Great video! Great channel! Well done! I’m first a musician and songwriter recording artist but also repair and mod my own guitars and tube amps and like restoring old guitar amps and lately some vintage radios is my new venture as I needed a challenge and radios are a different beast than tube guitar amps in some ways! Just found your channel and amazing job with the tube Knowledge! Thanks. Sincerely, michael
I've been very lucky and found some Brimar 6sn7gts. A pair of grey plates and two pair of CV1988s. The latter are the nicest I've ever heard. I agree about the Sylvanias though: lovely, detailed and never tiring.
I have the Russian version of the 6NS7 in a Schiit preamp and a Nobsound amp and they sound great and the price is right too. I love this review of such a popular tube type. Now I have some other choices to make perhaps, but those Soviet tubes are pretty good. Nicely done. :)
Well I'm in it now! The Mullard 5692 tube I reviewed is in fact a Russian 6N8S rebranded as a Mullard (aka FAKE Mullard), made by MELZ, it's a tube I happen to like, But definitely not a Mullard 5692! A big thank you to Tube Maze for catching this! A future Tube Lab will talk about fakes!
Thank you for your explanation. I am looking to get a better sound stage from my Schitt Freya pre-amp. Yes I like good base and imaging. I am new to tubes so I am concerned about the plate voltage. How do I find out what the plate voltage is on my pre-amp? Headed to your website now
The short answer is ask the manufacturer if the 6SN7GT will work. However in a preamp (not a driver position in a power amp), they will almost certainly work just fine. Most designers of tube circuits, aim well under maximum ratings, the possible danger areas include power amps and guitar amplifiers, which are often run hot! Sorry for the delay in replying, some messages never appear - I just found this by accident.
It seems there is no 6sn7 made by European factories except by Brimar and Telefunken. The TFK ones were special orders by U.S. Army. Mullard had its own valves working similar or better than 6sn7 such as cv181 and ECC33.
I was surprised that you didn't note that the 5692 spec calls for a maximum plate voltage of just 275V and that it has a maximum plate dissipation of just 3.5 watts, well under the modern 6SN7GTA/B specs. Many modern circuits will overdrive a 5692.
Thanks for reminding everyone of that! I fit these videos into my valvesNmore work week, and even though I research and script each episode, I'm gonna miss something! In my defense I do regularly remind folks to check the specs of their tubes, specially the variants.
They are still being peddled by NOS stores as a 10k hour tube without stating if it’s kept to spec. With our normal gear, it’s back to perhaps 3k-5k hours or so again. Still ... they do sound good. The RCA Red Base are pricey though.
That is not the MELZ symbol, MELZ (Moscow Electro Lamp Works) is in Moscow and has a very different symbol (encircled M is best description). The five sided pentagon is the old symbol for the Novosibirsk plant/factory.
Thanks for catching that, clearly I goofed that up, back in the old days I was recording "one take" videos so couldn't do any editing if I mucked something up. When you first start filming (that was episode #10!) you have trouble remembering everything, nowadays there are two of us and we lightly edit the show and believe it or not we just finished episode #170, we still make mistakes but hopefully different ones!
Greetings. I tried contacting you through your website, but there was no confirmation that the message was sent after I hit “send”. Is there a better way for me to send my purchase request questions?
Sorry I'm not certain what your question is, probably lost in translation! Are you asking what equivalents are available to the 6sn7? The 6sn7 in the R8 is a phase/driver tube. The main voltage gain is the first stage 6sl7.
I don't have any in stock, I specialize in vintage tubes and the Psvane's are new Chinese tubes, the company was started by people from Shuguang, China's largest tube manufacturer. When it comes to the 6SN7, there are so many wonderful vintage tubes to roll, I don't see the need to buy new. That said if someone sent me a matched pair, I would certainly review them!
@@tubelab194 Well, they have a wonderful shape and size (it matters to those who appreciate design in modern equipment), and a very good sonic reputation in the audiophile community but, I agree, there are also so many great NOS out there.
No, in fact I've never seen one and it is one of the tubes I specialize in, so I don't think they're very common, it would be interesting to learn the date of the variant. Just to clarify for others - the holes are in fact vertical rectangular slots on the wings of each plate, they're made when the plate is assembled and are properly called rivets, though they are more like metal tabs folds over.
@@outboardfun3353 Tube Maze has a great write up on the 3 hole and he says "briefly made 1951-52" which explains why I haven't seen one. I currently have about a dozen in stock and checked them all, and they are all 2 hole versions and the dates are 1952 55 & 62 (when a date code survived!)
