[Creed]

I haven’t used 6sn7’s in 15 years and just picked up a power amp that uses these tubes along with kt88’s. The amp came with Shuguang WE plus kt 88’s and Shuguang WE 6sn7 plus.

I have a large stash of 6sn7’s from long ago. Ken Rad VT-231, RCA gray glass, Sylvania VT-231 and others

I know nothing of the Shuguang 6sn7 tube. I’ve listened to the Shuguang for a couple nights and going to try my NOS tubes tomorrow.

Would like to know others opinion on these new production Shuguang. Are they even in the same league with vintage tubes? Are they as good or better. What is the difference I should look for while trying to pick between new production and vintage.

 As of now they sound good don’t know if it is the amp or tube.

I’m in the process of matching it with a 6sn7 preamp so I would like to understand the nature of these new production tubes which I am very unfamiliar with. Any advice would be appreciated, thanks

[Tyson]

I have a ton of NOS tubes as well as several amps and a preamp that use them.  The Shuguang tubes you have are as good as any NOS tube.  Note, the Shuguang factory burned down so those tubes are no longer generally available.  Also note that the WE tubes are the top of the line Shuguangs.  They also made other versions of the 6SN7 that are not nearly as good.  Nice catch.

[JackD]

I thought the Shuguang WE's were terrible.  They only lasted in my Don Sach's preamp for a couple of days in then back in the box. I later tried them again in another system with my Supratek Chardonnay and my opinion didn't change.  Which of the NOS tubes you might prefer will depend on the rest of your system as the voicing of each brand is slightly different.  Like you I have a large box of matched pairs purchased in the early 2000's when prices and quality were much better.  So as you see it will come down to your ears in your system.

[Creed]

Jack these Shuguang WE are in a Don Sachs Kootenay amp, I’m picking up a Don Sachs preamp as well. So more of these new production tubes. What was it that you didn’t like, were they tipped up or not as smooth as you prefer. I hear they can have reliability issues when new while breaking in and can take out power supplies. Not good.

[JackD]

Forward and noisy.  I tried every combination of the four in the Input position and couldn't get a quiet pair.  That was in combination with the Van Alstine SET 400 which has a much higher than normal input sensitivity of 2.4 which should have mitigated the noise.  The speakers at that time were the 86db Fritz Carrera's. With the prices they were charging you could get a fully tested and guaranteed NOS tube from Andy.  Luckily like you I had plenty to choose from from all of the major players. 

[Creed]

Jack out of all your vintage 6sn7’s which one did you leave in your amp and stop tube rolling. I’m guessing it’s going to be Sylvania vt231 or RCA gray glass. I haven’t had a noise problem in the power amp, thing has dead quiet noise floor and quiet when you put ear on speaker.

[JackD]

In the Sachs preamp I ended up with Tung Sol GTB's in the driver positions and RCA GT's in the input slots.  I would suspect in the Kootenay changing the two 6SN7 driver tubes wouldn't result in a great change in sound but worth a try.  The closest thing I have that the Shuguang might compare to would be GE's which can be slightly right of neutral.  Going to RCA, Raytheon or even Ken-Rad might take you more to a warmer overall presentation.  From my testing over the years with the Modwright LS-100, the Sachs and the Supratek the Hytron 6SN7 GT's are the closest to neutral with the others being slightly in either direction from them.  Apparently Tyson and some of the others hear it differently but our rooms and systems are all different too. With both the Sachs amp and preamp you will have three pairs to work with to tailor to the overall presentation you like.  To my ears the differences in the various KT-88 brands has always been minimal. I've only ever owned two amps though that used them as the 8+ months of heat in Florida make them somewhat impractical to me.  I still own a set of tube Monoblocs that use KT-88's and 6SN7's but I haven't pulled them out in years.

[Tyson]

Forward and noisy.  I tried every combination of the four in the Input position and couldn't get a quiet pair.  That was in combination with the Van Alstine SET 400 which has a much higher than normal input sensitivity of 2.4 which should have mitigated the noise.  The speakers at that time were the 86db Fritz Carrera's. With the prices they were charging you could get a fully tested and guaranteed NOS tube from Andy.  Luckily like you I had plenty to choose from from all of the major players. 

