Telefunken vacuum tube E88CC-TK; NOS versus brand new.

That's very generous of you Frogman, and I'll make arrangements to accept your offer.

Dave, this is not the first time I got these same kind of tubes. I don't want to mention who I purchased them from, but the tubes went bad, and they made things good. The second tubes didn't last as long, but long enough that I couldn't request my money back.

These present tubes came from a different source


        https://www.telefunken-elektroakustik.com/product/e88cc-tk-6922


It seems that who ever gets the tubes from the manufacturer has to take them through a lengthy screening process to deliver the best tubes. When the tubes sound good and the price ratio is 6 to 1 for NOS, I have to give some latitude.

I am 100% per cent in agreement about NOS tubes. There are so many factors that make this so, including the experienced people working on the line to manufacture them, that no longer exist.

For my Fosgate Sig phono-pre Musical Surroundings used to provide Chinese 6922 tubes whose principal quality was that they were especially quiet. The pre is all tube w/60db gain, no solid state, no SUT. The pre (while still great) has not been made or sold for a long time and those tubes are no longer available from MS. I keep looking for quieter and quieter, phono-pre quiet, 6922s at a good price. Any suggestions?

@melm- Upscale Audio tests and rates their tubes for noise, as do some of the other tube mongers.     Look for his, "Platinum" rating, for the quietest.                  https://upscaleaudio.com/pages/grading-matching     Brent Jessee’s noise testing procedure, about half way down this page: http://www.audiotubes.com/6dj8.htm       Can’t go wrong, with either of those sellers.

"For my Fosgate Sig phono-pre Musical Surroundings used to provide Chinese 6922 tubes whose principal quality was that they were especially quiet. The pre is all tube w/60db gain, no solid state, no SUT. The pre (while still great) has not been made or sold for a long time and those tubes are no longer available from MS. I keep looking for quieter and quieter, phono-pre quiet, 6922s at a good price. Any suggestions?"

melm-

I have the Fosgate-version 2. If you want NOS, 7DJ8 as another alternative.

 They can be found at reasonable prices compared to other 6DJ8's.  I use the Japanese Matsushita. Can't say I actually hear any improvement. According to the manual, the Foz himself says the 12ax7 in the V3 slot is the "money tube". Triode matching in both halves of the tube is important for that position, based on the manual.

I just took a look at what the tube I use is going for. It used to go for half of what it is now, when I purchased them just a couple of years ago. Still less than some of the others. The new Russian tubes are probably fine, and reasonably priced.