Shootout of Nos 6sn7 tubes


I will have shootout between TS BGRP, RCA vt231, KR vt231, Syl vt231, Raytheon vt 231 and "Bad boy" next weekend.

If I get MELZ 6N8S 6SN7 Metal Base next week, then I will also include it in shootout


RCA5691, Psavne Acme 300B, Psavne Acme 805 are also being used in Line Magnetic 508 amplifier.

Speaker will be Lansche 4.1 with plasma tweeter.

Digital source will be Dave and HMS fed by ripped CD stored in ssd drive of Cocktail audio x30.


I will play

Eva Cassidy's 'Autumn Leaves"

"Trinity Sessionn " by Cowboy Junkies

For classical orchestra, "Trittico" directed by Fennel.

"Still harry after all these years" will be for fusion jazz.

Any more suggestion gentlemen and ladies.

Thomas
128x128shkong78
My search for a pair of 6SN7/6F8G’s for a Supratek Chardonnay preamp continues. I’ve tried the Shuguang WE6SN7, early and late ‘50s CBS Hytron’s, and wartime National Union and grey glass Sylvania 6F8G’s. Of those, my favorite are the Sylvania’s, which offer a fine mix of sonic features I like, including a moderate degree of warmth.

Today I’m about 10 hours into a pair of genuine metal base NOS Melz 1578’s, sold and given initial few days burn in by someone in the States who had collected quite a few, resoldering the pins to ensure the best sound and long life. I have to say that this pair has great clarity, good tonal accuracy and a very nice sense of rhythm. Playing the old (1994) Sheffield/XLO Test and Burn-in CD, the 1578 renders the Doug Sax/Roger Skoff stage walk-around the clearest and most realistic I’ve heard over the years. However, what I haven’t heard yet is a sense of life or “alive.” I would characterize it so far as dry, uninvolving, boring in the sense of the music just passing by when not paying attention to the other characteristics (which I prefer not to focus in most of the time). Similarly, in the 6SN7 double blind shootout posted on Audio Head, three of the four panel members characterized the Melz as “dead” (the three liked the wartime grey glass RCA GT the best). Will have to see what develops, although “life” is not usually something that develops with burn in, but is either part of a tube’s DNA, or not.
If I could still edit my post, I’d note that the 1578 is highly rectifier dependent, at least in my set up. I’ve now tried three— potato masher, Fivre and Brimar 5R4GY’s with increasing warmth and presence, although w/o entirely overcoming the emotional distance that dryness gives the sense of. 
@highstream 
I'll be curious to read your thoughts after you play around with the tube rolling in your Supratek when you return to the stock tubes from Mick. I have really enjoyed tube rolling in my Cortese but could easily live with the preamp outfitted with the stock tubes.  They're really good and strike a very nice balance with all the important characteristics I look for when rolling tubes. 
Right now I tend to roll between CBS 5692s and Ken-Rad VT-231s. Only because I'm too cheap to step up to the Melz 1578s, the Psvane CV181s and I missed out on the Shuguang WE6SN7 plus tubes with the extra tall glass.
 I've got a lot of love for the 6SN7 and the Supratek!
if you try the shuguang black treasure cv181z IMO are like or better than the psvane

I missed also on the we6sn7, apparently great tube
I switched from Melz 1578 to RCA vt231 in Line Magnetic 508 for fresh air.

Wow, there is more air floating around Altec A7.

The strength of Melz 1578 is deep and impactful bass, wide and deep soundstage with pure but slightly less treble.

While my Chord Dave Dac sent to AS center for repair, I had been using EMMLab Dac2 which give more organic and impactful sound than Dave.

Dave and Mscaler combo give more details and pinpoint imaging in 3d space.

With Dave and Mscaler and Lansche 4.1, I prefer Melz 1578 to other 6sn7 tubes made in USA.

But with EmmLab Dac2 and Altec A7, I prefer RCA vt231 to Melz 1578.

I may switch back to TS bgrp 2 weeks later.

Although I have 3 pairs of RCA vt231, I have only one pair of TS bgrp which is damm expensive for small input tube.

It is kind of mix and match.

There are no best tubes for everyone.

Vintage audio tubes are like vintage wines.

As some people collect lot of varius wines, I collect vintage tubes.


You may choose a tube depending on system and your mood.