Interesting!  I should note that I heard the WE's in a friends system (quite extensively) and I actually liked how forward and punchy they sounded.  He listened mostly to rock and roll so it was a nice match.  So much so that I bought a pair of WE's for myself.  But I've never gotten around to trying them out in my system, haha.  I should probably pull them out and give them a shot.  I mostly listen to classical, with some excursions in to pop, electronica, world music and jazz (in that order).  So I might not like it as much in my system.  If they are not quiet, it'll be blatantly obvious with my X3's, which are 97db efficient.  Anything not quiet is immediately banished! 

I can't speak to the KT88s because I'm really not a fan of that tube.  6550's are better at a similar power level.  But my true love is 6L6GC/KT66/EL34 tubes.  More magic in those tubes.

[JackD]

Agree on the El-34/KT-66/6L6GC family over the KT-88/6550 family.  My last pair of tube amps will run any of the six though with the expected drop of about 1/3rd in power.  You might want to break that pair of WE's out of the box as quality control is not a strength of Shuguang or most of their dealers.  You might just find yourself with a set of "driver" tubes.

[Tyson]

Agree on the El-34/KT-66/6L6GC family over the KT-88/6550 family.  My last pair of tube amps will run any of the six though with the expected drop of about 1/3rd in power.  You might want to break that pair of WE's out of the box as quality control is not a strength of Shuguang or most of their dealers.  You might just find yourself with a set of "driver" tubes.

I'll get around to it some day.  I'm so terrible, there's a ton of tubes I bought over the years that just sit in the boxes till I get an itch to try them.  Lately I've been on an SET amp kick so I've been rolling various 2A3's and 300bs in my amps.  I've also discovered I really like the 7n7 tube, which is electrically the same as a 6sn7, you just need an adapter to make it work.  It's quite the bargain.  I also found I really like the Japanese manufactured tubes from the 70's and 80's.  Very good sound for the money.  Of course I also have a ton of NOS Tung Sols and Sylvanias and RCA's, etc.... but those mostly just sit in the storage chest....

[JackD]

I hear you as I've dozens of pairs of octal and small signal tubes I've bought and never tried when the prices and quality were better.  After a while unless you keep a spread sheet you forget what you heard if you keep swapping them out. 

[Creed]

This is my first kt88 amp. I still have my el34 and el84 amp. I really enjoy the el34 I’m using Mullard xf1’s and 2’s and also have a couple quads of early 80’s winged c’s. What surprised me was I like the JJ in a el84 amp. I wasn’t sure about a kt88 amp but I’m really enjoying it. Time will tell. Big bass and clear as a bell very musical. I mostly use tube pre and solid state amp.I’m on gulf coast and it gets hot as hell. Sometimes the el34 can get a little slow but is still one of my favorite amps. I’m going to see what happens rolling 6sn7’s in a power amp not sure what I’m going to hear if anything. I know the preamp is where it’s going to obviously going to matter. I notice a lot of Dons amps use Shuguang tubes.

[Tyson]

This is my first kt88 amp. I still have my el34 and el84 amp. I really enjoy the el34 I’m using Mullard xf1’s and 2’s and also have a couple quads of early 80’s winged c’s. What surprised me was I like the JJ in a el84 amp. I wasn’t sure about a kt88 amp but I’m really enjoying it. Time will tell. Big bass and clear as a bell very musical. I mostly use tube pre and solid state amp.I’m on gulf coast and it gets hot as hell. Sometimes the el34 can get a little slow but is still one of my favorite amps. I’m going to see what happens rolling 6sn7’s in a power amp not sure what I’m going to hear if anything. I know the preamp is where it’s going to obviously going to matter. I notice a lot of Dons amps use Shuguang tubes.

Don's stuff is great, in fact my custom KT66 amp is based on his design.  He really knows what he's doing.  Also, my preference against KT88's is purely subjective, as I have 2 friends with very good ears who both prefer KT88 designs. 

You did the best thing, which is buy something of good quality and decide for yourself

[JackD]

My favorite tube amp of all time is still my EL-84 based Music Reference RM-10 that I've owned for 20 years and will never sell.  Dead silent and even with it's relatively low input sensitivity of .95 volts sounds great with the Supratek with the gain dialed back.  Need to break it back out as it easily drives the 93db Verity Otello's. Plus tubes last forever in it.