[Midnite Mick]

What is your favourite 6922 or equivalent input tube, and how it sounds in your system relative to others?

Thanks,
Mike

[ohenry]

I like Amperex PQ's or Amperex 7308's in my Vaughn Carina amp.  They are tonally balanced, detailed and clear.  I think their tonal balance sets them apart from others I've tried.  The 7308's seem to be a small notch above the PQ's in my amp.

[Steve]

Hi,

Alot depends on the design and parts quality etc, so it is very difficult to determine which tube is really best. For instance, the capacitors on the open market are not as good as custom caps that manufacturers can obtain. This one part alone will shift the results from one tube to another.

Hope this helps.
Steve

[Brown]

Hi,

Alot depends on the design and parts quality etc, so it is very difficult to determine which tube is really best. For instance, the capacitors on the open market are not as good as custom caps that manufacturers can obtain. This one part alone will shift the results from one tube to another.

Hope this helps.
Steve

 Agree 1005. There are NO best 6922s. Its all about synergy. Just keep trying different tubes. Now if you desribe the character of the tube your looking for we can help with that.


brown

[Steve]

Hi,

Alot depends on the design and parts quality etc, so it is very difficult to determine which tube is really best. For instance, the capacitors on the open market are not as good as custom caps that manufacturers can obtain. This one part alone will shift the results from one tube to another.

Hope this helps.
Steve

 Agree 1005. There are NO best 6922s. Its all about synergy. Just keep trying different tubes. Now if you desribe the character of the tube your looking for we can help with that.

brown

Hi Brown,

     I bet we have both heard too many claims over the years that this or that tube is best when the design and parts used was not considered.

Yes, we can give relative terms between tubes. I would, personally, then ask the poster what design and parts are used. For instance, if he posted X brand tube is bright and then find the poster is using a bright sounding coupling cap (let's keep it simple and say the rest of the design is perfect), then X brand tube may not be bright at all, but accurate.

Nice post Brown.
Steve

[tanchiro58]

It happened to my Promitheus Apollo preamp (was peviously using 6N1Ps but then modified to use with 6922s)
when trying different 6922s there were microphonics except 7308s (were spare one without names) with less microphonic but sounding better than other 6922s (incuding Telefunken Cca) until I replace Siemens PCC189s which are dead quiet and sounds very nice too. 

[markC]

I absolutely agree with Brown & Steve. Different tubes in different circuits will sound..well..different.
I'm just starting on the 6DJ8/6922 journey with a recently acquired DAC. As with all of my previous experiences, N.O.S tubes are the better performers so far. One exception to this is the 6N1P.
I've tried 3 different types  with the DAC so far and they are: Sovtek - stock, Philips JAN 6922 and Philips N.O.S SQ 6922 from the '60's.
My evaluation in my equipment is: Sovtek - O.K bass, subdued mids and restricted highs. Overall a pretty dark sound in my mostly tube kit.
Philips JAN 6922 - Same bass as above, better mids and highs - definitely an improvement for not a lot of $.
N.O.S Philips SQ 6922 - HUGE improvement across the board. Better, more solid bass, more liquid mids ,  extended highs. But - MUCH more $.
I just received a pair of Amperex orange world logo 6DJ8's, and will be giving them a go.
Problem is; when you switch coupling caps or even cables, it's a whole new experiment.

[anthony a.]

the best 6922's i used were the siemens cca.  very good also were amperez pq, 7308 white labels, etc.  i must have tried over 50 different 6922's in both an audio note dac as well as the aesthetix calypso preamp i owned.  i remember reading joe's tube lore on audioasylum which gave some great advice/insight on tubes.  you might want to check it out, i find his findings very accurate.

[jules]

Not mentioned so far are different international tastes ...

I've noticed there are parallels between the characteristics sounds of speakers, tubes and indeed the tone musicians choose to produce from their instruments.

The English sound is characteristically warm. Mullard tubes for instance, are described as having a "lush midrange". The German/European sound is sometimes described as "clinical" though I favour it myself and hence describe it as accurate  . The US seems to favor metal cone drivers and the amperex/philips tubes [no wonder the miniwatts are so expensive!]. The sound of Amperex is described as having a characteristic graininess to it and metal cones seem to me to match that tone.


jules

[markC]

Metal cone drivers? YUK, I'm running Visiton B200's with tweeters in a two way, 2k crossover set-up with IB woofers.

