[Emil]

Guys
As the title suggests, I dont have clue what to try in place of the Sovteks that came with my integrated. If you ask me what I'm looking for, I couldnt tell you I dont know where to start? All that i do know is that everyone keeps telling me to replace the Sovteks

I came across this tube vendor  http://thetubestore.com/6dj86922types.html

Can anyone describe the sonics of any of the tubes listed here?

I would need 4 tubes. I guess a matched quad would be needed?

[BillB]

EH6922 are very nice for the price.

If you wanna spend, Amperex A-frames are affordable...kinda...they are smoother than the EH but the EH will get you 90% there with 70% less cost.

[Tyson]

This guy knows his stuff:

https://www.tubeworld.com/6922.htm

I like Amperex and Siemens best, with RCA, Sylvania, and Mullards a step down.  I've never heard the Telefunkens, but they are supposed to be class leaders.

[BobM]

6922's are used in many many places and, because of that, the NOS ones are priced dearly. Of course the best thing to do would be to try out a few different brands and see which works best for you and the sound you are looking for. now back to reality.

I would suggest first going over to www.audioasylum.com and looking at Joe's Tube Lore in the FAQ section. Then call Levi and see if he has a few extra's lying around that you can try (he hoarde's these things I believe  ).

Bob

[Les Lammers]

What amp are you using? Tubes sonics are often circuit specific. The JJ 6922's get high marks and will not break the bank.

[Freo-1]

What amp are you using? Tubes sonics are often circuit specific. The JJ 6922's get high marks and will not break the bank.

Possibly, but the problem with those is that there is no assurance that they will not go microphonic within a short time after use.  Jim Mc Shane won't even stand by them for that, and he really goes out of his way to ensure customer satisfaction.

I would seriously look at Amperex/Mullard 6DJ8 with the dimple getters. They tend to be less microphonic and long lasting.  You need to get them from someone who's trustworthy. The guy at tubeworld and vintage tubbe services are both trustworthy (but not cheap).

One other thing to consider is the 7DJ8.  They work in most applications, are generally non-microphonic, and not too expensive. Radio Electric Supply has NOS Valvo 7DJ8's for reasonable money. 

[markC]

My fav's are Amperex. I currently use the orange globe 6922. They're not cheap though. I bought several sets of tubes from Brent Jessie. Again, not cheap, but never had a problem with any of the tubes I've purchased from him.

[Les Lammers]

Your hybrid amp uses 4 6922's. Before I did anything I would find out if the tubes are run hard and what the 4 tubes do. Are two of them buffers, pre amp etc. Do not equate price with sonics. What do you NOT like about the sound you have now? It is possible that two different 6922's will give you the sound you prefer.


http://www.valveaudio.co.za/products_predator.htm

2 of the tubes are cathode followers and may or may not impact the sonics.

[jules]

I completely agree with Les on horses for courses.

There's been a few votes above for the Amperex orange globe A frame and they are a very good tube that doesn't quite cost the earth. I thought I had a photo of one but can't find it so this is 6es8 A frame. it at least gives you an idea of the A frame and the "dimple" getter up the top. The sound of these A frames [in 6922 form] is very tight. Sometimes I fell they have a slight steeliness to them but they do strings and orchestral work well so maybe it's just accuracy  ?



I use Telefunkens in my pre-amp and in my opinion they are very clean and accurate while still still having the required tube warmth. The photo below is of some PCC88s. These tubes have a higher heater filament voltage rating than 6992 but are a good option if an amp is hard on tubes as they'll give longer life using a lower filament voltage. The PCC88s look the same as the ECC88s [6922]



Here's a tube that should be good. It looks great with that red paint job and it has GOLD PINS [well, gold plated] along with a classic internal design that is highly regarded. It also comes from the Heerlen works which made some of the best. Unfortunately, in my system they sound highly overblown with all sorts of odd distortions at the edges.



Siemens are highly regarded and highly priced but if you can find something early like this '61 ECC88 with plain pins, the sound is very good. The later GOLD PIN types tend to go for silly prices.



