6922 Tubes!


Hi everyone, There are many old threads about the 6922, I wanted to know what people are using currently that wont break the bank, ( ie...$150 per tube seems a lot). I need to buy 4 new ones for my phono preamp. Should I just order a set of tubes from the manufacturer (Manley Labs) it seems they like to use Electro Harmonics and they are very affordable, so what does a $100 tube do?? because the originals were pretty nice sounding. I just dont want to overspend on tubes for the unit/system im using them in.  Help.

Matt M
128x128mattmiller
I got a full set of Philips 7DJ8 from Upscale Audio and I'm very pleased with them in my Chinook. Especially at $40 a tube, the price wasn't bad at all. You can save a little money and try a pair on the input stage (rear tubes) of the Chinook. Eva told me that this is where you'll have the most effect on the sound.
I've got the same Phillips 7DJ8s as @kgturner in my BAT VK-3i (also from Kevin).  They sound fantastic and won't break the bank.  Definitely talk to Kevin.  He may have specific recommendations for your equipment and he won't try to steer you to something more expensive than you want.
I recently purchased a pair of white label Amperex 7308. While not dead quiet, the noise is minimal (only detectable within inches of the speakers) and not apparent when music is playing. More importantly, they are highly musical. Not cheap, but I only needed two.
Thanks for the suggestion @johnnyb53 , but it took a fair amount of trial and experimentation to settle on a combo that works for me. For TT set-up I'm using the AT150 cart with Audio Horizons TP 8.0 phono pre; and went through quite a few listening sessions with the preamp lid off. That way I could change out tubes in order to do some A/B/A type testing once deciding on a reference point. Were it not for the hassle of finding/packing them up, I'd give those 6N1P's to anyone willing to pay for shipping. As I very often say YMMV.