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Wanted: "Red-tipped" 6N1P tubes (Read 4669 times)
Lon
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Wanted: "Red-tipped" 6N1P tubes
05/01/18 at 21:02:48
 
This year I have shifted my input tube usage from NOS American and US 6DJ8/6922 type tubes to using the 6N1P and 6N5P tubes that Steve supplies with the amps. I've built really nice complements around these for my Taboo amps and my CSP3s and SE84UFO3-25 Monoblocks. Frankly I could use some more and though I ordered a six pack of 6N5P from Steve last week, I got to wondering if there were any of my fellow forumites that have any of the 6N1P from Steve set aside gathering dust. I would be interested in purchasing some if you do. . . . You can PM me or email me at lonjazz@yahoo.com
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NormD
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Re: Wanted: "Red-tipped" 6N1P tubes
Reply #1 - 05/02/18 at 01:55:37
 
Lon:

I don't have any to sell, but I bought 24 6N5P's from this guy:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/8x-6N5P-Russian-Audiophile-Tubes-double-triode-tubes-Sa...

I'm using six of them in my ZMA and love them. I may put four in my Manly Chinook phono preamp.

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Lon
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Re: Wanted: "Red-tipped" 6N1P tubes
Reply #2 - 05/02/18 at 02:02:03
 
Hey Norm,

Yeah I have bought 6N5Ps from ebay, but the two that came with my Monoblocks from Steve are really special, really balanced and full sounding. So I ordered six from Steve for the ZTPRE, I have six ebay buys in there now.

Likewise I have a lot of 6N1P tubes, some cryo'd, some super cryo'd, many neither, but the ones that came from Steve in the ZTPRE and the one that came with the Taboo Mk IV are the best that I have in my amps.

I've become a believer in the "red-tip."
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alper_yilmaz
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Re: Wanted: "Red-tipped" 6N1P tubes
Reply #3 - 05/02/18 at 02:34:10
 
Lon,

What is "red-tipped" exactly?  I see in the pictures that it is self-explanatory physically, but is it a special production year, factory, or hand-picked by someone?

I ordered four 6N5P's from Steve just recently, and I wonder how they would sound different than the 6N1P's (I just realized one of them is red-tipped) and 6N2P's provided by him, and the Super Cryo Reflector 6N23P-EV's on my UFO.  So far, I am most impressed by the 6N2P...

Best,

Alper
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Lon
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Re: Wanted: "Red-tipped" 6N1P tubes
Reply #4 - 05/02/18 at 02:51:54
 
Alper, the red-tipped tubes are hand-selected and heavily tested by Steve on his testing equipment. Steve tests for characteristics of the tubes that many other suppliers do not, and as a result they are fully-operatonal tubes that he feels give the owner a great "baseline" to listen to and get to know and build from.

I've found that these tubes he supplies sound really good in my equipment and I've come to like the sound of 6N1P and 6N5P in my components again . . . I need at least 3 more of the red-tipped 6N1P to have a full set of these for my ZTPRE, my Monoblocks and my Taboo Mi IV. If no one here has them to sell I'll order them from Steve soon.

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Lon
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Posts: 23310
Re: Wanted: "Red-tipped" 6N1P tubes
Reply #5 - 05/02/18 at 03:25:39
 
Here's what Steve wrote about these tubes:

"Yes, once I have selected an ideal tube I red tip it to distinguish it from other tubes.  

The first thing I do is match the sections so that we have perfect channel balance.  

Then I check the harmonic distortion of each section to be sure it not only matches in total % but then also matches in harmonics.  Occasionally a tube (or tubes) will have an unexplained difference in each section on the 3rd or 4th or 5th harmonic.  

The tube is then run in and cycled a couple times to ensure stability.  

This series of tests not even the best tube tester can accomplish, so without these tests there is a certain degree of "unknown" with any tube.

We just want to start you off with the absolute best tubes possible so that you have a solid reference to compare with when or if you roll tubes.

Steve"
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Carlsbad
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Re: Wanted: "Red-tipped" 6N1P tubes
Reply #6 - 08/11/22 at 19:51:58
 
I just bought 4 6N5P tubes on ebay from a European tube seller and while it wasn't mentioned in the listing, they were red tipped.  Very good quality tubes that sound great.  I wonder if they are indeed premium or if the seller just saw this thread and decided to red tip his tubes?  These tubes were in the original packaging but were never sealed so there was no way to confirm that they hadn't been red tipped later.