[jules]

  ... I wasn't talking about anyone specifically.

Just to make the topic slightly more worthy of the lab., I think there are some technical issues here. Tubes with frame grid construction are generally considered to be better than those that don't have it. It also seems to be the case that, as transistors started to put the pressure on valves, cost cutting caused a drop in quality. A late '50s or early '60s Siemens gray plate CCa is a very different animal to a mid seventies one with no splatter shield and the O getter suspended by a puny piece of wire for example.

jules

[pbrstreetgang]

I have a ton of the 6dj8 family and it realy depends on what system configuration and equipment its in. Your right about the general comment on the seimens same goes for the different Amprex. Some good all around are the older Jan Phillips for the price. To me I like having a bunch around but with the pricey NOS it really depends on the piece

[jules]

Yes, I agree with that. I guess the problem is that, if you're trying to figure out what's best in your own system it can get horribly expensive comparing a Siemens CCa with a Philips miniwatt, particularly if you don't like one of them!

A useful approach might be to try PCC88 tubes which have a higher voltage rating for their heater filaments [which can make them last longer at lower voltage], cost less and yet give you a good idea of the "house sound" or maybe ECC88 tubes which are totally ignored, also cheap but sometimes a bargain. Again, they are a good way to get an idea of the sound of that brand of tube. I'd suggest that an early ECC88 gray plate Siemens is a better tube than a late CCa Siemens and will be quite cheap if you can locate some.

jules

[jaywills]

FYI:

http://www.audioasylum.com/audio/faq/joes-tubes.html#6DJ8

Enjoy (no affiliation).  Cordially,

[Occam]

..... Do you think the tubes in a tube preamp can reverse compression in cds and vinyle recordings?

Indeed... and they'll cook you breakfast to boot! Is it true that tubes are prescient and know exactly how much compression is applied and applies its own isomorphic expansion to reverse it? 

Facilitators comment - Earwig, you seem to be reverting to type, an earwig... Keep up the trolls and you'll be booted from the Lab Circle. This is your last warning.

Regards,
Paul, Facilitator of the Lab Circle

[JoshK]

Doesnt the B.A.T. preamp use a Russian super ultimate military version of a 6DJ8 called 6H30 ?

The 6H30 is a different animal entirely.  It is closer to the 5687 then 6DJ8 family, but different still then the 5687.  The Russian equivalent to the 6DJ8 is the 6H23p (6N23P) and the 6N1P is close to the 6DJ8, but not quite exactly the same.

[markC]

Doesnt the B.A.T. preamp use a Russian super ultimate military version of a 6DJ8 called 6H30 ?

The 6H30 is a different animal entirely.  It is closer to the 5687 then 6DJ8 family, but different still then the 5687.  The Russian equivalent to the 6DJ8 is the 6H23p (6N23P) and the 6N1P is close to the 6DJ8, but not quite exactly the same.

6n1P has different heater current ratings, I believe. I do like the sound of them though - and they're cheap - relatively speaking. My friend's DAC uses them and so does my Decware Pre.

[markC]

I have the Amperexes in circuit now and running them in for a few hours. I'll listen to them tomorrow night and report between them and the Philips. Constuction of each appears to be identical except for the gold pins on the Philips.

[Steve]

If the comparison is between Amperex white labeled Bugleboy "D getters" and Jan Philips, I have found the Jans to be much "darker', if that is the proper term, in relation to the Bugles.

Cheers.
Steve

[jackthecat]

What is your favourite 6922 or equivalent input tube, and how it sounds in your system relative to others?

Thanks,
Mike

Hi Midnite . I have just bought a pair of Cyber 800s  and will be trying the 6922s I have already. I bought some PCC88s a while back for my Raysonic CD128 and will be trying them. I like the Siemens PCC88s best for the Raysonic (and yes they were affordable , not like Siemens CCA) , but I feel it might not be the same for the Cyber 800. A sentiment that has been refered to in this thread already. Will let you know how I get on. I have Tesla, Amperex, Mullard, Pope, Telefunken and Siemens to try. Will take me awhile as I still need to secure a preamp