Your go to 6SN7 tube

Most all early Sylvania are good. The brown (micanol) based 6sn7wgt/wgta are very good.
5692's red or brown based are an option but getting very expensive these days, most anything 5692 in a black base are suspicious, although Brock @heiney9 actually found a real legit pair of black based triple mica 5692's.
To be honest most all made from the mid 40's to the late 60's Sylvania, RCA and real CBS are all pretty good.
My favorite tube!

You have to try early 60's Foton Russian tubes (6H8C or 6N8S). I have been extremely surprised at what a great sounding, well built reliable tube this has been. Great extension, solid accurate bass, excellent sound stage. midrange warmth They really surprised me. They have the whole package. I haven't taken them out since they went in.

Something like these would be excellent!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/275811374601?_trkparms=itmf=1&aid=1110018&rkt=12&mech=1&algv=CompVIDesktopATF2V6ReplaceKnnV4WithVectorDbNsOptHotPlRecallWithSiblingandIrrelevanceFilterCpcRecalls&pmt=1&amclksrc=ITM&sd=187006263336&sid=AQALAAAAEOiVwud8Po6HTmYZ2ePLQTw=&itm=275811374601&noa=0&plcampt=0:11307587017&algo=HOMESPLICE.COMPLISTINGS&brand=Foton&asc=20250821123744&ao=1&rk=4&pid=101196&b=1&mehot=none&lsid=0&meid=a79ecbc0c59049f2bfd6fb7a41dd84ff&pg=2332490&_trksid=p2332490.c101196.m2219&itmprp=cksum:275811374601a79ecbc0c59049f2bfd6fb7a41dd84ff|enc:AQALAAABUMUvgDKdCytvSuzPQhC%2Bw2CP2naUm5XI3nM4JkZsdORH5h9J8wjywxHnEcf8gWeIm8vrzsuo7Jmp3eTMfOiPLKPgzkBDpEGuur6u0m9iMTG2ZV3Ya0fyyJ1ozeRAjG5IeCZtnS8iWGkZjiGP%2BEFm0R6cYFDuQczMpJIHgrz35QAXRs67aozNR0kGHovOFNYM2vDNdpJKS3PVWl%2FjDN5PrEF8kEASkpNaOTyhV73nVnq5kQSPGUUlijFP%2FeiUcausyGEr3%2BocKKXCceq%2FZPOo88p4AKbrgmozFcznk%2BY6NQ32ZTJAgR1jyi4VM%2Fi09x37SvwxXHPHM74ZKmAxp5ln3oYH9lVS54k7zHm0iQVHMAXP0jFjDW4cAiNK0l2BVL9H7eRLdxfF3a73XnuocMF2dt5ioPIM6fO5GZHp%2BT2EtvEi3YIGrT0kB9hZta4HYPhNUw%3D%3D|ampid:PL_CLK|clp:2332490&itmmeta=01KJ819JFH4FY6XT8VCGRMKNA6

WOW! That's a long link, does it work...lol. I don't know how to make it smaller. Those are excellent tubes!!

The other superb Russian Tube is the MELZ 6H8C black plate with 3 holes. They are pricey, usually in the $149-200 range.

https://tubemaze.info/melz-6n8s6sn7-holes-in-plate/

USA favorites are the Tung-Sol 6SN7GT Black T-plate Mouse ears mica and Sylvania CHS 6SN7WGT, brown base.

H9

heiney9 wrote: »

You have to try early 60's Foton Russian tubes (6H8C or 6N8S). I have been extremely surprised at what a great sounding, well built reliable tube this has been. Great extension, solid accurate bass, excellent sound stage. midrange warmth They really surprised me. They have the whole package. I haven't taken them out since they went in.

