@invalid 

Did you buy your Linlai elite 6sl7 from Linlai website? Only they and Grant Fidelity sell the premium tubes

That's the Global Elite, Dan. From Grant Fidelity, yes?

@rah50 

 

On a slightly different topic:

Has anyone tried tube rings on the Global E-6SN7's?

I have no experience with tube rings, so just asking if we might hear an improvement.

Tube dampers are used to tighten up the resonances produced by a tube. A damper can help suppress the ringing sound from a slightly microphonic tube, once the tube has become fully microphonic nothing will help. Dampers will also tighten up a booming bass.

The reason I used them in one of my setups was when I had components with exposed tubes, audio rack on side wall, and the speaker dispersion was hitting the tubed components causing vibration.

When you spoke to Grant Fidelity about the Chinese 6sn7 session ( the ones with the horizontal letterings) did they say it wasnt originals or just a matter of distribution in Asian markets as we had discussed prior. Also do you have the Globals too ( the ones with vertical letterings) and if so, how do the Chinese 6sn7 Linlais compare to the Globals.

 "I understand why they sound good in the Freya and Sachs preamps when used with a complimentary cathode follower."  May I know what you mean by this? Err in layman terms please. 

Complimentary tube means a different pair of tubes which add their sonic signature to the total sound; ie, using a neutral tube with extended highs such as Linlai in the gain-stage and a Ken Rad with powerful bass and holographic sound as followers. Both sets of tubes contribute to the overall sound.

Grant Fidelity didn't comment on my Linlai with horizontal lettering. Rachel only inferred the difference between the HIFI tubes as entry level and not up to the performance of the Globals.

I'm disappointed with the Chinese E-6SN7, nothing special about them. They lack bass extension and are basically dull sounding in the mids. This Is the first time a tube has sounded better during the burnin phase compared to completely bedded-in. Lots of bass when first installed then turned into a bland sound overall. 

I've since replaced Linlai with Ken Rads, Melz, various Sylvania and sonics are much more engaging.

Thanks @ram18 . The difference between the E-6SN7 horizontal logo and the Grant Fidelity Global Elite is still a mystery to me. There must be more than a different logo and different base. Specs may be different due to plate current and maybe emissions or different getter elements.

@invalid 

It's great to hear about the performance of your Elite tubes. And to beat out 1940's Ken Rads especially in the bass is a big deal. I swapped out my E-6SN7 for a Ken Rad black glass and instantly had deep extension and full-bodied sound.

A couple of us have contacted Linlai factory and Grant Fidelity regarding a difference in tubes and both sidestepped the question. Linlai's answer is to only buy from their dealer, Grant Fidelity. Their warning about unauthorized dealers on Ebay is clear enough. But GF would only comment on the 2 types of 6SN7's they sell.

Based on the results of your Elites, and the poor performance of my horizontal lettered E-6SN7 in Audio Note and Atma-sphere components, I believe there are two different types of tubes. Just about any other 6SN7 inserted into my Audio Note preamp produces deep bass.

The grid structure between the two Linlai's may appear to be the same, but there must be something different internally. 

After pulling the E-6SN7 Linlai from my system, I'm back to my typical setup. Amp; K-R black glass VT-231 in gain stage, Sylvania VT-231 as follower, and Sylvania 6SN7GT 1952 bottom-getter as driver/phase inverter. Preamp has Tung-Sol VT-231 round plates. 

@rodman99999 

I stocked up on Sylvania GT bottom-getter 2 and 3 hole plates (Bad Boys) as prices started to rise. Also have a couple pair of WWII VT-231.

@rodman99999 

I assume you're talking about the Sylvania VT-231, the 1st generation of the GT's. They're fantastic, super quiet, revealing, holographic. They dont go very deep but I get the bass extension from other tubes.

Right now there are more VT-231's available than the early 50 GT.

+1 Rodman for noise testing.

I have 2 pair KR VT-231 Black glass and 2 pair VT-231 clear glass. The last time I called Andy at VTS, a pair of black glass was $400. So I bought the clear glass for about $200.

I swear the BG have better bass than the clear, but Andy said that's not true. Outstanding tubes.

@pindac 

Not the E-6SN7. That's for the Chinese market.

These are the only two dealers for the Global Elite...

https://premiumvacuumtubes.com/product/linlai-global-e-6sn7-vacuum-tubes-pair-or-single/

Viva says they are an authorised dealer, but these tubes are not the Global Elite from Linlai. I bought the same tube on Ebay, horizontal lettering and ridge in the bass. Compare these to the Elite on Linlai’s site; large vertical logo and a smooth base with no ridge.

