Linlai E 6sn7 tubes

It seems the Elites have been flying under the radar for a while. I’m hoping durability matches their sonics.  I haven’t seen much on long term reviews. @aricaudio, do you have any insight? 

@markusthenaimnut,LOL! It’s a sickness that drives many of us. I was reading some threads on another forum yesterday,and found out Western Electric will be manufacturing 6sn7 tubes that will be officially released in September. No idea about pricing. There is a gentleman over on SH forums that tested a set of preproduction tubes,and said they are very good. I’m hoping to grab a pair if they aren’t out of my budget.  

Just to give a little scale to the Linlai’s. The tube on the left is a KenRad 6sn7gt black glass. You’ll need some room for the Linlai’s.

Hi @aldnorab, I have never heard of such a beast. However,I can’t remember where I saw this, someone used 2 socket savers on one side to stager the tube height. Might be worth a quick innerweb search? 

Great stash. @whitestix. I am very curious to hear your impressions of the Linlai’s. For me, these are wonderful tubes. I was considering getting an extra set, however,I’m going to try and wait to see what the Western Electric 6sn7 will be priced at. I don’t have a huge stash of tubes,but I’m pretty sure I have enough for my lifetime.  One of the many great things about Aric’s Motherlode II is you can also run 6SL7’s also. 

Hi @decooney, congratulations on the tubes. Please keep us posted as they burn in. How many hours do the Psvanes require? 

@decooney, thanks for your feedback on the Psvanes.  It will be interesting to hear how they stack up once broken in,but I’m guessing you like them very much at this point. 
          I have about 95 hours on the Linlai’s. I’d be pretty shocked if they were to change drastically in the next few hours.  I still haven’t put the KenRads back in,but one thing that these offer up(to my ears) is realism in tone. Stan Getz sounds like he’s right in front of me.  The tone is full bodied,and bass is tight and deep. They also get cymbals right. They have the right “ting” and “splash”. As you can tell,I’m not a writer,or musician.  I’m really looking forward to more folks getting some ear time with these.

           Ray

Knowing that Don Sachs uses and recommends the Linlai’s,was the last push I needed to try them.  I have never heard a DS preamp.  I’ve done a lot of reading, and the only downside I’ve read, is the long wait to get one built.  If I understand correctly, if you deal with Helen, make sure you specify no “gift” box.  That will lower the price I’ve been told. 

@aricaudio,Thanks for the info. @markusthenaimnut, I have no personal comparison with the WE 6SN7 plus,but the gentleman that recommended the Linlai’s,has the WE’s also. He stated that the WE Plus,was the best of the bunch. The Linlai’s were a close second.

       I will also add the Elite E6sn7 are dead quiet. 

@decooney ,Glad to hear the Psvanes are working out. Would you say the TJ’s are bright in comparison,or just detailed? 

@danmar123,

 Here ya go.

Hi @markusthenaimnut,  Do you know if he’s sending them out with Elite E-6SN7? If so, that would make Supratek and Don Sachs sending their preamps out with Linlai’s.  That speaks very well for the Linlai’s.  I’ve been running mine for the last few weeks,and I keep waiting for the “honeymoon” period to end, but it’s not. I just can’t say enough how good these are working out for me.  

My pre runs two 6SN7’s or two 6SL7’s, the separate power supply runs two OD3’s,

and a 5U4,5U4G,or 5U4GB. Aric designs his preamps  to be very tube friendly. I hope this helps @lowrider57. 

@lowrider57, It probably doesn’t make sense, but I’ll probably do it anyway.  I run some low gain amps, sometimes I like to try a tube that is capable of a little added gain.  With my limited experience,I’ve noticed that 6SL7 also provides a different sonic signature.  I’m not 100% sold on the 6SL7 Elite, for the fact I’m still very curious about the upcoming Western Electric 6SN7.  The gentleman over at SH forum has been testing a pair,and speaks very highly of them.  He was not at liberty to discuss price point,but he did say they would be releasing them in September.  That’s a long time to wait……..

I’m now at about 175 hours.  They have definitely settled in. No more sound fluctuations.  The “honeymoon” is still on. These really shine in my preamp. 