Jerry
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BicycleJoe Lo-Fi
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Re: Wanted: "Red-tipped" 6N1P tubes
Reply #7 - 08/12/22 at 06:56:04
 
this is from the website of one of the premium tube dealers that I have been doing business with for 25 years, Andy at Vintage Tube Services. He is very fussy and he will not be hurried he has a backlog of business and he will not be rushed. Their prices are high, they stand behind all of their products YMMV

I also use other tube dealers because this man's backlog could take months just like the situation at Decware but when I need a EF86 tube VTS is where I go first. https://vintagetubeservices.com I have no financial interest or connection to VTS ( I wish I did)

Noise and Microphonics Testing at some Premium tube resellers
Because of the extremely high amplification factor and wide bandwidth of Hi-Fi audio systems, tubes used in such systems must be selected and matched to a far higher degree than almost any other use for which they were intended. The average, off the shelf tube is more often than not, useless for operation in the earlier stages of an audio system. With many of the later production tubes (when dies and maintenance of tolerances got looser and looser) an entire case of 100 tubes may only have 10 or 20 good non-microphonic tubes. The only way to properly test a tube for microphonics is by ear.

Rather than put noise and microphonics together as a general rating they are separated. As there is no place for any type of electrical noise in an audio system, any tube with any electrical noise above its thermal noise floor is immediately rejected.  That leaves microphonics, the tendency of a tube to pick up mechanical vibration and act as a microphone.

Microphonics Selection of Small Signal Tubes

Small signal tubes (12AX7, 6DJ8, 6SN7, ect.) are selected by  using a combination of:

(A) Very special, custom made, ultra low noise floor, auditioning and measuring units.

(B) Both vintage and current, commercial Hi - End gear.

Using this equipment small signal tubes are separated into four categories reflecting the job they do in a system. In a system using a low output moving coil cartridge the amplification factor can run in excess of 100.000 by the time the signal reaches the output of the power amp! It is very important to get this selection process right and this is one of the reasons this company was founded. (Because no one was/is doing it right). I know that no one else is doing any serious noise measurements on glass mini tubes because you CAN'T until you clean the pins! You cannot get a good enough connection to the tube with all that scale in the way to even check the noise floor!

Each small signal tube that is distributedhas a colored dot on the base or vacuum tip. This is enamel paint with an estimated 100 year life expectancy on the colorfastness so it won't rub off! The system is:

The Colors This dealer uses indicate

Color            Recommended Circuit Type Use      Recommended Max. Circuit Gain Use
Red      =      LOW Mic. LINE level tube      100 X
Red-Green      =      VERY LOW Mic. SUPER-LINE level tube      1,000 X
Green      =      VERY VERY LOW Mic. Moving Magnet PHONO input      10,000 X
Blue      =      ULTRA LOW Mic. Moving Coil PHONO input tube      100,000 X
NOTE:  The colors do not designate the quality of a tube.  They are only an indicator of its intrinsic Mic. level.

Power & Output Tubes

Power & Output tubes are tested a minimum of two times at this dealers business.  The test consists of the following:

(A) The first test is at the regular rated testing voltages using fully calibrated consoles (See Laboratory)

(B) The second test is a full ratings, metered torture test at full current and voltage, done with amplifiers to make sure the tubes actually "work" properly (as compared to "measure" properly because tube testers in general do not run the tubes at anywhere near the voltage and current that actual amplifiers do). Microphonics, noise, and other parameters such as plate and grid heating are also monitored continuously during this test.

Western Electric 300A Data Sheet https://tubedata.edebris.com/sheets/136/3/300A.pdf

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Waxspinner
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Re: Wanted: "Red-tipped" 6N1P tubes
Reply #8 - 09/02/22 at 08:48:02
 
Andy Bowman vts +1

That said, Andy would have nothing to do with those red tipped signal tubes. The ymmv many of us add to our recommendations is quite variable with this tube. Lon loves it and that's awesome. I find the tube to be thin and veiled. Maybe it's my room, tube complement or componentry. They have been fragile as well, which is why Steve is so thorough with his testing. As I recall, he tosses 10 or more for every one he keeps.

Good luck
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