Shootout of Nos 6sn7 tubes

I enjoyed reading all of the comments and comparisons.  Since I build a 6SN7 based preamp, I had to find a current production tube with the preamps and amplifiers as I could not offer them with NOS tubes of which I own most of them already.

We built a preamp with a resistor selector switch to enable the user to switch between resistors any time.  This was more effective and made a bigger impact than changing the tubes.  Think naked Vishay, Caddock, Audio Note, Shinkoh, etc.  It was also an easy way to adjust the sound for the different recordings.  Then we changed the voltage for the 6SN7 tube we finally decided on and designed the products around that tubes sonic signature to our liking for the products.

That solved the problem of which tube sounds best on what recording, the cost of purchasing NOS tubes, and made the design easier to implement.

Happy Listening. 

@bigkidz 


Thanks for your kind word and input.

 I fully  understand that amp maker can not use Nos tubes because of limited quantity available and variation among them.

But it is still fun to do tube rolling.

Now I have around 50 pairs of 6sn7 tubes.

30 pairs will be in just storage.

I will take turns at 20 pairs to taste different flavor.

As of now, my favorite tube is 1578 Melz made in 1980 (250$ net cost to me through Ebay dealer)

Thomas

@shking78 thanks  interesting read  I hae never tried that particular tube.  I have always found the Tung-Sol black glass round plates to be the most musical and magical.  I will have to try the 1578 Melz myself just for the fun.  I also found the CBS short bottles to be a bargain basement for the price.I used to love the tube rolling game and enjoyed having friends come over to listen or bring a tube to their house for a listen.  I also recently used the Tung-Sol 6SL7 in a buddies Dude preamp with excellent results - slightly more gain but retains the TS magic and mid-range sweetness.

Happy Listening.

I received my replacement set of 1578 tubes today and they sound fantastic. No crackling like I had with the bad one I received the first time. My air conditioning has been on so I don't have a good sense yet of how low the noise floor is with them, but they are a little bit more noisy than other tubes I've used. So far the sound is wonderful with music playing.

My pair of 1980 Melz 1578 from Olga arrived yesterday. After playing 8-10 hours background music in our living room system I sat down to listen.
WOW!
I'm ordering another set of Metz 1578 now. I also ordered a pair of 1954 Metz 6N8S. 
What I noticed…. depth, focus and groove. I'm not a huge Kraftwork fan but listening to Tour De France (2009) remaster (M) Tidal I was unable to surf the internet the music kept drawing me in!
Thanks for the heads up Thomas