6DJ8 Ei tubes, the 12AU7 has nice detail and well flushed out bass. The 6DJ8 is a bit better to me.

 

[timb5881]

So, I am starting an organised tube rolling exercise on Vali 2 (connected to Mimby). The purpose is to determine what sound signature I like best, possibly several for different kinds of music. Based on reading, I decided to use 2 sets of headphones: dynamic – AKG K702, and planar magnetic – HE400i, assuming that they will produce different signature with the same tube. I have already seen signs of it (e.g hating EH6922 with K702, but loving it with HE400i), but the HE400i need more use to reach their sound profile, so too early for conclusion.

I have assembled the following test sample of tubes for rolling:

Type | Marked | Brand/Producer | Note | Year

6922 | 1239 | ? | Vali 2 stock tube

6922 | 6N23P | Reflektor OTK

6922 | 6922 | Electro Harmonix

5670 | 396A | Western Electric | Black plates, square getter | 1961

5670 | 5670W/2C5V6N3 | GE

5670 | JRC 5670 | RCA | 1964

6SN7 | 6SN7GT OTK | SOVTEK

6SN7 | 6SN7GT | Motorola by Tung-Sol | "Mouse ears"

6C8G | CRC-6C8-G JAN | RCA

PCC88 | | Philips Δ Heerlen

The process will take – I guess - about half a year. Should there be interest, I can share brief reports once in a while as I go along.

I would be grateful for opinions on the tubes sample and the headphones selected, as I can easily add more, if convinced.

I have a ton of the PCC88 Phillips Heerlen tubes, I like them very much in the Vali2. That being said, I have a ton of 6SN7 tubes, Sylvania, Tung-Sol (USA), RCA, and off brands like Silvertone, Emerson. Most of them sound good, some better than others. You should also try out some 12AU7 tubes with an adapter, so many of them are good and at low prices.

 

[Old Deaf Donkey]

I have a ton of the PCC88 Phillips Heerlen tubes, I like them very much in the Vali2. That being said, I have a ton of 6SN7 tubes, Sylvania, Tung-Sol (USA), RCA, and off brands like Silvertone, Emerson. Most of them sound good, some better than others. You should also try out some 12AU7 tubes with an adapter, so many of them are good and at low prices.

What amp are you using them in, just Vali 2 - if you do not mind my asking?

 

[Old Deaf Donkey]

Brief reports would be awesome.

Will do my best to contain the crap. My goal is not to keep rolling forever, at least not extensively. I want to find a combination of tube(s) and can(s) - if possible, on Vali 2 - that would deliver a sonic signature that I really like. At the same time, I am deeply captured by the music I like, if performed well and recorded and mastered decently. Tonight, I listened through Rossini's Barbiere with LSO under Abbado, with Berganza and Alva, as Master quality recording from Tidal, on HE400i run by WE396A. I was hit by such incredible sound quality: soundstage width and depth, resolution, timbral balance, speed, and overall natural signature, of this sublime performance, so well recorded, that I almost conked out, my tears running freely already at "Ecco, ridente in cielo". You guys talk about tubes here, not music, so I won't share my musical dimension of experiences. I was almost ready to cut the crap and stay with WE396A/HE400i combination, enjoying endless stock of decent recordings of the music I like. However, I will continue, knowing that this is hardly endgame already

 

[Paladin79]

I own quite a few tubes I use in a similar application and the best I have heard to date is a Russian 6sn7 equivalent, the Melz 1578. So far I tried the tube in three amps and rank it up there with RCA grey glass tubes from the 1940’s. You have to know which version to buy but once you land one they are incredible.

 

[timb5881]

I have used the 6SN7 tubes on my power amp, Golden Tube SE40. 12AU7 tubes on my Dared 6, it used almost any 6L6 type in addition to the 12au7 AND 12ax7 tubes. I also have a Bellari phono preamp that uses a 12AX7 tube.

 

[timb5881]

Will do my best to contain the crap. My goal is not to keep rolling forever, at least not extensively. I want to find a combination of tube(s) and can(s) - if possible, on Vali 2 - that would deliver a sonic signature that I really like. At the same time, I am deeply captured by the music I like, if performed well and recorded and mastered decently. Tonight, I listened through Rossini's Barbiere with LSO under Abbado, with Berganza and Alva, as Master quality recording from Tidal, on HE400i run by WE396A. I was hit by such incredible sound quality: soundstage width and depth, resolution, timbral balance, speed, and overall natural signature, of this sublime performance, so well recorded, that I almost conked out, my tears running freely already at "Ecco, ridente in cielo". You guys talk about tubes here, not music, so I won't share my musical dimension of experiences. I was almost ready to cut the crap and stay with WE396A/HE400i combination, enjoying endless stock of decent recordings of the music I like. However, I will continue, knowing that this is hardly endgame already

Please do share your music, it will help people decide on tubes for different types of music, orchestral, chamber, jazz, rock etc. Some tubes are good in general, never excelling in any one area, where some tubes will boast big brash sound good for rock, maybe not so for string quartet.

 

[Mr Trev]

Ei tubes are great tubes. If you can find a 6DJ8 one, you will be in for a treat as well. I have the Elite version with gold pins now in my Vali2. The 12AU7 with the nickel plates are to dye for in my opinion.

Didn't know there were 6DJ8s, I've only found the 7DJ8 variants. I'll need to keep an eye out. Do you know if they were made on the Telefunken tooling like the 12au7s (probably why they sound so good)

 

[Mr Trev]

Will do my best to contain the crap. My goal is not to keep rolling forever, at least not extensively. I want to find a combination of tube(s) and can(s) - if possible, on Vali 2 - that would deliver a sonic signature that I really like. At the same time, I am deeply captured by the music I like, if performed well and recorded and mastered decently. Tonight, I listened through Rossini's Barbiere with LSO under Abbado, with Berganza and Alva, as Master quality recording from Tidal, on HE400i run by WE396A. I was hit by such incredible sound quality: soundstage width and depth, resolution, timbral balance, speed, and overall natural signature, of this sublime performance, so well recorded, that I almost conked out, my tears running freely already at "Ecco, ridente in cielo". You guys talk about tubes here, not music, so I won't share my musical dimension of experiences. I was almost ready to cut the crap and stay with WE396A/HE400i combination, enjoying endless stock of decent recordings of the music I like. However, I will continue, knowing that this is hardly endgame already

"My goal is not to keep rolling forever". That's adorable. You're in it for the long haul now

That WE396A isn't a bad place to end from what I've read. Plenty of fans for that family of tubes. Haven't heard that particular one myself, but I have a Reflektor 6n3p that's pretty darn good. Even my GE5670 has settled down nicely now that is has some hours on it