[HOWIE13]

I guess the 6sn7/6sl7 doesnt glow much. It sounds wonderful.

 
Hi
 
Is that the 6SL7 tube?

 

[dbaker1981]

Hi

Is that the 6SL7 tube?

Yes a Sylvania NOS 6sl7gt

 

[HOWIE13]

Yes a Sylvania NOS 6sl7gt

 
Excellent-I'm so glad you like it.
 
I thought the 6H9C Russian equivalent sounded very good but I didn't have time to really compare it to any other tubes. Now I'll look forward to trying some 6SL7's too. 

 

 

[bokononista]

Hi guys,


I got a Shiit Vali 2 with a stock tube (68Z7 6BQ7A in a frame and CANADA written under it), I like the sound but i like to try to improve it with a better tube. Does anybody tried some tubes with Beyerdynamics DT880 (250 ohms) headphones? Thanks.

 

[volly]

Let's go...
 

 



 
 

 

 

[AviP]

  I just got the Reflector 6H23p-EB from thetubestore.com last night and this tube is definitely the best one I've used so far (I have Electro-harmonix, Gold Lion and Stock), it's just awesome!
I'm not good at describing sound, but the reviews on thetubestore.com basically sum it up. I highly recommend this tube!

After using it for a couple weeks it's been burned in and I now prefer the Gold Lion (again).
It's a great tube, but the soundstage is narrower than the GL and it's less sparkly.
I just thought that people might want to know.

 

[Steakface]

Hey all, I've read through this thread and found everything to be quite informative.  I love my Vali 2 and have been trying to nail down my preferred sound signature.  I'm using it with Hifiman HE-400i.  I'm looking for a tube with a particular sound signature as I'm a little sensitive to treble and harshness, something that possibly combines the sound signatures of some of the tubes I already own.
 
I really like the soundstage and low end extension of my 6CG7 RCA Clear Top and Philips 7DJ8, but they can get a little too hot/harsh in the treble at times.  The 6CG7 RCA Clear Top is a soundstage and low end beast and I absolutely love it, more-so than the Philips.  It's a shame that it gets a little bright with my 400i at times.
 
The laid back signature of my 6CG7 RCA Black Plate and 6CG7 Electro Harmonix is more in-line with my tastes, but they sacrifice soundstage and low end extension.  Both are great tubes, I think I like the RCA Black Plate more than the EH - sometimes the EH sounds like the mids have been sucked out, and the RCA has slightly better staging.  It's a shame they lack low end extension.
 
Other tubes I've tried are the JJ Gold Pin 6922 and the Sovtek 6N1P.  The JJ was so luscious and rich in the mids but had a very closed in sound stage and lacked bass, while the the Sovtek is dynamic and had the bass but is also grainy and harsh and didn't have a good soundstage.
 
My question: is there a laid back tube that doesn't sacrifice soundstage and bass extension (sub bass)?  Forgive me if someone already covered this in the thread, I've read through it and couldn't come to any conclusion.
 
Thank you!

 

[claud W]

 
After using Russian Reflectors and Voshkod 6H23p 75 and 74 tubes, last night I decided to return to NOS tubes. My D getter Amperex was only so--so, but the Siemens CCa sings sweetly. The Telefunken goes in next

 

[Faber65]

After using Russian Reflectors and Voshkod 6H23p 75 and 74 tubes, last night I decided to return to NOS tubes. My D getter Amperex was only so--so, but the Siemens CCa sings sweetly. The Telefunken goes in next

Interesting "that" socket saver....

 

[Skarecrow77]

  Hey all, I've read through this thread and found everything to be quite informative.  I love my Vali 2 and have been trying to nail down my preferred sound signature.  I'm using it with Hifiman HE-400i.  I'm looking for a tube with a particular sound signature as I'm a little sensitive to treble and harshness, something that possibly combines the sound signatures of some of the tubes I already own.
 
I really like the soundstage and low end extension of my 6CG7 RCA Clear Top and Philips 7DJ8, but they can get a little too hot/harsh in the treble at times.  The 6CG7 RCA Clear Top is a soundstage and low end beast and I absolutely love it, more-so than the Philips.  It's a shame that it gets a little bright with my 400i at times.
 