@lowrider57, when I get home from work, I’m going to pop the KenRads back in my pre for a bit,as a memory refresher. They are definitely (prior to the Linlai’s) the best tubes I have. 

I just finished a side by side test between the KenRads, and the Linlai’s. Songs played were,David Lindley/ Mercury Blues, Tommy Emmanuel / Beatles Medley, Carly Simon / You’re so Vain. Soundstage width and height were pretty equal. Soundstage depth went to the Linlai’s. The first thing I noticed, was in comparison,the KenRads seemed a little tipped up. I never thought this before about them,but again,in comparison. Symbols seemed a little too spashhhyy. I find the Linlai’s to be more balanced throughout the frequencies. They even felt a little richer in the lower ranges. More texture,more fluid. Symbols sound more like symbols.
Now,all that being said,will I be selling the KenRads? Ummmm,NO. However I will say,in my room,with my gear,and my ears, the nod goes to the Linlai’s. They are just so listenable.

Ray

@aldnorab, I would continue to burn these in. It has been stressed that these need 100 hours of burn in to hit stride.  I do understand that system synergy matters also.  You are running the same pre as the gentleman that recommended these to me.  

I wish! 

@invalid, I haven’t tried them yet. I’ve been considering them as a higher gain alternative. 
 
​@aldnorab, I’m hoping to get the chance to compare for myself.  It will depend on what the price point will be.  I don’t assume anything in this hobby.  WE has definitely peaked a lot of interest. Mine included. 

This hobby is without a doubt, a sickness.  So, for no other reason than they look cool, I just bought a pair of these. I’m not expecting world beaters, but who knows?? 

Thanks for the great link @decooney. Much appreciated. Trying things out for oneself is really the only way to know what works for you. Gear,room,ears,tastes all play a very important part.  

I purchased them used on usaudiomart. Other than the blue glass,I have no idea what the difference is. Sonically,I have no idea what to expect. This was an impulse buy. They look cool. No other reason.  

@lowrider57, filling a huge gap in production would be a great business plan. If there was ever a time to offer more vacuum tubes,now is the perfect time. I never looked at it that way. It does make perfect sense. 

@decooney, it appears that the Psvanes are definitely cut from the same cloth. First off,you are far more eloquent than I am!  In comparison to the Linlai’s,the blue globes seem a tiny bit rolled off on the top end,but definitely not dull.  I find the low end to dig just as deep,but with just a little on the flabby side, but not sloppy at all. These are also very quiet,just like the Linlai’s.  I think they do a good job of projecting a 3D soundstage,just not quite as wide as the Linlai’s.  I totally agree with you about having more options out there. I have no issue with running these newly manufactured tubes vs vintage. Of course, I’m not going to commit to not buying vintage tubes. ;-) 

Hi @tom2015, 

   I’m glad to see that these work for you too.  Any difference in quietness compared to the Tung Sols?  

@aldnorab, from what I understand,running four of them,you will experience more of a good thing.  However,time tells no lies. 

When I purchased the Psvane 6SN7 BE’s, the seller said they had about 80 hrs on them. Since then,I’ve put another 30hrs or so on them.  I just put the Linlai’s back in,and they are,in my opinion, superior to the Psvane.  The Psvane is a little more rounded. (no pun intended) . The Linlai’s are cleaner and more focused on the edges.  I would describe it like the difference between cutting paper with a pair of scissors vs a razor blade.  I don’t know if that makes any sense to you folks? It does in my mind as I type.( LOL) 

  Here’s a pic of these side by side:

@bugredmachine , Do they have a return policy?  That really stinks!  

Wow!  I’m a letter carrier. I’ve seen some crazy stuff throughout my career,but nothing like that. WOW

My Linlai’s came in a “display” box as well.  The contoured foam inside ensures a tight and safe journey.  I know how packages can be handled. I’ve just never seen them stacked like a mountain before. A couple extra bucks is definitely worth the added protection.  @decooney, I’m glad the Psvane’s are working out for you. It’s great that there are alternatives to NOS tubes.  

