Description
6SN7/12SN7 Tubes
Caution! The first generation “GT” tubes are substantially lower spec’d than the modern “GTA & “GTB” tubes and in most cases are not suitable for modern gear. The exceptions include our Universal 6or12SN7 Kit Preamp, vintage gear made prior to 1952 and modern amps designed for the lower specifications of the GT.
Trevor Van Tiel (verified owner) –
Jim is nothing short of fantastic! His knowledge and recommendations are top shelf. I have bought quite a few tubes from Valvesnmore. I have been very pleased with the service Jim has provided. Looking forward to doing more business with Jim in the future. Stay safe and all the best folks!
Rachael Warlond (verified owner) –
Willsenton R8 + Sylvania 6SN7 + MELZ 6SL7 + Mullard 6CA7 = fantastic value and the best I’ve heard the R8 sound. Thank you Jim for your recommendations and fantastic service as well.
William Zapata (verified owner) –
I bought a pair of the MELZ 6SN7 tubes. I have bought different tubes from Jim. The experience is always seamless and enjoyable. Even answered questions to help me troubleshoot some issues I was having. Great set of tubes and makes the R8 that more enjoyable. The place where I go to get my tubes is Valvesnmore and I will continue to do so…
polojcp (verified owner) –
I cannot be happier with the purchase from Valves N More.
1. Great service – Jim is super helpful to a newbie like myself, he provided recommendations based on my music preference and I cannot be happier with the results.
2. Great product – The tubes arrived quickly and are all in great shape, they look practically new, and the test scores are top too!
I would definitely come back for more tubes in the future, and would recommend purchases from here.
D. Richter (verified owner) –
Jim is a huge asset. He is very knowledgeable with his products. My Freya + was my 1st preamp with tubes. He is very familiar with this unit. He steered me in the right direction even with all my questions. Super helpful! Be assured you’re in good hands with Valves N More. He has my system singing.
polojcp (verified owner) –
I just ordered by 2nd batch of tubes for rolling. Jim is just awesome to work with. He shared a tube from his grab bag and it is now my #1 favorite tube of all time.
Jim’s intimate knowledge of how each tube sounds is just unbelievable. As pointed out by D. Richter, rest assure when shopping here, you are in good hands.
Andrew Laine (verified owner) –
I bought a pair of the MELZ 6SN7 tubes, and am very pleased. Great sound, no fatigue, very balanced sound. Liked them so much that I will buy another pair for another amp! Thank you Jim! Great suggestion!
Bradley Martin (verified owner) –
I wanted to send a quick review of this tube with my Schiit Audio Saga + Pre-Amp.
#1br Sylvania/Rogers 6SN7GTB: Good bass slam, but not as much as the Marconi/GE 6SN7GTB tube. Sounds somewhere between a RCA and a GE. Soundstage is behind the speakers. Throws a wide soundstage Very quiet. Balanced.
Bradley Martin (verified owner) –
I wanted to send a quick review of this tube with my Schiit Audio Saga + Pre-Amp.
1. #19 RCA 6SN7GTB: Smooth, sweet, musical, pleasant, balanced, excellent stereo separation, good soundstage. Buttery. Bass does not slam as hard as some other tubes, like Tung Sol. Highs are clear and round. Does have distortion. CDs are not as dry sounding. Has a classic HiFi sound, a sound from the 1980’s. Solo piano is rich and full and life-like. Distortion sounds good with rock music.
Bradley Martin (verified owner) –
I wanted to send quick review of this tube with in my Schiit Audio Saga + Pre-Amp.
#140 Marconi/GE 6SN7GTB: Crisp, tight, punchy, prominent bass. This is a tubey-sounding tube imho. Can be shouty or harsh on some recordings. The most holographic tube I have ever heard. Forward. Singers are in front of the speakers, in the room. You can almost reach out and touch them. Very dynamic. Has bass slam. Bass like a more refined Tung Sol. Not as smooth as the RCA. More organic than a Tung Sol. Detailed. Has balls. Guts.
Chris Harding (verified owner) –
This is my third order from JIm, and completes the NOS set for my Willsenton R8.
Jim not only matched the tubes, but listened to them on his own system to check noise levels and sound quality prior to shipping.
The R8 has been transformed now that all stock tubes have been replaced.
