LampizatOr Horizon - Tube Rolling Paradise

[dminches]

What tube is that?

 

[Golum]

What tube is that?

?????? ?????? ??????? 5c3s

 

[Willgolf]

New Tube --Phillips Mullard ECC 81 / 12ATZ. First impressions. I like it a lot. Full-bodied tube. Big sound. The vocals are really good. I need to compare it to my Brimar 13D9.
I have two more that I just received but I am waiting for Woo Adaptors for RCA 6922 Gold Pins from Germany in the 60's and Bugle Boy ECC 88.

 

[Steve Rowan]

Could someone explain the difference between
Tungsol 6SN7 GTB and the
TS JAN CTL 6SN7 GT ?
Sonically?
Will they really sound much different? Similarly priced it seems. I bought the 6SN7 GTBs a while back. Apparently I ordered the wrong ones.
What is the significance of the JAN CTL and most importantly the extra B behind GT?

And if they are almost the same tube at the same price why would a company build so many variants that apparently fit the same sockets, and can be interchanged electrically?

I don’t know much about tubes and all the mysterious black plates, square getters, side getters, triple mica and many other variants than I could ever hope to list are interesting and one wonders why? Is there a book somewhere about the history of vacuum tubes and how they evolved

 

[Sablon Audio]

@Steve Rowan - some good reading here

6SN7 TUBES IN STOCK

 

[Bbock]

Could someone explain the difference between
Tungsol 6SN7 GTB and the
TS JAN CTL 6SN7 GT ?
Sonically?
Will they really sound much different? Similarly priced it seems. I bought the 6SN7 GTBs a while back. Apparently I ordered the wrong ones.
What is the significance of the JAN CTL and most importantly the extra B behind GT?

And if they are almost the same tube at the same price why would a company build so many variants that apparently fit the same sockets, and can be interchanged electrically?

I don’t know much about tubes and all the mysterious black plates, square getters, side getters, triple mica and many other variants than I could ever hope to list are interesting and one wonders why? Is there a book somewhere about the history of vacuum tubes and how they evolved

The 6SN7 Identification Guide

0. Introduction & preamble FEEL FREE TO POST REPLIES TO THIS THREAD!!! Found a mistake? Have a suggestion? Got photos you want to share? Send them all to the following email address: 6sn7gt-at-gmail-dot-com (just replace ‘-at-‘ and ‘-dot-‘ with ‘@’ and ‘.’ respectively. DIE, SPAM...

www.head-fi.org

 

[Steve Rowan]

Wow. Thanks. Lots of good information. Now I’ll be an expert too. At least with 6sn7 tubes.
I wonder how the PSvane and other new equivalents compare to the older tubes? It seems like they are not held with the same esteem.
How do the VT99 tubes compare to 6sn7?

My Dude preamp used 12sn7s. Can they be used in Horizon and anyone using them?

 

[Tuckia]

Wow. Thanks. Lots of good information. Now I’ll be an expert too. At least with 6sn7 tubes.
I wonder how the PSvane and other new equivalents compare to the older tubes? It seems like they are not held with the same esteem.
How do the VT99 tubes compare to 6sn7?

My Dude preamp used 12sn7s. Can they be used in Horizon and anyone using them?

Psvane CV181 won’t be in the same zip code as old Mullard CV181 (ECC32), but probably ok.

In other equipment I liked the Shuguang BT CV181, but have none to try now.

Tung-Sol VT99 are smooth and organic, much smoother than 6SN7 Bad Boy Sylvania. Not as much detail up top or as tight way down low, but have more mid bass fill. Nice with some systems, maybe a little dull in all tube systems. Needs adapter.

12SN7 won’t work. Wrong voltage.

PM me if interested in Tung—Sol VT99 (1945) with nice Woo adapters or Thompson csf 5687 open plate.

 

[Sampajanna]

I tried the TS 6SN7 and found them dark, with slightly loose bass. I found the metal base Sylvania 6SN7 much better In the Horizon, at least in my syStem. I highly recommend these Sylvania metal base. They are an excellent tube.

 

[Steve Williams]

I tried the TS 6SN7 and found them dark, with slightly loose bass. I found the metal base Sylvania 6SN7 much better In the Horizon, at least in my syStem. I highly recommend these Sylvania metal base. They are an excellent tube.

