6L6 tubes

[Pelliott321]

I would like to give 6L6 tubes a try
since I do not need the power of KT88's anymore with my Volti 97db Razz
I can get Mullard reissue's, as well as Tung-Sol pretty cheap
are these any good
any suggestions

[David McGown]

According to Grover Gardner, the best sounding are the (New Sensor) Genelex KT-66. He has used them in his Modified Musicians Amplifier (modified Williamson design).

David

[Pelliott321]

Thanks I will take a look

[David McGown]

His experience with other 6L6 types is provided below:

The Sino KT66's sounded coarse to my ears but maybe they needed to break in. I have to go back and give them another listen. Tung-Sol Reissue is just a 6L6GC in a fat bottle, dry and uninvolving in my system. I have not tried the JJ's.

Tung-Sol 6L6G (coke bottle) is a nice tube, not as liquid as the Gold Lion but has a beefy, full sound that's kind of nice. The Tung-Sol reissue 5881 is a nice tube, has a big, sweet sound, but doesn't have the deep soundstage of the Gold Lion. The GrooveTube GT-6L6-R is a surprisingly nice tube, very sweet forward midrange but not as detailed as the Gold Lion. There are so many out there but those are the ones I've tried.

David

[Pelliott321]

a lot of people seem to really like the Gold Lion reissue
They seem to be around $50 each these days, not too bad

[SoundMods]

I would like to give 6L6 tubes a try
since I do not need the power of KT88's anymore with my Volti 97db Razz
I can get Mullard reissue's, as well as Tung-Sol pretty cheap
are these any good
any suggestions

The closest I ever came to the ca. 1950s Genelex KT-66s were the Chinese Golden Dragon KT-66s. The top photo. Highly recommended if you don't have the deep pockets for the real thing.

The real thing being the Genelex KT-66s with the carbon coating on the interior. The bottom photo.

BTW -- if you spend the $$$ for the real thing they're rated for 8,000-hours MTBF at full plate current. Running them at their "sweet spot" of 36-ma should afford you long-term reliability -- and I mean LONG.

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[Grover Gardner]

I would like to give 6L6 tubes a try
since I do not need the power of KT88's anymore with my Volti 97db Razz
I can get Mullard reissue's, as well as Tung-Sol pretty cheap
are these any good
any suggestions

The closest I ever came to the ca. 1950s Genelex KT-66s were the Chinese Golden Dragon KT-66s. The top photo. Highly recommended if you don't have the deep pockets for the real thing.

The real thing being the Genelex KT-66s with the carbon coating on the interior. The bottom photo.

BTW -- if you spend the $$$ for the real thing they're rated for 8,000-hours MTBF at full plate current. Running them at their "sweet spot" of 36-ma should afford you long-term reliability -- and I mean LONG.

I have a quad of Sino KT66's from TAD (Tube Amp Doctor). They are selected and well matched. They are very nice, with a midrange focus and crisp bass. The Gold Lions are very good but more lush.

Last edited by Grover Gardner on September 15th, 2021, 11:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Grover Gardner]

The Tung-Sol KT66's look like 6L6GC's to me and don't sound very nice--constricted and plain-Jane. The Tung-Sol reissue 5881 is a nice tube.

[SoundMods]

The Tung-Sol KT66's look like 6L6GC's to me and don't sound very nice--constricted and plain-Jane. The Tung-Sol reissue 5881 is a nice tube.

Just as a matter of information -- Tung-Sol the company does not exist. The rights to the name was purchased by a Russian tube manufacturer. Any experience I've had with a Tung-Sol wanna-be had been under whelming. My Cary's came with after-market Russian Tung-Sol 6SL7s and they were terrible. Kind of "scratchy and grainy."

[Pelliott321]

Golden Dragon KT-66s can be found for around $150 for a quad