Best 6DJ8 tubes?

If you are looking for new production tubes (cheap) try JJ's E88CC'S (6922's). They are a fairly warm tube and fairly reliable. The EH 6922 is probably between the Sovtek (which is about as 'cool' as they get) and the JJ tone wise.

I like (use) a couple of NOS's the cheapest of which is the EI 6DJ8 (if you can find any), Tesla E88CC's, Amperex Bugleboys , and Seimans 7308's, but high quaility new, unused versions, are hard to get, expensive, and as John sez, for you they may not be 'best'.

For big $$$ I like Amperex 7308's...'as good as it gets" in my preamp. For a lot less $$$...EH 6922's are very nice (I just bought 4 of these to use in my DAC).

Dave

Anything will sound better than what you've got. For budget ones, try Gold Dragons.

New tubes take between 75-100hrs. to fully break-in. and even after that the sovteks are still not going to sound that good. If money is not an issue, nos tubes will sound the best. Particularly amperex 6dj8's made in holland in the early to mid 1960's and of course the siemens-halski are suppose to be the best of the best. Unfortunately, the prices are very high(anywhere from $200-$300 pr.)sometimes you can find for $150 pr.
As was mentioned before the electro harmonix's are not bad for current production tubes also, the 6h23 russian tubes are not bad for the money either($27.95 a piece) but for my money the matsushita 6dj8's are the best of the lot after the amperex, siemen's mullard's and they can be had for $30 a piece from the the Tubemonger.

I like my Telefunken 6DJ8s. They replaced Siemens/RCA 7308 gold pins.