6V6 Valve Sound?

[walpurgis]

Anybody familiar with the sound of the 6V6 valve?

What character does it have, if any?

[NRG]

Not really familiar but I suspect it would depend on the cct its used in and the quality of the OPTX. From the spec sheet the 6V6 gives a touch more power than the EL84 but it appears to need more drive to deliver it and would be more demanding of the preceding driver stage... IE: the transconductance is a fair bit lower (half) of the EL84. So maybe use with caution if substituting EL84s....

[walpurgis]

Thanks Neal. I'm hoping to hear from somebody who's used the 6V6. I'm familiar with the general sonic character of the more commonly used valves, but I've not heard these.

[Mr Kipling]

I gather it's liked and used quite a bit in guitar amps.

[walpurgis]

So it seems.

I (also) Googled it and saw that the guitar guys like it and get the impression that in comparison with the EL84 (which I like), it has a more laid back presentation and sweeter mid. Could be good. Anyway I think I may have commited myself to buying an amp using this valve, just put an eBay 'best offer' bid in on a Chinese one. Looks rather well made actually, much better than most oriental jobbies. Only 4 watts though, but with 94db speakers it should be OK.

[Ali Tait]

Not a valve I've tried, though from your description, would not be a million miles away from how an EL34 sounds.

Let us know how you get on.

[Marco]

Geoff, I'll ask Anthony TD to comment, as he's familiar with the 6V6 :)

Marco.

[Haselsh1]

I remember the WAD 5881 amplifier which I think is the same valve. Way back when, a friend of mine had one and it sounded fantastic with a glorious midrange. Other than that I can't really remember much about it.

[walpurgis]

Thanks guys. the deed is done now anyway. I ordered the little amp. It's here:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271113527346?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

It appears well made and having looked at the manufacturer's other amplifiers they rather remind me of the Japanese Leben kit, which can't be bad.

It's a low power amplifier, but my 94db speakers should be OK with it at domestic levels and I have a very high efficiency speaker project in mind (not Lowther).

[Haselsh1]

Wow, nice piece of kit. My old friends 5881 amplifier was around 18Wpc if I remember correctly but then it was class AB and push/pull. That Chinese one has got to be a bloody bargain. Will you be using it with a variac...?

[walpurgis]

Wow, nice piece of kit. My old friends 5881 amplifier was around 18Wpc if I remember correctly but then it was class AB and push/pull. That Chinese one has got to be a bloody bargain. Will you be using it with a variac...?

Not sure why I'd be wanting a variac with it. It's for Hi-Fi, not guitar use. God knows what effect a variac would have.

I hope this little beggar sounds as good as it looks. I just love the sixties styling!

[Mr Kipling]

I saw their 2A3 one at Aliexpress.com some months ago, Geoff. Like yourself, I love the styling - it's got meters! It's about £100 cheaper at Aliexpress and if I'd had the money I'd have got one. There's a EL34 too, which costs not that much less than the 2A3.

Some (don't know if all) of their stuff is made in Papua New Guinea. Just thought you might want to know.

Some of the range is on Amazon too.

[Haselsh1]

Not sure why I'd be wanting a variac with it. It's for Hi-Fi, not guitar use. God knows what effect a variac would have.

I hope this little beggar sounds as good as it looks. I just love the sixties styling!

A variac simply enables it to be run safely on UK mains that's all.

[walpurgis]

A variac simply enables it to be run safely on UK mains that's all.

I'm sure it will be OK. I asked the seller to make sure it was UK voltage spec. I've had a number of Chinese valve products and had no bother at all.

[walpurgis]

Some of the range is on Amazon too.

Yes, I saw that their products are on Amazon (and elsewhere). I've been scouting about to see what I could find out about them. What I've come across looks rather good, as they don't seem to 'glitz' up their stuff like some and stick to a nicely turned out traditional appearance, finish looks excellent. Can't find any reviews though.

Hope this is nice, it's going to cost me about £500 all in when the duty is bunged on.

I'm not too concerned with the low quoted power, a couple of years ago I sold off a pair of very nice sounding Arcana (Antique Sounds) 8 watt monoblocks and they went ridiculously loud without any noticable distortion. This amp will be only 3db down on those.

[southall-1998]

Geoff, interested to read your opinions on this ''foo'' amp :)

Looking forward to meeting you next week by the way!

[goraman]

I love the 6V6 sound, it's like a EL84 with more bass.
TAD makes a nice 6V6 if you can't find some old RCA black plates.
Think of the old Fender Bluse amps with a D series JBL speaker and a Fender Strat.
and youve nailed it.

[walpurgis]

Yes, that's what a few people have said on the net, mainly people using guitar amps. We'll see, the amp should be here in the next week with a bit of luck.

I intend using it with speakers of mid to upper nineties db sensitivity, so the limited power output is less likely to be an issue.

[goraman]

Yes, that's what a few people have said on the net, mainly people using guitar amps. We'll see, the amp should be here in the next week with a bit of luck.

I intend using it with speakers of mid to upper nineties db sensitivity, so the limited power output is less likely to be an issue.

The 6V6 is also very smooth,NO GRAIN like some EL84's liquid sonics.

[walpurgis]

I like smooooth! And clarity and depth!

[Rare Bird]

I like smooooth too, i hate bright in your face systems..

[walpurgis]

Well, it's here!

Took me half an hour to unbox this morning. I've never seen so much packaging! It's a heavy unit for its size. Looks really nice and traditional.

http://i48.tinypic.com/1fu16h.jpg

Now nicely warmed up and having no bother at all driving my Tannoys loud at around the 9.30 position on the volume, despite the quoted mere six watts. No lightweight sound either, plenty of weight and depth. Very clean treble.