From my understanding or, per seller who makes a living selling tubes the two hole versus three hole configuration is pure hype. The hype was invented by other sellers to inflate the price/s of three hole tubes. I now shop for "Bad Boy two hole" and honestly cannot tell the difference. Common sense tells you another damn hole is not going to improve the sonics. Keep researching the 6NS7 and you will find very good performers at a reasonable cost. Now, be prepared to spend some money to get a good performer, but not @ a ridiculous price. Point is, the Sylvania 6SN7GT or GTA/GTB Bad Boy two hole is a damn good performer and you will have to pay anywhere from $150/200 for a pair of NOS. I even purchased 2 x 1578 = 6N8S = 6SN7 METAL BASE HOLE PLATES TUBES || NEW & NOS || MELZ || PAIR from Ukraine for $220. These are considered one of the best sounding tubes and i was not disappointed. On the other hand I also purchased 2 "USED" SYLVANIA JAN-CHS 6SN7GT VT-231 VACUUM TUBES TV7 TESTED for $99.00 and waited on them to arrive as we speak. Not the least bit worried about the sound or longevity.
This is a very good point, always check the data sheet if in doubt! Unfortunately the translated data sheets for Russian tubes are few in number and are often called into question (higher spec than advertised!) Many circuits using the 6sn7 will have the plate voltage set around 250vdc. Because of the lack of information, I have already tried the 1960ish-2000 Russian tubes, in my various custom pre and power amps. If they can survive my amps - and they do, they should be able to handle any circuit you would use a 6sn7gtb. The tubes I would be careful with are the older vintage Russian version of the 6SN7GT's, these date from 1940's and 50's. The same caution applies to ALL of the early GT's made in Russia or the West. Specially Sylvania "Bad Boys"!
6SN7gta or gtb (not earlier lower spec'd GT), according to Sylvania data sheet design center values (av. Max) class A, plate 450v, plate dissipation 5.0w each plate, 7.5w ***combined, cathode current 20mA. Plate dissipation is what you want to keep a close eye on.
@@tubelab194 dear sir, if to calculate 7mA on 265VDC anode (Anode resistance is 7700R) and 8.7DC cathode under ohms laws, how to ? Thank you very much. I am bad in mathmetics.
Excellent. Subbed. New Schiit Freya+ user waiting on delivery. Ordered your socket savers as plan some rollin’!
Great video! Great channel! Well done! I’m first a musician and songwriter recording artist but also repair and mod my own guitars and tube amps and like restoring old guitar amps and lately some vintage radios is my new venture as I needed a challenge and radios are a different beast than tube guitar amps in some ways! Just found your channel and amazing job with the tube Knowledge! Thanks. Sincerely, michael
I've been very lucky and found some Brimar 6sn7gts. A pair of grey plates and two pair of CV1988s. The latter are the nicest I've ever heard. I agree about the Sylvanias though: lovely, detailed and never tiring.
I love 6SN7 tubes. Thank you for this video.
I have the Russian version of the 6NS7 in a Schiit preamp and a Nobsound amp and they sound great and the price is right too. I love this review of such a popular tube type. Now I have some other choices to make perhaps, but those Soviet tubes are pretty good. Nicely done. :)
Well I'm in it now! The Mullard 5692 tube I reviewed is in fact a Russian 6N8S rebranded as a Mullard (aka FAKE Mullard), made by MELZ, it's a tube I happen to like, But definitely not a Mullard 5692! A big thank you to Tube Maze for catching this! A future Tube Lab will talk about fakes!
Thank you for your explanation. I am looking to get a better sound stage from my Schitt Freya pre-amp. Yes I like good base and imaging. I am new to tubes so I am concerned about the plate voltage. How do I find out what the plate voltage is on my pre-amp? Headed to your website now
The short answer is ask the manufacturer if the 6SN7GT will work. However in a preamp (not a driver position in a power amp), they will almost certainly work just fine. Most designers of tube circuits, aim well under maximum ratings, the possible danger areas include power amps and guitar amplifiers, which are often run hot! Sorry for the delay in replying, some messages never appear - I just found this by accident.
I’ve seen Mullard 6SN7GT. Seems it comes out of Philips’ factory in Eindhoven. Rare but there are some.
It seems there is no 6sn7 made by European factories except by Brimar and Telefunken. The TFK ones were special orders by U.S. Army.
Mullard had its own valves working similar or better than 6sn7 such as cv181 and ECC33.
I was surprised that you didn't note that the 5692 spec calls for a maximum plate voltage of just 275V and that it has a maximum plate dissipation of just 3.5 watts, well under the modern 6SN7GTA/B specs. Many modern circuits will overdrive a 5692.
Thanks for reminding everyone of that! I fit these videos into my valvesNmore work week, and even though I research and script each episode, I'm gonna miss something! In my defense I do regularly remind folks to check the specs of their tubes, specially the variants.
Thanks for heads up. I thought they were directly replaceable??
They are still being peddled by NOS stores as a 10k hour tube without stating if it’s kept to spec. With our normal gear, it’s back to perhaps 3k-5k hours or so again.
Still ... they do sound good. The RCA Red Base are pricey though.
You have an incredible voice. Ever think of getting into advertising/voiceover work?
Haha NO, my passion is tubes and building tube amplifiers, maybe that passion comes thru while I talk!
That is not the MELZ symbol, MELZ (Moscow Electro Lamp Works) is in Moscow and has a very different symbol (encircled M is best description). The five sided pentagon is the old symbol for the Novosibirsk plant/factory.
