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RE: 6SL7 - your experience with the Russian tubes?

Posted by ivan_terrible (P) on February 13, 2016 at 21:23:40

In Reply to: RE: 6SL7 - your experience with the Russian tubes? posted by maxhifi on February 13, 2016 at 17:19:17:

I wasn't intending to become an expert on Russian valves.
My experience is more in recording.
After I saw the vast amount of disinformation and nonsense surrounding Russian build quality, I found it interesting.

There is a lot of old stock about still.
I have no idea what was sold to you from Ukraine, maybe the dirt cheap "Reflektor" version below?

Most outfits in Ukraine & Bulgaria are just selling old USSR stock which has ended up all over Eastern Europe in vast quantities very very cheap.

People in war torn regions like Ukraine are trying to make a quick buck while their local currency goes down the toilet.

In 1 year alone the Rouble has halved in value, but of course that just means bigger profits for the Tung sol, Mullard, Genalex fake brand.

Here is some idea of what was available from Moscow & St Petersburg.

Next is the Xpo-Pul factory (also known as Reflektor) in Saratov before it became controlled by a yankee.

Eg. As far as I'm aware, one of the 6L6 Sovtek is the same as the design as from 50 years ago, so I can't see why the 6SL7 would be any different.

I'm far from being convinced this is true,-

It sounds far like just more marketing hype from a company that STOLE the Svetlana name and marque image, so that the real Svetlana couldn't even use their own name.

"New Sensor is an American corporation and since taking ownership of this factory has been steadily improving the quality of current production tubes."
If you look at the price USD $‎39.95 from one company, and "6SL7 Tungsol Gold $103.06" then I know personally what I think.

The old reflektor version above costs about 1 USD at the moment off the shelf.
That's about 100 for the price of one "Tungsol" rebrand.

I had a brief look at the Russian forums.
The Russian 6SL7 & 6SN7 was made from the 1950s until 1980s in vast quantities.
It was easy to find any number of the Melz ones for about 2USD recently, some as low as 50 cts.

The Russians had their own high quality film & recording industry to look after in Moscow (Mosfilm and Melodia), as well as the consumer Audio equipment centred on Riga Latvia.
Clearly if their parts had been inferior, we should have known about it by now.

The USSR block Lomo and Gefell microphones are highly regarded, but almost unknown in the west.

The wire ended valve I showed you before were often designed to survive 500g and the space & defence programs.
I doubt very much you will break one never mind find it microphonic!

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