First off this started as a conversation between friends on what the best 6sn7 and equivalents were, and are some tubes worth the money. I built and donated four identical amps that I designed to highlight the 6sn7 sound, I also built the cables.
Tests are conducted with the help of some audio engineers using their lab, If people want to argue blind testing, I could not care less lol.
People who work in statistics also helped as well as specialists in other fields. One guy with a math phd kept jumping in offering opinions whether we wanted them or not lol The person who helped in recording the test music is near the top of his field.
I have sent some results to individuals but no, this will not be published. I do a lot of work with audio companies and the last thing I want to make public is one of their devices faired poorly in our tests.
Tubes are indeed user and equipment dependent but, we thought it might be fun for each of us to post results and then see if in blind listening each of us would place the tubes we so dearly loved at the tops of our own score sheets. Then the thought was, even if we loved it, will a group of others come up with similar results ceteris paribus.
Now along the way, people heard my test amps and wanted one, so maybe it is more than just a test device… Building a bunch of things bores me so I made every cabinet unique.
I also have a hard time telling people I like this tube or that amp, so it makes more sense to me if people I know might choose or not choose a given tube and a value can be placed on it. One tube might be a 97, another an 87 etc.
Before this I used to send tubes in PVC to friends who wanted to test their skills in picking out specific tubes, one person was able to pick 5 of 8, blind. Many said they all sound alike, so I decided to create an amp that might make it easier to differentiate.
My apologies, I didn’t mean my comment to be a criticism of your testing. I just meant that I’ve seen pages and pages of debate on other forums about how blind a particular test was, and it was tiresome to read. Just like any review, you take it in as a data point, and you either find the results interesting or not.
Anyway, I’d love to see the results of your previous tests.
No need to apologize, we spent a lot of time listening to opinions and theory before setting this up. This is simple compared to DAC testing.
I will see what I can find and may get back to you with at least the DAC tests. There are some pretty serious minded, scientific people behind the tests, we have fun, but when it gets down to the actual work, that is another matter. There are people that actually do things, and others who critique. If someone has a different opinion they can certainly set up their own tests, I respect the people involved in these.
I spent right at $1,000 setting up an eight tube test for one friend, this is a very costly venture lol. (Some of those eight ended up at Schiit for one of their shoot outs.) We have tubes from England, Germany, Italy, Russia, etc. We do not use similar tubes, a couple desirable Melz with similar internals made some high scores so we will only use the higher of the two. We bought backups when we could find them just in case.
@Paladin
Have you any experience with FOTON 6L6GC type of tubes? If so, would ones in the 60s be good quality? I’m looking at a matched quad for $75 delivered. I’ve really enjoyed winged c 5u4 type rectifier. Thank you. Is there a way of sharing email addresses without posting on here?
Here’s the answer to the tube quality difference between the 40s,50s,60s, and new production.
Who’s going to die if your stereo tubes suck?
50-80 years ago, people were relying on tubes for everything: medical equipment, computers (as they were), airplanes, ships (war and commercial), etc.
Solid state took over for durability and space constraints. Tubes weren’t needed anymore except in technologically less advanced countries…that situation ended 20 years ago. Little known fact, Russia was still using tubes in the early 2000s in the rockets, manned space ships, airplanes, and ships. I suspect it’s no coincidence that when Svetlana and Ei factories closed the Russians stopped using tubes…or vice versa. Svetlana became owned by New Sensor in a new factory.
As much as us audiophiles would like shuagang, new sensor and Svetlana to make better quality tubes, there’s no financial incentive. There’s no financial incentive because there’s no liability to creating mediocre tubes.
We are a small population of consumers, though generally a well off group. It’s highly unlikely we’re going to see tubes from the yesteryear being manufactured again. I hope this helps.
Building a bunch of things bores me so I made every cabinet unique.