From the web: "Tung-Sol are recreations of some of the most popular Audio and guitar valves. The Tung-Sol name and trademark have been recently acquired by the New Sensor Corporation. This new production Tungsol tube is manufactured at their Xpo-Pul factory (also known as Reflektor) in Saratov, Russia. New Sensor is an American corporation and since taking ownership of this factory has been steadily improving the quality of current production tubes.
The Tungsol 6L6-G tube (30 W beam-power tetrode) is a large bottle tube type for the look and sound of 6L6 tubes used during the golden age of hi-fi in the 1940's and early 1950's. This reissue Tung-sol 6L6G tube is rated to 6L6GC specs for improved performance and reliability in modern tube amplifiers."
My experience and just opinion:
Pros: direct replacement of EL34/ KT66/ 6L6GC (same pin out, less heater current); strong construction; elegant; lack of microphonics; crystal clear mids, sweet and extended highs; 3D-focused; the less fatiguing tube I ever tested; doesn't require hot bias to run the best (16.4W/55ma); works perfect on SE and triode mode; plays voices more emotional than KT66 and EL34
Cons: overweight, larger than EL34/ 6L6GC; expensive (2x); less bass than EH 6l6GC that exibits more "fat" bass, more THD distortion than GL KT66 that runs somewere quieter; i didn't find nothing vintage in the sound (but just good sound)
...but be aware: only after a very long run-in (i.e. tens of hours), the valve will show all its qualities, so be patient...
So to me TS 6L6G and GL KT66 run the best, but if you need "bass" go for EH 6L6GC
Now let admire my night view.. this is by far umbeatable! 😛
The Tungsol 6L6-G tube (30 W beam-power tetrode) is a large bottle tube type for the look and sound of 6L6 tubes used during the golden age of hi-fi in the 1940's and early 1950's. This reissue Tung-sol 6L6G tube is rated to 6L6GC specs for improved performance and reliability in modern tube amplifiers."
My experience and just opinion:
Pros: direct replacement of EL34/ KT66/ 6L6GC (same pin out, less heater current); strong construction; elegant; lack of microphonics; crystal clear mids, sweet and extended highs; 3D-focused; the less fatiguing tube I ever tested; doesn't require hot bias to run the best (16.4W/55ma); works perfect on SE and triode mode; plays voices more emotional than KT66 and EL34
Cons: overweight, larger than EL34/ 6L6GC; expensive (2x); less bass than EH 6l6GC that exibits more "fat" bass, more THD distortion than GL KT66 that runs somewere quieter; i didn't find nothing vintage in the sound (but just good sound)
...but be aware: only after a very long run-in (i.e. tens of hours), the valve will show all its qualities, so be patient...
So to me TS 6L6G and GL KT66 run the best, but if you need "bass" go for EH 6L6GC
Now let admire my night view.. this is by far umbeatable! 😛
Attachments
Last edited:
Until about mid 2014 Parts Connection here in Toronto Canada was selling the
Tung Sol reissue 6L6G for $49.95 a match pair. I snapped up 2 quads when they
were having one of their 20% off everything sale.
Now I see they are selling them for more than double that price at $107 for a matched pair.
Tung Sol reissue 6L6G for $49.95 a match pair. I snapped up 2 quads when they
were having one of their 20% off everything sale.
Now I see they are selling them for more than double that price at $107 for a matched pair.
At the risk of being that guy (who am I kidding, I am that guy): Both frequency response and THD are determined by the circuit as a whole. The tube doesn't have a frequency response (in the audio range).
THD is a bit more complicated; if you run it open loop no NFB triode mode, then it matters how good the curves are. In most cases though, it's all in the circuit again.
In short: with a different circuit, you could get the opposite hearing impressions, or determine the tube tubes identical.
Yes. A valve has a frequency response which is fairly flat from DC up to VHF. There may be minor effects as the anode impedance interacts with OPT inductance, but I suspect most claims for "fat bass" etc. are actually distortion masquerading as perceptions of frequency response. In a different circuit at a different bias point almost everything is different.
Unless seriously faulty, output valves do not contribute significantly to circuit noise.
Unless seriously faulty, output valves do not contribute significantly to circuit noise.
A good way for the 6L6 GC is to use the 6L6 GC STR (Tungsol). Very good solution for replacing original 6L6 on Mac amp for example.
There is actually interaction between the output tubes and the transformer/load. For example weaker emissions will constrain the frequency response on both the top and bottom.
Thank you for the informative critics,
This tube is a must for addicts. Sweeter than EL34 ? are you joking ! got to have this right now!!!!
this is a godsend, thank you infinitely, I will also comment after I plug it in so many amps!
About 2/3 of the ones I've had spontaneously lost their vacuum.
They are nice looking up to that point, though.
Win W5JAG
They are nice looking up to that point, though.
Win W5JAG
It would appear that the posts by Mr Curwen and DF96 have been ignored.
... and 'rolling' 6L6 with EL34?? The optimal operating points are quite different! No wonder an amplifier will sound different with substituting these without any further adjustment! (I am often amused by the 'discoveries' of tube rollers, as if the original designers were stupid enough not to know which tube will sound best with their designs ....)
On a more positive note: I have at a time tested some 20 6L6GC-STRs and found a remarkable consistency (narrow spread). At my testing value of 70mA all were within +/- 3mA!
I wonder though why a discontinued 6L6G would suddenly be so wanted as to warrant reproduction; I notice internal construction is still with the innards mounted on a glass tongue with in-base leads criss-crossing somewhere in the base. Retooling for such a deviation from modern on-pin mounting would have been expensive, seeing the possible low demand.
It would appear that the posts by Mr Curwen and DF96 have been ignored.
... and 'rolling' 6L6 with EL34?? The optimal operating points are quite different! No wonder an amplifier will sound different with substituting these without any further adjustment! (I am often amused by the 'discoveries' of tube rollers, as if the original designers were stupid enough not to know which tube will sound best with their designs ....)
Yeah. When i was first introduced to the concept of tube rolling, I thought it was on the level of different brands of the same tubes, or different construction of the same tube (plate length, coating type), or different tubes in the same family - 12au7 vs. 5963 vs. 5814 for example. Or trying out soviet "equivalents" that have a slightly different spec, which is i guess the same sort of thing.
In instrument amplifiers it's a different game. Distortion is welcome and desired. Making the combination of instrument and amp do something different can result in a desired or at least interesting effect.
But in high fidelity amps? Just sticking things in because they have the same base? Nonsense.
It's all about the lore. hearsay and tales. "tone".
- Status
- Not open for further replies.