OK....let's just say I MAY audition a different tube. What's your choice for the smoothest 6922 NOS that's not going to break the bank?...

Thanks Will.

I think my amp has 4 and 8 ohm taps.

Wow, glad I opened a can of worms, I was ready to sell my amp.  The input tubes that I received appear to read(tuff, not clear) either 6H17 or 6H11 EB. However, the dates read 11-81, and 07-84, also "OTK1" on the tubes. Steve mentioned the 6299's that would be sent as replacement for 6N1p's are either Solvteks or EH's. Is it possible the quality of the input tube has little effect on the the sound? Maybe not as much as a tube "type" issue.  Seems unlikely but no experience here yet.  Not to break the bank, but I am waiting for a matched pair of Jan/Philips 6922's to test the waters and will chime in again. If anyone would suggest a 6922 with open, live sound I would appreciate it.   Hope this won't start me rolling off the deep end. Pun intended.    

Yes, you have 6N1P, that on the tube is the Cyrillic equivalent.

I have no suggestions for 6922 as I prefer 6N1P and have never run into distortion issues.

Thanks JD. I will have a look there. I have never felt that my Torii MK3 had the crankability it should and now I "think" I know why.

Hi Hipfan,
After being completely puzzeled by the tubes in my 6N1P box, I did some looking around. It appears that the tube in the 6N1p box is the Russian equivalent. In Russian, the N's appear as an H's and the "P" appears as a "pie" sign П п. Possibly no "P" n the Russian alphabet. The EV in the Russian tube is "EB". When I used the 6N1p, at the 8 ohm setting, my system  sounded superior to the 4 ohm, but still distorted.  Replacing it with the 6922, my system now gives me goose bumps in the 4 ohm setting. Base tight, most of the "boom"  is gone and plays at much higher db levels that are completely satifactory, 3-D clarity and transparency to beat the band and there is still quite a ways to go as this amp opens up.  I tried a matched pair of Jan/Philips 6922 and for under $60 bucks, I have something I can learn from, they sound great. The 6922 does not have as high a heater current as the 61np and as Steve indicated earlier, "It seems the 6N1P in a Zen TORII MKII or MKIII falls right on the edge of a window of operation where depending on how the tube tests, it could actually fall outside that window causing premature distortion.  The solution is to use 6922's, or at least avoid using 6N1P's in this amp."  It worked for me.  

C.E. wrote on 02/25/13 at 23:20:32:


It does appear that Steve is saying that some tubes distort especially with age or low values on testing. I've been lucky, I've always apparently received tubes that have good values and don't distort. The last few years I've been using the super-cryo'd from cryoset.com and I trust that tubes I receive from Ron there always have been tested, matched and are reliable; I've had great success with these tubes.

Tuff being an outsider looking in.  Finally in. Lon, missed your post, you had it, the tubes are labeled using the Cyrillic alphabet. Good info. Could, would someone comment on the significance of a 6N1P drawing more heater current than a 6299(other than the circuit being able to deliver it) as it may relate to the sound. Supposedly, these azbuka tubes have great linearity and longevity.  Can't give up on them, as said prior, maybe cryoset is the way to go.    

Awesome! Those tubes have a helluva reputation, my guess is you'll find a lot of good sound in them.