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RE: 6922 question.

Opus 33 1/3,

For those who don't like suspense and a lot of history and explanation, the answer is: Tungsram E88CC red label, late 60's to late 70's.

Since 1987, I was always looking for 6DJ8 family tubes for an Audio Research SP10 of certain quality. Like the Audible Illusion Modulus, the SP10 pushes the wrong choices to quick destruction, they need to be extremely quiet in the phono stage, and of course the various aspect of the sound had to be good: natural timbre, dynamic, open, and a strong soundstage.

Early on I learned that the best sounding tubes were 6DJ8's, that The more rugged the tube, the less open and dynamic,but I found that is the tube was also very energetic and punchy- a bit forward it compensated. I ended up buying quite a few- experimentation was not as expensive in 2001:

6DJ8 [17] 4 ln, 2, 8, 3 TOTAL: 99

6- Philips Miniwatt E188CC- Holland- NOS -VR5
2- Philips SQ E188CC- Holland -NOS- VR9
5- Valvo E188CC- Holland- NOS
2- Valvo E188CC- Holland- NOS
5- Amperex Globe-ECC88 A frame-NOS
3- RAM- ECC88 SA ln Ampx A frame-NEW
6- RAM - A std- Ampx - A frm- NEW
4- RAM -AA std- Ampx A frm -NEW
5- Amperex White Logo ECC88 USED
8- Amperex Orange Globe ECC88 USED
2- Harma 6922- 6H23EB- NOS
10-Russian 6DJ8- NOS
14-Russian -NOS
1- Amperex Bugle Boy ECC88- USED
28- Tungsram E88CC- Red- st pins- Hungary- NOS 69-79
2- Siemens & H E88CC- A-frame, gp- Germany- NOS
1- Siemens & H E188CC- Germany -NOS
2- Siemens & H- E88CC- splatter- Germany - NOS
1- Valvo E88CC- Red label, Holland- NOS
1- Philips E88CC- Holland- NOS
1- Siemens E88CC- NOS
2- Valvo E88CC- white label- NOS
2- Amperex US CEP E188CC- ANOS
3- Gold Aero 6DJ8- Amperex A-frame- Holland- USED (SP10)

After a lot of fuss, I ended up settling on early-mid 60's Valvo E188CC for the phone gain tubes, Siemens E88CC splatter shield for the line stage gain tubes. Then as NOS started to become very expensive, I bought a few Tungsram E88CC red label (military) as they were supposed to be copies of the Siemens and were both good sounding and rugged.

They turned out to very good sounding and rugged. I tried these in the SP10 phono stage and every one I tried was quiet and 95% good enough sounding. The sections were among the best matched I'd ever seen- none were more than 2% or so off- probably within the accuracy of my tester. You see in the list above I was impressed enough to buy a lifetime supply- 28. I think those cost about $25 or so from a Hungarian dealer Zeitman Tubes*** in 2005 or 6 and I highly recommend them.

***http://www.zeitmann-tubes.com


Cheers,

Bambi B

My motto: "Why use just one word when twenty will do just as well."


[Oracle III_SME V_AQ 200 / Dual 1219_Grado M141 (78 cartridge) / McIntosh MR67 /Cambridge Audio 640C v2 > Audio Research SP10 > Audio Research D115 > Vandersteen 2C (AQ King Cobra IC / AQ Rocket 88 speaker / AQ NRG power cords / Powervar 12A power conditioner]


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