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In Reply to: e-bay posted by Les Lammers on August 20, 2002 at 06:33:57:
"A little high"? Yes, Rog is a good seller, the price isn't his fault. But jeez, they aren't even the same dates, and I still don't understand why people insist on paying so much for a rather mediocre sounding tube.He took a good picture, though. The bases look really red. That will attract a good price from the fashion concious.
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A mediocre tube in what application , Robert ? Differential , cascode , phase splitter , input stage , in your amp , in my amp , what ? Don't lead others in your conclusions , I'm sure this type is very good sounding in the right application but still very pricey . Anyone paying this much for a 6SN7 needs their head examining , in fact paying $50 for a 6SN7 is a joke ! People don't realise though , that they are buying and fuelling the hype and little else for this variant .
Sort of like Real Estate Location Location Location Supply and demand...
In general, when talking 6SN7's we are talking about them either as preamp tubes or as input/drivers in an amp. Not as a phase splitter or other not as critical application.Contrary to some popular views, I find that the character of a tube is it's character, regardless to a great extent of the amp it is in. Certainly a tube will sound different at different operating points. And certainly what is best for one amp may be worse for another. For example, if one is looking to offset a bright tweeter and needs stronger bass, the KenRad Vt231 would be a great choice. If one has a bass demon amp already, and needs more extension on top, the KenRad would be a bad choice. That is because the character of the KenRad will be consistent between applications, but not every application mates well with it's attributes.
The RCA 5692 has certain attributes that no application will correct - although they may be just the ticket for some situations. They are rolled off on top, have somewhat weak bass, and aren't overly dynamic. That's their character. In the right application that may translate into great sound. That may be just the sound some people are looking for in their equipment combined with the types of music they prefer. But there are many other 6SN7's that would probably work better, and for much less cost. The 5692 (which isn't actually rated identical to a 6SN7) is priced more on looks and hype than performance reality. Also, it's reputation as a 10,000 hour tube is totally false - that is only at ratings far below a typical 6SN7 application, when used as a 6SN7, it has no greater expected life.
Hey Robert H.,
Could you please expand about the phase splitter comment. I have found good performance with first circuit in the amp to be both volt amp and phase splitter, exactly a common cathode, Schmitt type, which feeds a PP driver stage. The better the performance of the tube here the better the amp sounds. I've tried everything from a 6SL7 to a 5687 here and the 6SN7 sounds really good even used stuff. I hae measured the amplitude and phase of the signal on the driver's grids and the better sounding tubes all are the best phase splitters. Anyway, I am a fan of the 5691 in first position, haven't gotten a good '92 yet. Your comments are appreciated.
regards,
Douglas
Douglas, an interesting comment! I should really have not said "non-critical", as every tube has sonic impact. I really meant that as a general rule, the drivers should have far greater impact.I would venture a guess - the 5692 and 5691 have two great virtues - they are quiet, and they are electrically accurate. I suspect - but of course can't prove - that the two halves are better isolated from each other also. This would make a great phase splitter, and will make the driver upstream sound better.
I appreciate the comments, have been experimneting with driver tubes of late. By accident, mostly, I executed a circuit that is very easy on tube swapping. Been trying 6BL7GTA and 6BX7GT in driver position( instead of 5687/6900 ). Sweet sounding tube, the 'BL7 is. The X7 is a bit drier sounding, but I suspect that higher current( running at about 7-8 mA/section now)and lower load it would really sing. I am exceeding the 6.3 V heater amperage by nearly an Amp but the rest is at some fraction of rated current so I think I'll be OK( Ha, we'll see...)
regards,
Douglas
Tube fashion? Rog is a good guy, maybe the bidder just has to have the red shoes, I mean tubes. It's just fun to watch these auctions.
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