@jaymark, let the Linlai burn in for around 100 hours. 

@bugredmachine, I have no firsthand experience with them. However,the gentleman that recommended the Elites, said he really didn’t care for the non-Elites. I believe he said they they were very lean,no body. But, we all hear differently.  To my ears, I find the Elites top notch.  Others may not care for them. I guess this was a long winded way of saying I don’t know.LOL  He did,by my standards,make a great call on the Elites. Me personally,I’d probably pass on them. 

@bugredmachine, hopefully nothing else burned up!  
 

@jmbumgarner01, yes,three pair of the Linlai’s would be a bit pricey. 

My mistake @danmar123.  I must have dozed off,and missed that part of the thread.:)  

@danmar123 , so glad these are working out for you. I’m also glad they are quiet. I think you will be greatly rewarded after they get some hours on them. They really do open up.  Enjoy,and keep us posted as the hours burn by. 

@bugredmachine, so glad this pair is operating correctly.  I’m sure I can speak for others, looking forward to your impressions after burn in. Enjoy!

       Ray 

Well,I just pulled a BONE HEAD move and cooked a tube. I just ordered another pair.  I turned the system off to pull a tube for measurements, and like an idiot,instead of just leaving the room for a few minutes, I put said tube back in a little too quickly,and turned everything back on.  I am not very happy with myself.  

I have purchased mine from an eBay  vendor from China. I don’t want to offer advertising on the forums. PM me and I will be more than happy to share. I just don’t want to come across as anything other than a hobbyist. This I will share,when I first purchased from this vendor,they had 100% positive feedback.  It has since dropped.  I did however,purchase the new pair from them. 

It looks like my new tubes will be leaving China soon.  I rethought my reluctance to name the EBay seller, as @bugredmachine stated above,  amptata_audio. They shipped very fast the first time. They also worked flawlessly until my little mishap. 

@decooney, thank you so much for bringing up that issue with your signal tubes. After reading your post,I remember that I read about that phenomenon some time ago. I am going to give that a try.

I had an issue today that my power supply tubes were not firing up. I contacted Aric. Buy the way, what absolutely wonderful customer service!! He responded within 20 minutes,on a Saturday,on a holiday weekend, on a product I bought used.
He had  me replace the fuse, and the rectifier tube. The Motherlode II is now up and running. I put the Linlai’s back in,and got that distortion”grunge “ that @decooney mentioned. Now to try to tap that grunge away.

Once again, I’d like to send a thanks out to @decooney for the suggestion of tapping to loosen up the cathode material inside the tubes. I had to repeat this process three times. I have had the Linlai’s back in for about 8 hours today with no tube rush or any other nasties.  Also,looks like my second pair will be in my possession on Monday.  I will give those a good burn in once they arrive. 
 

     Ray

My second pair of Linlai’s showed up today. They were ordered on 5/25. I have them playing now.  This is an eye opener. ( or rather, ear opener).  These sound so different than my well burned in pair. These are rather lifeless. Also,a much narrower soundstage.  I know I heard these things the first time around, however,having just listened to the burned in pair, the difference is startling.  At least I know what’s waiting for me!  One thing,these are as dead silent as my first pair. 

@danmar123, they are the same as the first pair,and yes, I ordered them from amptata_audio.  Each tube has a serial number plate inside as well.  The gift/display box was packed inside an outer box lined with foam. I know no one asked about packing,but I was once again impressed with the extra effort put in to trying to insure safe delivery.  This delivery was 3 days quicker than the first.

Here is a pic. The tube on the right is from the original pair. To me,they look identical. 

I agree, it could be a production change,or different vendor?? 

Thanks for doing that legwork Kenny!  That is interesting that they are tuned for different music. I’m not sure what to think of that.  

Here’s the company listed on the boxes I received.

http://www.linlaitube.com/en/

I noticed that they don’t show the E 6SN7.  

@danmar123, no need to keep opinions to your self!  I’m getting confused all by myself! LOL!  It’s all about sharing findings and info. 

Here’s a close up of the gift box. Note the company name on the lower right corner.