But it is Jim’s personal touch and assurance of quality that is the winner for me.
marchunter (verified owner) –
#222 Foton
This might be the sleeper tube of the month. I bought a set of these to test against my set of Sylvania’s.
When I fired up my system with them in all I kept saying was “wow”.
The clarity and definition is darn great. This is a wonderful tube. Especially for the price. I think I need another set.
It’s a sleeper.
VijayR (verified owner) –
Recently got a batch of tubes for my Schiit Freya+. Jim was a big help and very informative with helping me choose tubes to fit my wants. I decided to do some critical listening to perhaps stock up on any tubes I really liked..
First I rolled the Cathode follower (left) side between the GE 6SN7GTA and the RCA 6SN7GTB. The GE had full strong bass, but was a little on the side of bloated and too forward. Soundstage was decent. Highs were slightly edgy. The RCA’s had a tighter, yet full and satisfying bass. Mids were smooth and highs detailed with nice imaging and an enhanced soundstage. I much prefer the RCA in the cathode follower position, in my system.
For the gain stage, I compared the Marconi 6SN7GTB and 1965 Foton 6H8C (6SN7GTB equivalent)with plate getter, with my Sylvania 1952 JAN 6SN7GT three rivet bad boys. First, the Marconi and the Sylvania bad boys had very similar design and looked nearly identical except for the short base on the Marconi and the D getter, vs the plate getter on the Sylvania. The Marconi sounded nice, with great air, but for some reason lacked that last 3% of magic to match the Sylvania. The Sylvania had better everything, with solid presentation and excellent soundstage/imaging.
The real shocker here was when I rolled in and really gave a critical ear to the Foton in comparison to the Marconi. The Foton also had great air, but the transients were more defined and popped. Soundstage was more well defined and had more dimensionality. There was space and 3D magic going on with this tube. Subtle, but definitely noticeable. Bass was rich and full, yet still tight and detailed. Mids were forward and clear. Imaging was excellent, with instruments clearly placed in different points in space. Subtleties in the background became more well defined and made you take notice with the Fotons, whereas they may be overlooked in the background with the Marconi tubes. These tubes were detailed, but not too bright or edgy and had that extra bit of magic! For such a reasonably priced tube, this one is a well-kept secret and a real gem. I think the combination of the RCA on the output side and Fotons in the gain side have the best synergy, in my system. What a great find!
Nicholas Brouwer (verified owner) –
Recently purchased a match set of Sylvania 6SN7 GTA tubes. They arrived in two days of ordering, in perfect condition, the pins, lettering on top of the tubes looked brand new to me. Without a doubt the nicest sounding tubes I have herd on my Freya + pre-amp. The sound is holographic, highs are clear but not harsh in anyway, the mid range is warm and clear and the bass is tight.
I have found the owner of ValvesNmore Jim to be professional, extremely knowledgeable and generous with his time when answering questions about their products. Would highly recommend this site to anyone buying tubes.
Todd Daugherty (verified owner) –
This is my third time buying from ValvesnMore. Jim is the nicest most knowledgable person in the tube arena that I know. His recommendations are always spot on, and I will always buy my tubes from him!
[email protected] (verified owner) –
Ordered the Foton 6N8S (#222 6SN7GTB equiv) tubes on Jim’s rec for my WA22 amp. I must say it was stunningly good advice. The somewhat V shaped signature of this driver tube is a brilliant synergy with my GEC 6080 output tubes that tend to kiss the midrange and hold hands with the rest of the frequency spectrum. Jim and Charles KNOW what the giant killers are. And they can put you in a stellar set of tubes that won’t break the bank if you take their advice and are willing to go off the beaten path. Thanks ValvesnMore!
Rachael Warlond (verified owner) –
#22 (Canadian RCA 6SN7GTB) and #448 (Toshiba 6SN7GTB) are both magnificent sounding tubes. Give them a try … if you don’t like one, you will certainly like the other. The difference is that the RCA strikes a perfect balance between warmth/richness and clarity. The Toshiba, on the other hand, is less warm and highlights clarity and detail. Both are very well balanced throughout the frequency range. In short, at the time of writing, these are wonderful sounding tubes at a reasonable price with either one having the promise of being your favourite go-to 6SN7!