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6SN7 variants circa 2019 - tone, longevity, reliability, value

Greetings all -

I’m very interested in hearing from those of you who are using equipment with 6SN7 tubes to hear your thoughts on what the best options are here at the end of 2019. Please do not simply post a comment stating that all modern tubes are garbage - I’m not interested in hearing the same old tired complaints.

I’m especially interested to hear from those who have compared the new production Chinese variants to the NOS "tried and true" champions. I’m interested in hearing your thoughts about *Tone*, reliability and value.

I’ve been trying to get a handle on the Shuguang & Psvane tubes. Many folks rave about them sounding better than virtually all the famous NOS tubes. However, I’ve also run across quite a few posts where people state that they failed much earlier than expected.

It also appears that the Chinese tube manufacturers have gone crazy, creating multiple flavors of 6SN7 tubes. My recent searches have turned up:

The Psvane C-181-T11 Mk IIs - grey internal coating.

The harder to find previous Black Treasure C-181Zs which some found better than the first gen C-181 T11s, but they are out there. Black internal coating.

I know Audio123 loves his "Western Electric "421" repro WE6SN7". Awesome and it makes me very curious. I notice, however, that these can be found in *various sizes* on ebay. What’s up with that?

Grant Fidelity is offering a special *limited edition globe version* of 6SN7SE.

There is also the Cossor version of globular 6SN7, with black internal coating.

Also a new "British" version of 6SN7. This is probably designed to appeal to those of us who are lusting after some unobtainium NOS Brimar tubes.

I could continue, but it would be tedious.I’m very interested to hear from those who have used any of these tubes for an extended period and how they are holding up.

Finally, what about reliable sellers on ebay? What happens to the tubes that fail screening? Do they end up on ebay after having been taken out with the trash?
128x128markusthenaimnut
markusthenaimnut's avatar
markusthenaimnut OP
371 posts
 

@noromance 

Thanks for posting your update. And thanks for the link to the tnt-audio review. I hadn't seen that.

It has been almost three years since I started this thread. And a year and a half since the last update by @atmasphere . Time flies! Now Grant Fidelity no longer carries the Shuguang tubes and has moved on to the Linlais.  Wow. Who'd a thunk there'd be all these changes in the world?

Anybody else want to share their thoughts? Thanks - in advance - to any who do...

noromance's avatar
noromance
9,766 posts
 

@markusthenaimnut 
They still have these on their website.
Grant Fidelity Treasure Globes

markusthenaimnut's avatar
markusthenaimnut OP
371 posts
 

@noromance 

Wow. You're right! I'm kind of surprised that they do. $399/pair. Yikes!

Anybody 'round here compared the Shuguang tubes to the Linlais?

Post removed 
danmar123's avatar
danmar123
441 posts
 

I was running a set of Shangs with psvanes in my Don Sachs pre that have about a thousand hrs. on them. That combo which in fact worked for me at times, then pulled the trigger on G/F Global E (4) & tried every combo between them. After about 100 + hrs. on the Globals, my system has never sounded so good! I also have NOS, KR, Sylvania both JANs, but their a different flavor of sound. 

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