I went from Lukasz favorite the Bendix 6900, then the Thomson 5687 and finally the TS 6SN7 GT CTL 231 round plate and dark glass. In my system it’s everything that it wasn’t in your system. I stopped rolling there and have found 3 NIB matched sets. So yes it is system dependent as well as one’s preferences. One man’s passion is another man’s poison

 

[Sampajanna]

I went from Lukasz favorite the Bendix 6900, then the Thomson 5687 and finally the TS 6SN7 GT CTL 231 round plate and dark glass. In my system it’s everything that it wasn’t in your system. I stopped rolling there and have found 3 NIB matched sets. So yes it is system dependent as well as one’s preferences. One man’s passion is another man’s poison

Indeed, certainly system dependent, but I also took these TS 6SN7 up to my headphone amp (Cayin HA-300) and found the same issue. I am not saying these are bad tubes or that they are super dark with loose base, but relatively so. They are dark and loose on the bottom compared to the Sylvania metal base and the EEC31 w/adapters that I have here. This is true in both systems and is relative. The TS are certainly better than Psvanne, RCA and other tubes I have here, but they are a tad dark and the bass is loose relative to other tubes. I also have the TS VT99s with Woo adapters and they have the same issue. I recommend trying ECC32 and Sylvania metal base. You might be surprised by both/either of them. I could be dead wrong (wouldn’t even be the last time today , but I would wage that if you compare ECC32 or the Sylvania metal base they will stay and TS will go….

 

[Sampajanna]

P.S. The Horizon is epic with any tubes, even the stock….

 

[Steve Williams]

Indeed, certainly system dependent, but I also took these TS 6SN7 up to my headphone amp (Cayin HA-300) and found the same issue. I am not saying these are bad tubes or that they are super dark with loose base, but relatively so. They are dark and loose on the bottom compared to the Sylvania metal base and the EEC31 w/adapters that I have here. This is true in both systems and is relative. The TS are certainly better than Psvanne, RCA and other tubes I have here, but they are a tad dark and the bass is loose relative to other tubes. I also have the TS VT99s with Woo adapters and they have the same issue. I recommend trying ECC32 and Sylvania metal base. You might be surprised by both/either of them. I could be dead wrong (wouldn’t even be the last time today , but I would wage that if you compare ECC32 or the Sylvania metal base they will stay and TS will go….

the other thing that you haven't mentioned is the synergy of the 6SN7 with the other tubes used. I strongly disagree about your comments about the bottom end of the TS being loose. It just isn't the case in my system. What I look for is NOT something that stands out but rather top to bottom linearity To me if something is standing out, it is coloration and that is not part of my system

Yes everything is system dependent but so also is how one set of tubes sounds with other sets of tubes . I would bet you that if you kept your favorite Sylvania 6SN7 and changed your rectifier and pentodes your Sylvania will sound completely different. I say that again because your comments about your experience with TS in your system is no where near what I hear in my system

 

[dminches]

Indeed, certainly system dependent, but I also took these TS 6SN7 up to my headphone amp (Cayin HA-300) and found the same issue. I am not saying these are bad tubes or that they are super dark with loose base, but relatively so. They are dark and loose on the bottom compared to the Sylvania metal base and the EEC31 w/adapters that I have here. This is true in both systems and is relative. The TS are certainly better than Psvanne, RCA and other tubes I have here, but they are a tad dark and the bass is loose relative to other tubes. I also have the TS VT99s with Woo adapters and they have the same issue. I recommend trying ECC32 and Sylvania metal base. You might be surprised by both/either of them. I could be dead wrong (wouldn’t even be the last time today , but I would wage that if you compare ECC32 or the Sylvania metal base they will stay and TS will go….

Can you post a picture of the Tung Sols?

 

[Sampajanna]

Yes. It could be system dependent or even these tubes. I have the same configuration as you Steve, as I followed your advice (which is why I got the TS in the first place). I have KT170s and a Tak recti. To my ears the metal base Sylvania and ECC32/31 sound better. Maybe it’s to do with other elements in system. Maybe your Wilson’s are brighter than my Marten and so the darkness of the tube balances perfectly at your house and not at mine. Or perhaps something else. I trust that you are happy. That is what matters in the end… I would still love to hear what a shoot out between metal Sylvania and/or ECC32 resulted in at your house.

 

[Sampajanna]

Can you post a picture of the Tung Sols?

 

[Steve Williams]

Here's a photo of one of my sets

tempImagee2Qxr2.png

whatsbestforum.com

 

[ctydwn]

Hmm...@sampajanna those look quite different than my TS JAN CTL 6SN7 GTs...
which are incredible... and leave nothing wanting in my system (especially in the bass).... w/ their pairing of course.

 

[Steve Williams]

Hmm... those look quite different than my TS JAN CTL 6SN7 GTs...
which are incredible... and leave nothing wanting in my system (especially in the bass).... w/ their pairing of course.

whose....mine or Sampanjanna

 

[Steve Williams]

this is the other side of mine....

tempImageaqNIZG.png

2, Tung Sol USA JAN CTL 6SN7GT, VT-231, round plate, match pair #2, 6SN7GT

whatsbestforum.com