And Viva is not referring to them by their proper name. They list them as

Linlai E-6SN7 Globe-Balloon Black Plates.

I would love to hear the Global Elite, but they’re as expensive as a good pair of NOS tubes. If I sell my E-6SN7’s from the dealer in China, maybe I’ll order from Grant Fidelity.

Everyone here is free to do as they choose. I'm simply trying to prevent members from being taken advantage of by unscrupulous vendors.

@ram18

Chill out, you’ve got 4 new tubes installed which require break-in. True NOS Ken Rads need 50-60 hours and you know about the Linlai’s. You’ve got the tubes in the best positions for now. You'll soon hear the extended bass from the KRs.

Don's preamp is a work of art. And the tubes fit quite well, enjoy them.

The following is my latest update in the quest for the correct Linlai to buy. I sold a pair of the E-6SN7's in the gift box on US Audiomart. The buyer bought them no questions asked and said they were a bargain at my asking price. In just a matter of days I received great feedback and an email from the buyer. He said the tubes sounded great in his Don Sachs preamp and they matched the stock pair he was using. 

This confirms that Don's components use the Chinese market Linlai. Initially I had purchased the E-6SN7's directly from Don's supplier who in one of our email conversations said "say hello to Mr. Don."

Even though the "non Global" pair didn't work out for me, these are obviously what Don is using to great effect in his preamps. With that said,  I would still like to hear the Global Elite E-6SN7 only available through Linlai and Grant Fidelity.

I find it had to believe Linlai has created two completly separate product lines.  The "marketing" ploy would seem more logical. 

@bigtwin  It is great marketing to make the Westerners think they are getting a tube made specifically for their preferences. And the higher price can also be a marketing ploy for Americans.

If you've read through the thread, many members believe the two tube types are the same. Adding the vertical logo to establish a different brand is easily done. But, earlier in this thread, photos show the two tube types have different bases. Why bother with this modification when a different logo satisfactorily separates the two brands?

I'm done speculating as to what Linlai is selling. The fact that Don Sachs uses the E-6SN7 from a Chinese vender is very telling.

Just to refresh my evaluations. The bottom line is: I had the 2 different tubes at the same time. There is a difference between the Global & the non Global in my system. Why don't members just try for themselves @ the cost of return shipping. This would stop all the inane posturing that's being discussed about these tubes. This weekend I changed Carts on my GAE from Hana ml (240) hrs. to my Cadenza Black (83) hrs. on an SME 309.

With the Globe's, my system has NEVER sounded so good. I have K/R, Sylvania JAN & Tong Sols, tried every combo & with the 4 Global in my Don Sach's their staying.

@danmar123  Maybe I missed an earlier post, but this is the first definitive proof I've read about the difference between Linlai tube types. I don't think there was any posturing going on, only speculation.

Thanks for weighing in.

And after buying so many NOS and "almost NOS" during the tube panic, I couldn't afford an expensive pair of Linlai Globals.

@arcfan 

I hope you return them. Did you buy from an Ebay vendor?

Linlai CV-181H appears to be a Chinese market tube since it’s only available on Alibaba. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth trying. I think research needs to done to see if it’s a drop-in replacement for 6SN7.

It’s a CV-181 type tube, not the same as HiFi 6SN7.

https://m.aliexpress.us/item/3256804710818037.html?gatewayAdapt=gloPc2usaMsite4itemAdapt&_randl_shipto=US

That's good to hear, where did you get them?  From reading this thread I was under the impression that the Global Elite from Linlai and Grant had a different base, the ones in the pictures on their sites.

I think that tells me that the only difference between the cheaper versions straight from China and the ones from Linlai is that you might get a better version that's been screened.......but who knows.

After a year of discussions about Linlai and owning two pairs of the E-6SN7, I have a theory. The Chinese market and the tubes for the West are the same. Here it is, the glass blowing creates a standard shape, the assembly line builds and inserts the internals into the tube. A vacuum is created and the getter receives a jolt causing it to flash. The bottle is sealed and doesn't need the base yet and the loose wires are ready to be soldered into the pins once a base is mounted. Two different bases can be used depending on the destination, the same goes for different branding on the bottle.

Does this sound crazy or very simple to accomplish?

@vthokie83 ​​​​​@invalid 

Helen is a righteous seller. She exchanged a defective tube no questions asked.