The laid back signature of my 6CG7 RCA Black Plate and 6CG7 Electro Harmonix is more in-line with my tastes, but they sacrifice soundstage and low end extension.  Both are great tubes, I think I like the RCA Black Plate more than the EH - sometimes the EH sounds like the mids have been sucked out, and the RCA has slightly better staging.  It's a shame they lack low end extension.
 
Other tubes I've tried are the JJ Gold Pin 6922 and the Sovtek 6N1P.  The JJ was so luscious and rich in the mids but had a very closed in sound stage and lacked bass, while the the Sovtek is dynamic and had the bass but is also grainy and harsh and didn't have a good soundstage.
 
My question: is there a laid back tube that doesn't sacrifice soundstage and bass extension (sub bass)?  Forgive me if someone already covered this in the thread, I've read through it and couldn't come to any conclusion.
 
Thank you!

Is your Philips 7DJ8 made in Herleen or an Ei?

I've got a '57 Herleen (miniwatt) and a '74 Ei (philips). The midrange on the Ei is a bit pronounced (which I like on most cans. it's a bit much on some tunes on my NAD HP50s, but perfect on my Oppo PM3s), however the soundstage is unlike anything I've heard so far. It's nuts. I liked it more on my wife's 400i's than the Herleen (which is weird because I liked the Herleen better with my HD-650s and my wife's DT-880s).
 

 

[HOWIE13]

  Hey all, I've read through this thread and found everything to be quite informative.  I love my Vali 2 and have been trying to nail down my preferred sound signature.  I'm using it with Hifiman HE-400i.  I'm looking for a tube with a particular sound signature as I'm a little sensitive to treble and harshness, something that possibly combines the sound signatures of some of the tubes I already own.
 
I really like the soundstage and low end extension of my 6CG7 RCA Clear Top and Philips 7DJ8, but they can get a little too hot/harsh in the treble at times.  The 6CG7 RCA Clear Top is a soundstage and low end beast and I absolutely love it, more-so than the Philips.  It's a shame that it gets a little bright with my 400i at times.
 
The laid back signature of my 6CG7 RCA Black Plate and 6CG7 Electro Harmonix is more in-line with my tastes, but they sacrifice soundstage and low end extension.  Both are great tubes, I think I like the RCA Black Plate more than the EH - sometimes the EH sounds like the mids have been sucked out, and the RCA has slightly better staging.  It's a shame they lack low end extension.
 
Other tubes I've tried are the JJ Gold Pin 6922 and the Sovtek 6N1P.  The JJ was so luscious and rich in the mids but had a very closed in sound stage and lacked bass, while the the Sovtek is dynamic and had the bass but is also grainy and harsh and didn't have a good soundstage.
 
My question: is there a laid back tube that doesn't sacrifice soundstage and bass extension (sub bass)?  Forgive me if someone already covered this in the thread, I've read through it and couldn't come to any conclusion.
 
Thank you!

 
Tough question to answer. 
 
You could try Octals, which require a Noval 9 pin socket saver and 6SN7 to ECC88 adapter.
 
If you decide to try Octals, a Tung-Sol 6SN7GT 'Mouse Ears' may just suit your requirements. There are several reasonably priced on eBay at present.
 
Another tube that may suit is an RCA 6F8G. That also requires the same socket saver but a different adapter.
 
It's all a bit hit and miss, unfortunately, as similar tube types can vary and we hear things differently.

 

[Steakface]

 

Is your Philips 7DJ8 made in Herleen or an Ei?

I've got a '57 Herleen (miniwatt) and a '74 Ei (philips). The midrange on the Ei is a bit pronounced (which I like on most cans. it's a bit much on some tunes on my NAD HP50s, but perfect on my Oppo PM3s), however the soundstage is unlike anything I've heard so far. It's nuts. I liked it more on my wife's 400i's than the Herleen (which is weird because I liked the Herleen better with my HD-650s and my wife's DT-880s).
 

 
I'm not entirely sure, but I remember thinking that the midrange was a little forward when I was first listening to it.  The tube I have has no date or location markings, just "Philips" and "PCC88" and looks exactly like this one.  It does have a nice soundstage but the RCA 6CG7 Clear Top still beats it in that field.  If it helps, I picked it up from Upscale Audio last month.
 

