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If you were a tube preamplifier manufacturer

We all know NOS tube prices are increasing and getting hard to be obtained day by day,there are several new production power tubes accepted fine performer such as Gold Lion Reissue KT88 and KT66,Shuguang KT88 SC, EH 6CA7,JJ KT77, etc.. among the audiophiles.
If you were a tube preamplifier manufacturer,which type and brand preamp tube you would choose from the new production tubes and why?,considering
its linearity,frequencies band from top to bottom, noise and microphonic clearness ,dynamic and rich midrange spectrum,etc.. ( I find some tubes are noisy or microphonic some has great top end but loose the bass region or just the opposite ...)
Is there any new production preamplifier tube being great performer like the new production power tubes mentioned above?
Thanks
ben
ben OP
66 posts
 
Thanks for your inputs,Thorman, EI is also added to the NOS category since it has no production currently,yes Cruz as I have indicated there are a number of
very good current production power tubes but still I wait for any specific recommendation for preamplifier tube worth to produce a preamplifier around it, ie EH 6922 or JJ 12AU7,etc..
rodman99999
6,206 posts
 
I would have to choose one of these, as they are the only current production, small signal tubes that come close to the performance of the cream of the NOS crop: (http://www.euroaudioteam.com/ecc803s.php) (http://www.euroaudioteam.com/ecc88.php)
swampwalker's avatar
swampwalker
5,138 posts
 
Redman- have you actually used the EAT tubes yourself? Lots of folks are interested in hearing about their performance, esp considering that I'm told that their cost is up there with the good NOS tubes.
apachef1
164 posts
 
Western electric 417A simply the best
redwineaudio
32 posts
 
Hi Ben,

For our Isabella tube preamp, which uses two 6922 tubes (one dual-triode per channel), I decided on the JJ E88CC (6922). http://www.jj-electronic.sk/

Why? I compared it to the equivalent tubes from Sovtek, Electro Harmonix, and some Chinese equivalents. The JJ E88CC had a less aggressive top-end (it was detailed, but sweeter) and more fullness in the mids (and I liked the vocals better) compared to the other new production tubes that I mentioned.

However, in different circuit designs, perhaps one of the other tubes would have been as good or even preferred. You should listen to as many brands as you can and then decide which gets you closest to the sound that you are after, and then voice the circuit (brand of caps, resistors, wiring, etc.) around that tube to optimize it.

Of course I still have plenty of customers who much prefer some of the finest NOS tubes in this tube family (e.g. Amperex 7308s, Siemens CCa's, etc.), as mentioned in our forum on audiocircle. The tube rolling is a big part of the fun for many of our customers, and I have to agree that it allows you to really fine-tune the sound. And there are some that end up in love with the resulting sound with the stock JJ tubes and don't want to change a thing! :-)

Cheers!

Vinnie Rossi
Red Wine Audio
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