Something like these would be excellent!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/275811374601?_trkparms=itmf=1&aid=1110018&rkt=12&mech=1&algv=CompVIDesktopATF2V6ReplaceKnnV4WithVectorDbNsOptHotPlRecallWithSiblingandIrrelevanceFilterCpcRecalls&pmt=1&amclksrc=ITM&sd=187006263336&sid=AQALAAAAEOiVwud8Po6HTmYZ2ePLQTw=&itm=275811374601&noa=0&plcampt=0:11307587017&algo=HOMESPLICE.COMPLISTINGS&brand=Foton&asc=20250821123744&ao=1&rk=4&pid=101196&b=1&mehot=none&lsid=0&meid=a79ecbc0c59049f2bfd6fb7a41dd84ff&pg=2332490&_trksid=p2332490.c101196.m2219&itmprp=cksum:275811374601a79ecbc0c59049f2bfd6fb7a41dd84ff|enc:AQALAAABUMUvgDKdCytvSuzPQhC%2Bw2CP2naUm5XI3nM4JkZsdORH5h9J8wjywxHnEcf8gWeIm8vrzsuo7Jmp3eTMfOiPLKPgzkBDpEGuur6u0m9iMTG2ZV3Ya0fyyJ1ozeRAjG5IeCZtnS8iWGkZjiGP%2BEFm0R6cYFDuQczMpJIHgrz35QAXRs67aozNR0kGHovOFNYM2vDNdpJKS3PVWl%2FjDN5PrEF8kEASkpNaOTyhV73nVnq5kQSPGUUlijFP%2FeiUcausyGEr3%2BocKKXCceq%2FZPOo88p4AKbrgmozFcznk%2BY6NQ32ZTJAgR1jyi4VM%2Fi09x37SvwxXHPHM74ZKmAxp5ln3oYH9lVS54k7zHm0iQVHMAXP0jFjDW4cAiNK0l2BVL9H7eRLdxfF3a73XnuocMF2dt5ioPIM6fO5GZHp%2BT2EtvEi3YIGrT0kB9hZta4HYPhNUw%3D%3D|ampid:PL_CLK|clp:2332490&itmmeta=01KJ819JFH4FY6XT8VCGRMKNA6

WOW! That's a long link, does it work...lol. I don't know how to make it smaller. Those are excellent tubes!!

The other superb Russian Tube is the MELZ 6H8C black plate with 3 holes. They are pricey, usually in the $149-200 range.

https://tubemaze.info/melz-6n8s6sn7-holes-in-plate/

USA favorites are the Tung-Sol 6SN7GT Black T-plate Mouse ears mica and Sylvania CHS 6SN7WGT, brown base.

H9

Yes, but everything past the "?" is tracking cr@p and is best deleted.
All you need is: https://www.ebay.com/itm/275811374601
The rest is just giving information to the enemy.

They seem to be plentiful, but the $$$ went up.

I have a new toy which takes 6n1p and 6h6p Russian tubes. As well as 6dj8/ecc88/e88cc, etc. I have known about how good the older 6n1p can be in my Dared MP5 clone. But I've now gone down the rabbit hole for all the variants of 6n1p including the rare 3 mica bp. I have the V the I and EB (EV) designations. As well as the various 6h6p tubes, box anode, square getter, gold grid, etc. From Voskhod, Nevz Foton, etc.

Not to mention a couple 6h8c's

The older Russian tubes are excellent, well built, can sound fantastic and rival the best of the best. There aren't a lot that are direct subs. Only the ones I mentioned. 6h9s is the 6SL7 equivalent and the 6p6s is the 6V6 equivalent

I now have (3) Shiit pieces of tube gear and looking at a 4th for the main rig. Most recent is a Schiit Valhalla 2 OTL headphone/preamp. Uses (2) 6N1P or (2) 6dj8 and (2) 6H6p's. Paired with the Pass Amp Camp Amp, wholly moley . Arriving today is a Schiit LYR+, uses one 6SN7 or 6H8C. Part of the Fusion series that also runs in SS using depletion mosfets. You can switch between SS or Tube

Newer Russian tubes late 80's-thru now are not as well built, don't use the same materials and in "general" don't sound quite as good. The early ones can sound excellent.

Another damn rabbit hole.........I may need help

H9

P.s. I just took delivery of a quad of 1961 Amperex BB 6DJ8, lg halo from Heerlen.

I have been running a pair of Linlai E6SN7’s in my Aric Audio Motherlode II for the last 3 years. I like them so much,I purchased a second pair as back up. The Linlai’s unseated the very popular Ken Rad dark glass VT231’s. The Ken Rads are definitely great tubes. I find the Linlai’s to offer better detail,and bigger soundstage.

RCA 5692, any Raytheon, Sylvania 6SN7WGTA tan base. Lots of good NOS options readily available.

Toolfan66 wrote: »

Glorious!!!