Links for tubes in video description.

gives me comfort to know that tubes still in production can sound good - thanks for the video!

Great and insightful review. I had recently swapped out a pair of the Tung Sol 6sn7GTB tubes on my Freya+ with the cryo treated Electroharmonix 6sn7 from Upscale Audio (Platinum level) and had endowed my system with similar characteristics you had attributed to the Cryotone tubes. Wonderful and warm enhancement in the mids, airie and holographic highs, and a very much welcome enhancement in the bass. The Tung Sols were quiet, but not quite as quiet as the Electroharmonix, and by comparison were on the drier side of neutral and didn't sound as lively and dynamic as I would have liked. I'm looking to replace the remaining pair of Tung Sols with some new tubes and will certainly give the Cryotones a try. Thank you for this great review.

Nice video! I own the Linlai and fully agree with your assessment! It would be great if you continue with tube comparison. Particularly I am interested in 300Bs (but not the very expensive WEs)

If you want high quality NOS tubes I can totally recommend ValvesNMore. Jim and Charles give fantastic advice and service, and every tube is thoroughly tested prior to mailing. BTW, I have no affiliation with ValvesNMore. I'm in Australia and ValvesNMore are in Canada, so delivery is usually 2 to 3 weeks. You should also try 6CG7 or 6GU7 tubes in the 6SN7 slots. Of course, you need adapters, which ValvesNMore also sell. Recommended 6SN7 (and equivalent) NOS tubes - Sylvania 6SN7GTA straight-plate, Canadian made RCA 6SN7GTB black ladder plates, Toshiba 6SN7GTB, Toshiba 6CG7, RCA 6CG7 cleartop, Hitachi 6GU7.

I like these videos because they let me know I’m not the only one that’s gone down the rabbit hole of tube amps and the inevitable tube chase that follows. Try doing this at 64 with compromised and ever changing hearing. 😊

Great video. Thank you! I think it would be very informative to do a similar comparison of 300B tubes.

I enjoy working with Compactron tubes, they use a 12 pin base and they save space inside the amp enclosure. The best part is these tubes are not use a lot and therefore the cost of buying them is low and they have a wide range of types available.

I had my eyes on the linlay elite for some times. you convinced me. the good things is that with the decware ufo , I only need one!

Been hoping for this one. Thanks.

Hi Loic. I replied to your follow-up to my question. I will post it as a new topic. Sorry for the confusion, I was referring to substituting the ECC88 driver tubes in the Sarah with 6SN7 tubes via adapters.

Can you please give us an update on psvane's cv181 after more hours of burning in? Thanks for the helpful video.

Thanks for this Loīc. Perhaps an idea for another series with tubes, taking a lower-cost integrated tube amp, Wilsonton, comes to mind, but it could be whatever you have or could borrow for a time. Then, see at what level upgraded tubes do not matter and how close, 70%-80% or even not that close, you could get to a higher-end system like yours. Keep up the great work.

Thank you for the good review.

That Cryotone looks very much like a cheap and cheerfull JJ 6SN7 which I assume it actually is.

I don't need more tube equipment. I don't need more tube equipment. I don't need less tube equipment. I definitely need more tube equipment. I'm definitely sleeping on the couch once my wife finds out that I've bought more tube equipment... I hate you lol.

There was a comment on the Decware site that the 6sn7 from Cryotone was detailed but bright and lacked bass. This particular poster wanted to like the cryotone tube but was hoping for changes during breakin. You had mentioned the sound is consistent from unboxing. Did you find them bright? Thanks for a timely video, looking for a tube for my LTA Dac.

Cool tubes

Enjoying your videos, as always, and this comparison. I'll try and listen to everything as there are always surprises, having said that, I may be old-school as I do seem to prefer NOS tubes almost without exception. Sourcing them from trustworthy tube mongers is a must. I'm assuming the warning you were trying to include refers to 6SN7 GT versus GTB (the former have really only been called GTA in hindsight, it won't say so on the tube itself): the former, as you indicate, are not safe to use in many modern-day amplifier designs - best to check with the manufacturer. Technically, the differences are a plate pulse rating increase from 1200V to 1500V (DC), and plate dissipation increased from 3500mW to 5000mW.

Thanks for the survey...I've also been shopping around for 12AU7 & 12 BH7 driver tubes and there's quite a difference in sound signature between brands and the NOS. Cryotone tubes sound intriuging based on your feedback. However, I would presume that Cryotone aren't maunfacturing their own tubes as its an expensive business. So looking at the construction, particularly of their 300B and 2A3 on the Cryo site and the JJ site, where the top filaments of those tubes are distinctive, the Cryo look identical to JJ's 300B and 2A3, and from what I can see from your video, the 6SN7 could also be sourced from JJ. The JJ tubes are significantly cheaper than the Cryotones, which is fine if the process is really elevating the tubes to a much higher level, but maybe a comparison would be interesting? Could a diy home cryo treatment of JJs be a fun project?

I wonder where the Sophia Electric 6SN7 fits in with all these.

Hi I really enjoy all your ube comparisions. I understand your are big fan of cryotone and i am curious to try them. Just want to ask, the cryotone 6sn7WC on their site now has a brown base rather than the usual black base in your video. Did they change the source of their tubes? and do you know that there is any difference. thanks. I am using the shuquang treasure globe grant fidelity special edition at the moment.

Thanks, interesting to learn about your experiences. Aren't the larger bottle tubes more susceptible to being microphonic? I'm not sure to what extent tubes can imprint their own character on the sound, irrespective of the given application. Circuit design, what power tubes they are driving - and who knows what else - in conjunction with the structural and electrical characteristics of the tube in question will result in a certain perceived performance.

Great video. I'm using a preamp with 1x 6SN7 and 1x 5U4G rectifier so tube rolling is a joy. Thanks for insights. Have you heard about the blue bottle Sophia Electric? Curious about their highly rated 6SN.

I can't find the Cryotone for sale anywhere. Where can I find them?

whats the difference between ray and apos ray?

Very nice analysis.I appreciate . I need to make a choice between kt88 linlai-D and kt88 shuguang-Z. What do you suggest? My respect

I love this video. What do you guys think of the Sylvania 7N7 Loctal tubes?

Hello. Can’t find those cryotone nowhere…

Hi Loic. I am about two months from getting my Sarah amp. Are you currently using the ECC88WC tubes in Steve’s Sarah? Have you tried using their 6SN7s with adapters? Thank you!

a cv-181 is not a 6SN7 equivalent. some chinese manufacturers decided to deliberately misname some 6SN7 as cv-181 because it sounds cool. you paid way too much for those RCA. no need for that. heck, some of the tubes you reviewed are more expensive than good NOS tubes. in fact, your top 3 soundstage tubes all cost considerably more than many of the best old stock tubes. who made the stock tube?

Woohoo

i would totally disagree with the Shuguang black treasures! NO way is that considered a ''bright tube''...in my preamp that tube is far far onto the warm and lush side. In fact, it actually tamed my slightly bright system and now leans onto the warm side.

What power cables do you use in your system with puritan 156

Which one can produce the best holographic 3d soundstage? Like the singer singing in front of you?

You stole Tom Greens voice.