 
 

   
Tough question to answer. 
 
You could try Octals, which require a Noval 9 pin socket saver and 6SN7 to ECC88 adapter.
 
If you decide to try Octals, a Tung-Sol 6SN7GT 'Mouse Ears' may just suit your requirements. There are several reasonably priced on eBay at present.
 
Another tube that may suit is an RCA 6F8G. That also requires the same socket saver but a different adapter.
 
It's all a bit hit and miss, unfortunately, as similar tube types can vary and we hear things differently.

 
I just went back and read about those, they seem to be a good bet.  I'm not sure if I'm ready to go big but if that's what it takes then so be it.  I actually have an EH 6922 on the way, figure I'd pick one up since they are cheap and give it a shot - they get plenty of praise by people here.  I see many people also like the Gold Lion 6922 including one guy who says it's amazing with his HE-400i.  I don't know what his personal sonic preferences are but he makes a good point about the need to tame the treble on the 400i's.
 
There are so many terms used to describe the sound qualities of tubes and I've been thinking about how to further define what I'm looking for.  The EH 6CG7 seems laid back, but it also has a good amount of treble, so I'm thinking that it's just a very clear and clean tube which makes it easy on the ears.  The same goes for the RCA black plates, but to a lesser extent with the benefit of a slight sound stage boost.  Perhaps a good clean and clear tube is what I'm looking for.

 

[Skarecrow77]

   
I'm not entirely sure, but I remember thinking that the midrange was a little forward when I was first listening to it.  The tube I have has no date or location markings, just "Philips" and "PCC88" and looks exactly like this one.  It does have a nice soundstage but the RCA 6CG7 Clear Top still beats it in that field.  If it helps, I picked it up from Upscale Audio last month.

 
It's almost certainly an Ei. All the Upscale Audio PCC88 Philips are Ei made, it says so in the description. Yours looks just like mine. The date/manufacture code should be on the reverse side of the tube, but likely it's not particularly legible. I think the ink/dye they used deteriorated over time. Mine I have to turn in the light "just so" to be able to read it.

 

[HOWIE13]

   
I'm not entirely sure, but I remember thinking that the midrange was a little forward when I was first listening to it.  The tube I have has no date or location markings, just "Philips" and "PCC88" and looks exactly like this one.  It does have a nice soundstage but the RCA 6CG7 Clear Top still beats it in that field.  If it helps, I picked it up from Upscale Audio last month.
 

 
 
 
I just went back and read about those, they seem to be a good bet.  I'm not sure if I'm ready to go big but if that's what it takes then so be it.  I actually have an EH 6922 on the way, figure I'd pick one up since they are cheap and give it a shot - they get plenty of praise by people here.  I see many people also like the Gold Lion 6922 including one guy who says it's amazing with his HE-400i.  I don't know what his personal sonic preferences are but he makes a good point about the need to tame the treble on the 400i's.
 
There are so many terms used to describe the sound qualities of tubes and I've been thinking about how to further define what I'm looking for.  The EH 6CG7 seems laid back, but it also has a good amount of treble, so I'm thinking that it's just a very clear and clean tube which makes it easy on the ears.  The same goes for the RCA black plates, but to a lesser extent with the benefit of a slight sound stage boost.  Perhaps a good clean and clear tube is what I'm looking for.

 
 
Moving to Octals is certainly a step in a different direction -but probably the correct one for you if you can't find a suitable 9 pin Noval tube.
This is the fun of tube rolling and Vali2 is very accommodating, providing your wallet, and in my case the wife, give approval. 

 
Two other possibilities you could consider for 9 pins: ECC804 (6/30L2), and the E80CC, which requires a 12AU7 to ECC88 adapter. Both are very 'musical' and quite warm without compromising on imaging and soundstage. The ECC804 is a little warmer than the E80CC in my set-up.
 
To my mind these are both 'hidden treasure' and work very well with Vali2. Here's a picture of a Tungsram E80CC in my Vali:
 
 

 

[claud W]

Interesting "that" socket saver....

Its from Tube Monger and has some anti-vibration qualities. NOT CHEAP. I bought 3 Chinese ones for less than that one.