2. amps-preamps
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Small or big tubes/valves for pre amp ?

Hi guys, have been thinking about going to a tube pre with a solid state amp.

I have a hybrid intergraded amp with small tubes in pre section, I am no expert in tubes, but know my way around the 6DJ8 / 6922 / ECC88 variants where I have preferred the Mullard tubes with my amp.

The pre amp that I have my eye on is the Don Sachs model 2, it uses bigger tubes and I am told that the bigger tubes have better sound than the 6922 variants I am used too.

Would appreciate if someone could enlighten me about the difference in sound signature between these tubes, I believe that Don uses 6SN7 tubes. http://www.dsachsconsulting.com/custom%20line%20stage.html

Thanks!



gryphongryph
analogluvr
859 posts
 
Best preamp I have ever heard uses the 6N1P
grey9hound
1,112 posts
 
@rodman99999
My statement should have been that the Sylvania 6SN7 do no re-produce bass very well. They are fantastic at almost Everything else
I think you understood what I meant. Take techno music for example . Most of it has a lot a Bass. I also understand that a lot of tube amps are not heavy hitters in the Bass dept.
Some people may not notice it too much... ????
But below is the real problem with 6SN7s  IMO as well as Many other's opinions too 

The only one I really liked sonically was Tung-Sol black glass round plate VT-231, but they’re so hard to source with any decent life left - and again, good luck with noise


gryphongryph OP
378 posts
 
This worries me a bit to hear, although I am no bass freak, I like tight bass, using a solid state power amp instead of tube power amp make any difference?
rodman99999
6,156 posts
 
"...opinions..."   Exactly!
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,817 posts
 
This worries me a bit to hear, although I am no bass freak, I like tight bass, using a solid state power amp instead of tube power amp make any difference?
'Tight bass' isn't natural bass, FWIW. It usually occurs in stereo systems where the woofer is overdamped.  6SN7s have no worries playing bass- no tube does- any tube can go to DC.

****************
IME/IMO, the worst of the 6SN7s are as good as the best of the miniature tubes. When you get a good 6SN7 no miniature tube competes. We use 6SN7s in all our preamps. We used to use miniatures in our amps decades ago, but when I discovered that 6SN7s were back in production, we switched over to them and never looked back.


Microphonics can be an issue, but that is true of all the miniature tubes too- in particular the 6DJ8/6922 family. BTW, the 12AU7 and 6CG7 are based on the 6SN7. The latter is literally a 6SN7 in a mini envelope; the former has half the plate area but similar geometry and so acts very similar on paper, but neither sound as good as the real thing.


Andy Bowman has been supplying our customers with good tubes for a long time.


We've been getting feedback on the TJ Music, Black Treasure Psvane and Sophia. They are universally liked, in particular the former two; with comments like "the best of all the NOS tubes rolled into one without the weaknesses". That's a pretty serious statement- but we hear it a lot. We have found though that the Sophias have been short-lived in comparison.
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