This little amplifier is a bit of an eye opener. I've been using Class A valve and solid state amplification for donkeys years, but I don't think I've ever heard anything more lucid and transparent through the mid before. it's remarkable.

In terms of sound (quality) per pound this has to be great value. It's probably going to cost me about £500 by the time I pay the duty, but I can't think of anything at that price that would even come close.

Nice to have something exclusive. I'd be surprised if there's another in the UK.

[Mr Kipling]

I'm pleased for you Geoff. I do like the vintage style.

Will you definately have to pay duty for it? When I got my Audioromy it was marked as a gift and no duty was required.

Anyway, glad it arrived safely and you're happy with it.

[Marco]

Looks nice, Geoff, and glad that you're enjoying it :)

Just make sure that ALL the components (not just the traffos) are properly rated for UK mains voltage, which of course can vary from about 230-250V!

You can never be too careful with valve amps, particularly in my experience, Chinese ones...

Marco.

[walpurgis]

No sign of any problems so far Marco.

I may whip the base cover off and check component values and voltages. I do have the proper equipment and know how to do this safely.

Anyway, it seems a surprisingly nice amplifier. I'll eventually be trying it out with my full range 'Diatone' speaker copies, but at the moment it's working well with the Tannoys.

There is one of these left for sale, but the seller also has a number of other interesting looking products from the manufacturer, 'Raphaelite'. As below:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/m.html?_odkw=&_osacat=0&_armrs=1&_ssn=listeningchina.hifi.cn&_trksid=p2046732.m570.l1313.TR10.TRC0&_nkw=Raphaelite&_sacat=0&_from=R40

[walpurgis]

I'm pleased for you Geoff. I do like the vintage style.

Will you definately have to pay duty for it? When I got my Audioromy it was marked as a gift and no duty was required.

Anyway, glad it arrived safely and you're happy with it.

I'm just assuming a duty demand will arrive. They usually do.

[Ali Tait]

No sign of any problems so far Marco.

I may whip the base cover off and check component values and voltages. I do have the proper equipment and know how to do this safely.

Anyway, it seems a surprisingly nice amplifier. I'll eventually be trying it out with my full range 'Diatone' speaker copies, but at the moment it's working well with the Tannoys.

There is one of these left for sale, but the seller also has a number of other interesting looking products from the manufacturer, 'Raphaelite'. As below:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/m.html?_odkw=&_osacat=0&_armrs=1&_ssn=listeningchina.hifi.cn&_trksid=p2046732.m570.l1313.TR10.TRC0&_nkw=Raphaelite&_sacat=0&_from=R40

Good idea IMHO. I had an Audioromy that lasted years before heat from overvoltage melted all the varnish out of the mains trannie and shorted it out.

[Marco]

Yeah, definitely check it over, Geoff. Best being safe than sorry! :)

Let us know if you find anything 'dodgy'.

Marco.

[Ali Tait]

I'm just assuming a duty demand will arrive. They usually do.

They are really clamping down now, guess the gov is trying to gouge as much as it can get. I used to get away with it regularly, but not at all in the last couple of years.

[goraman]

Well, it's here!

Took me half an hour to unbox this morning. I've never seen so much packaging! It's a heavy unit for its size. Looks really nice and traditional.

http://i48.tinypic.com/1fu16h.jpg

Now nicely warmed up and having no bother at all driving my Tannoys loud at around the 9.30 position on the volume, despite the quoted mere six watts. No lightweight sound either, plenty of weight and depth. Very clean treble.

This little amplifier is a bit of an eye opener. I've been using Class A valve and solid state amplification for donkeys years, but I don't think I've ever heard anything more lucid and transparent through the mid before. it's remarkable.

In terms of sound (quality) per pound this has to be great value. It's probably going to cost me about £500 by the time I pay the duty, but I can't think of anything at that price that would even come close.

Nice to have something exclusive. I'd be surprised if there's another in the UK.

Very nice,give the 6V6 at least a couple weeks to run in and the bass will surprise you. Very rich and layered. Play Stevie Ray Vohns "Tin Pan Ally "
That song was made for the 6V6!

These are fantastic sounding 6V6 and they test well, you may get them cheap.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-VINTAGE-RCA-6V6GT-VT107A-GREY-GLASS-VACUUM-TUBES-HICKOK-539C-TEST-STRONG-/290895650313?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item43babb5e09

Best new production and the closeted you can get to the old RCA 6V6 sound these tubes a famous for.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/TAD-6V6GT-STR-Cryo-Matched-Pair-Power-Tubes-/380548723373?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item589a78b2ad

[walpurgis]

Very nice,give the 6V6 at least a couple weeks to run in and the bass will surprise you. Very rich and layered.

Yes, I've heard the 6V6 needs a bit of running in, as the rest of the ampifier will too no doubt. It's sounding very good now and there's nothing slack or missing at the bottom end.

[goraman]

Yes, I've heard the 6V6 needs a bit of running in, as the rest of the ampifier will too no doubt. It's sounding very good now and there's nothing slack or missing at the bottom end.

Give it some time and you'll see what I mean by layered bass.
Is that a VTL preamp from Chino in the U.S.A.?

[walpurgis]

VTL Deluxe! UK built.

[Marco]

Have you tested things yet, Geoff? :)

Marco.

[walpurgis]

Have you tested things yet, Geoff? :)

Marco.

Not yet Marco.

I'm getting over some horrendous bug at the moment and taking my time over stuff. I'll give the amp a going over in the next day or two. It seems OK, the power transformer is not getting hot.

[Marco]

No worries, Geoff. Hope you get well soon! :)

Marco.