Amperex D getters usually command stratospheric prices but if you can pick up something like this, they are interesting. The sound is very warm and quite magical in a way though I still believe the Telefunken and Siemens tubes are probably more true. If you can find a used pair of these at a reasonable price, they are an interesting reference though given their age and rarity they aren't really work-horse tubes:



Here's a construction to avoid. This is a late "Telefunken". In the seventies, Amperex and Siemens made some pretty good A frames but after that things went to the dogs. The picture here could be better but what you can see compared to the above pics of Tele and Siemens is that the wire supporting the upper O getter is thin and the design has been simplified in other ways. I think these are sometimes described as fakes but I suspect they were simply made under licence after the Telefunken factory closed.



The above is just a sample of the possibilities but it's possible to buy good 6922 type tubes without paying the earth if you avoid the mainstream and look for slightly less fashionable types.

Jules

 

[bunnyma357]

I'm currently using some NOS Russian tubes that I got on eBay. They sound good and were pretty inexpensive. I tried both Reflektor 6n23p-EV's (beefier military variants) and Voskhod 6n23p's, I ended up prefering the cheaper Voskhods in my system (Onix SP3).

Used tubes on eBay can be a way to try some of the pricier tubes that would cost a fortune for NOS.


Jim C

[smk]

The 6922/6DJ8/ECC88 tubes I would recommend are the JAN-Phillips tubes at the Tube Store if you need a matched pair only. I don't think they come in matched quads from the Tube Store.

These have a good price/performance ratio. Although not the absolute best, the price is realistic. Some of the NOS tubes may have better reviews but are salty, price wise.

Another store to check out is: https://www.tubeworld.com/index_high.htm

[markC]

I would agree, as I did progress through the Jan Philips. The Amperex, however are much sweeter. My opinion, my kit, of course.

[Listens2tubes]

I've read alot of good things about the Russian 6N1P variant, but have not put them to use yet.

[markC]

Be carefull with the 6n1p as they draw a lot more heater current.

[PhilNYC]

6922's are used in many many places and, because of that, the NOS ones are priced dearly. Of course the best thing to do would be to try out a few different brands and see which works best for you and the sound you are looking for. now back to reality.

I would suggest first going over to www.audioasylum.com and looking at Joe's Tube Lore in the FAQ section. Then call Levi and see if he has a few extra's lying around that you can try (he hoarde's these things I believe  ).

Bob

http://www.audioasylum.com/scripts/d.pl?audio/faq/joes-tubes.html

[JoshK]

I've read alot of good things about the Russian 6N1P variant, but have not put them to use yet.

6N1Ps are not really an equivalent of a 6DJ8/6922.  They are similar yet different enough to not work in many cases.  You should know your circuit before blindly using them.  6N23Ps, however, are indeed 6922s. 

[JoshK]

I would need 4 tubes. I guess a matched quad would be needed?

I think two matched pairs would be sufficient.  There is really no reason why the one pair should match the other.

I gathered an idea of the topology from this

the Predator provides state
of the art signal processing using classic cathode follower and plate-loaded techniques

What this means is one tube is gain and one tube is buffer for each channel.  The critical tubes are the gain tubes.  Buffers generally add very little character of their own.

[Emil]

I would need 4 tubes. I guess a matched quad would be needed?

I think two matched pairs would be sufficient.  There is really no reason why the one pair should match the other.

I gathered an idea of the topology from this

the Predator provides state
of the art signal processing using classic cathode follower and plate-loaded techniques

What this means is one tube is gain and one tube is buffer for each channel.  The critical tubes are the gain tubes.  Buffers generally add very little character of their own.

Josh

So if I understand both you & Les correctly, I can get away with a pair of inexpensive tubes such as the Sovteks for the buffer tubes. For the much more important gain tubes, thats where I should spend the money. Should the gain tubes be matched?


Thanks to all that have contributed to this thread

[JoshK]

Josh

So if I understand both you & Les correctly, I can get away with a pair of inexpensive tubes such as the Sovteks for the buffer tubes. For the much more important gain tubes, thats where I should spend the money. Should the gain tubes be matched?


Thanks to all that have contributed to this thread

Exactly!

[flintstone]

I use Amperex 7308's and 6dj8's in my preamp and DAC...IMHO, the 7308's are the best of the best ($$$$).  For a whole lot less money, I like the new EH-6922's a lot...I would go there first.


Dave