Thanks for catching that, clearly I goofed that up, back in the old days I was recording "one take" videos so couldn't do any editing if I mucked something up. When you first start filming (that was episode #10!) you have trouble remembering everything, nowadays there are two of us and we lightly edit the show and believe it or not we just finished episode #170, we still make mistakes but hopefully different ones!
Greetings. I tried contacting you through your website, but there was no confirmation that the message was sent after I hit “send”. Is there a better way for me to send my purchase request questions?
Hmmm the pass thru has worked flawlessly ... until now that is!
valvesnmore@protonmail.com
Great explanation sir.
Which 6sn7 tube is equivalent for low gain in Williston R8.
Sorry I'm not certain what your question is, probably lost in translation! Are you asking what equivalents are available to the 6sn7? The 6sn7 in the R8 is a phase/driver tube. The main voltage gain is the first stage 6sl7.
@@tubelab194 yes I was asking the same. Thanks for your help and time.
Very useful video. What is your opinion on the popular Psvane 6SN7 black/white/brown base?
I don't have any in stock, I specialize in vintage tubes and the Psvane's are new Chinese tubes, the company was started by people from Shuguang, China's largest tube manufacturer. When it comes to the 6SN7, there are so many wonderful vintage tubes to roll, I don't see the need to buy new. That said if someone sent me a matched pair, I would certainly review them!
@@tubelab194 Well, they have a wonderful shape and size (it matters to those who appreciate design in modern equipment), and a very good sonic reputation in the audiophile community but, I agree, there are also so many great NOS out there.
Have you listen to the Sylvania 6SN7GT 3-Hole some people say they sound better then the 2 hole?
No, in fact I've never seen one and it is one of the tubes I specialize in, so I don't think they're very common, it would be interesting to learn the date of the variant. Just to clarify for others - the holes are in fact vertical rectangular slots on the wings of each plate, they're made when the plate is assembled and are properly called rivets, though they are more like metal tabs folds over.
@@tubelab194 you tube won't let post a pic of one but if do a google search for them there's a lot a there
@@outboardfun3353 Tube Maze has a great write up on the 3 hole and he says "briefly made 1951-52" which explains why I haven't seen one. I currently have about a dozen in stock and checked them all, and they are all 2 hole versions and the dates are 1952 55 & 62 (when a date code survived!)
From my understanding or, per seller who makes a living selling tubes the two hole versus three hole configuration is pure hype. The hype was invented by other sellers to inflate the price/s of three hole tubes. I now shop for "Bad Boy two hole" and honestly cannot tell the difference. Common sense tells you another damn hole is not going to improve the sonics. Keep researching the 6NS7 and you will find very good performers at a reasonable cost. Now, be prepared to spend some money to get a good performer, but not @ a ridiculous price. Point is, the Sylvania 6SN7GT or GTA/GTB Bad Boy two hole is a damn good performer and you will have to pay anywhere from $150/200 for a pair of NOS. I even purchased 2 x 1578 = 6N8S = 6SN7 METAL BASE HOLE PLATES TUBES || NEW & NOS || MELZ || PAIR from Ukraine for $220. These are considered one of the best sounding tubes and i was not disappointed. On the other hand I also purchased 2 "USED" SYLVANIA JAN-CHS 6SN7GT VT-231 VACUUM TUBES TV7 TESTED for $99.00 and waited on them to arrive as we speak. Not the least bit worried about the sound or longevity.
@@donguin1885 Thanks you
I looked the datasheets for Russian tubes, but it looks like the plate voltage is 250 with 330max, not quite a GTB
This is a very good point, always check the data sheet if in doubt! Unfortunately the translated data sheets for Russian tubes are few in number and are often called into question (higher spec than advertised!) Many circuits using the 6sn7 will have the plate voltage set around 250vdc. Because of the lack of information, I have already tried the 1960ish-2000 Russian tubes, in my various custom pre and power amps. If they can survive my amps - and they do, they should be able to handle any circuit you would use a 6sn7gtb. The tubes I would be careful with are the older vintage Russian version of the 6SN7GT's, these date from 1940's and 50's. The same caution applies to ALL of the early GT's made in Russia or the West. Specially Sylvania "Bad Boys"!
does 6SN7 can run each section 7mA on anode? if yes, it means total 14mA (7+7) am I correct?
6SN7gta or gtb (not earlier lower spec'd GT), according to Sylvania data sheet design center values (av. Max) class A, plate 450v, plate dissipation 5.0w each plate, 7.5w ***combined, cathode current 20mA. Plate dissipation is what you want to keep a close eye on.
@@tubelab194 dear sir, if to calculate 7mA on 265VDC anode (Anode resistance is 7700R) and 8.7DC cathode under ohms laws, how to ? Thank you very much. I am bad in mathmetics.
@@nuttyl283 P=V/R, p=power measured in watts, v=voltage, r=resistance measured in ohms. So p=8.7/7700 p=0.00113 amps or 1.13mA