Linlai E 6sn7 tubes

Thanks. Are the grant fidelity discounts worth the vip membership?

Su Qi liaomei7@qq.com

I have just pruchased some Linlai tubes from this vendor direct in China.  He speaks, writes and reads English expertly.  He was willing to offer the tubes I wanted at 30% below the best price I had found.  Shipped by DHL, they take about 10 days door to door.  I would highly recommend sending him an email and ask for a price on what you want.  My experience was first rate.

@arcfan That's for you to decide, if you order from them, you'll get the real deal.

Has anyone tried tube dampers on the shouldered tube?I tried a Herbies damper on the top of the tube - no change. Then the next day tried it on the bottom glass  just above the base.The vocals improved immensely and lost the hashiness that had begun to creep in after 30 hours of break in.But any background vocals,trailing notes,ambient sounds were over damped. So now I'm going to fool around with a either a larger Herbies damper that will fit on the larger body of the tube or O rings and try to get it just right. I really like the transparency and detail of this tube but can't live with the way it messed with the vocals.An example is Tony Joe White known for his rich baritone voice began taking on an unnatural unpleasant edge and sizzle. Just something to try for whomever is experiencing too much SS sound.

I'm using just the one tube for the input on the Aric Audio Transcend PP.It's possible I might like them better by placing them on either side of the input tube and going back to the GE on the input.

@jtcf you wrote; I'm using just the one tube for the input on the Aric Audio Transcend PP.It's possible I might like them better by placing them on either side of the input tube and going back to the GE on the input.

Maybe you will benefit by tube rolling. Let us know. 

@jtcf Hey! I would recommend you experiment with the Linlais on either side of the center 6SN7, as they are long-tailed pair phase splitters and indeed to impart quite a bit of their own character to the sound. The center tube is the voltage amplifier and as such amplifies the input signal, so even though it will have the MOST effect, it does not mean that trying in the phase splitter positions will not still provide a dramatic difference. How is the new amp working out for you by the way?

 

Best regards, Aric

@aricaudio it's not exactly new,lol.I've had it for a few years now. It's the star of my system.I'll take both yours and danmar's advice and get another tube.I've already ordered a couple of larger size dampers to fool around with.Thanks for your help, and I'll let you all know how it goes.

@jtcf Oops! My bad, for some reason I was thinking we had built an amp for you earlier this year. Sometimes I get the Agon monikers confused with the actual names of the customers. However I'm very glad that the amplifier is the star of the show in your system and thank you!

Aric

How's everyone doing with the tubes?

@aricaudio no big deal. I don't have a very memorable moniker:-)

I do have a small update regarding using the Herbies dampers on the input tube. They usually don't have a positive effect IME.One exception was with a CJ preamp that I owned long ago,but it never hurts to try a cheap tweak just to see.I ordered some larger "C wires" for a couple of $ and slipped on three of the silicone thingys on two of them. What I ended up with was the small damper on the bottom on the glass where it meets the base,the next larger damper slid up from the bottom until it made firm contact, the next right above that maybe 1/4" + .Darned if it didn't work! The unpleasant edge to the vocals disappeared.Piano is still a little sharp on the higher notes but I can live with that.So now I'm getting all of the good things this tube brings - detail, refinement, nuance,really great bass.

I really can't swear the dampers are the ultimate fix.It absolutely could be that better isolation would do the same. I actually have a much sturdier hardwood rack on order now. At present the shelves are mdf with a metal frame. Nonetheless I really like this tube and will order another to break in and see how two used as the stage following the input works.

@jtcf Now that you've done this tweak with the dampers how do you think the Linlais compare to other 6SN7s you've lived with?

@markusthenaimnut, that is very interesting question. 
 

Ray 

@markusthenaimnut  these are the best 6sn7 tubes I've tried so far,though I haven't experienced as many brands as some others here.Sylvanias(better than JJs have "soul" and nice tone,a good intro to NOS), GE( great mids and bass,but rolled off highs), Kenrad( similar to GEs), Sofia Blue(lush and beautiful tone that disappeared after break in!),JJs(crystal clear but no "soul").

This is specific to my room and system of course. GIK room treatments and three subs have a long way towards balancing and reducing room issues. The Zu Omen Defs purchased a year ago are also so sensitive that any change is clearly heard,which is both a blessing and a curse:-) The detail and nuance the Linlias bring are really addictive and and I don't want to go back. There's entire different layers in my favorite music that I was content with when they were hinted at and more blended in the background.

Yesterday I removed the smaller damper from the base and it seemed to be a small improvement.Either my imagination or it was a tiny bit over damped.I have another tube on the way to break in and then try one on either side of the input.Such a slow process....A huge thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread so far.

Quick and last update. A couple of days ago I gave up the sweet spot to my brother who was visiting for the day and wanted to spend some time listening. While seated off to the side the music was virtually close to perfect to me.Face Palm.I toed the speakers out an inch and a quarter attempting to get that same angle and voila.Never occurred to me to to make an adjustment like that to accommodate a vacuum tube,but it should have.

Hi folks, I finally purchased a pair of the Linlai E 6SN7 tubes a couple of months ago from Grand Fidelity. I probably have about 150 hours on it now. I thought I would share my experience with my dear fellow members.

I have the Cary SLP-05 preamp. It uses 2 pairs of 6SN7 for the gain stage, and 1 pair of 6SN7 for the balanced input buffer stage. I have already changed out the 2 pairs of the gain stage tubes from the stock EH tubes to some NOS RCA. The stock EH tubes sounded a little bit bright to me. The RCA took the edge off a bit, and sounded warmer which I like. So the new Linlai replaced the pair for the balanced input buffer stage.

So far, I’m really liking these new Linlai tubes. 2 things that stand out are deeper and tighter bass, and a beautiful 3D-ish and spacious sound stage. There seems to be more space between instruments. I might consider buying 2 more pairs of Linlai for the gain stage in the future, but I’m enjoying my current set up right now. Linlai sells a cheaper version of 6SN7 called the Global HiFi. Has anyone here tried them and can you share your experience?

I am currently using 3 pairs of Socket Savers that I bought from amazon, so I can do some A/B testing without putting too much wear and tear on the sockets of my preamp. After I had decided the Linlai will be my choice, I removed the socket savers and inserted the Linlai directly into the socket of my preamp, and something unexpected happened.

Without the socket saver, the 3D and spacious sound stage seemed to have shrunk, and deep bass seemed to have lessened. Also the top end seemed to be a little brighter. I have always assumed the socket saver would either lower the overall SQ or at best leaving the SQ unchanged. I never expected them to improve the SQ.

I wouldn’t say this is a pleasant surprise, because I actually did want to remove the socket saver to lower the height on the tubes. I have a TV mounted on the wall behind my components cabinet. The Cary sits on the top of the cabinet. With the Linlai tube + socket saver, it blocks the bottom of the TV screen by an inch or so. It’s not a big deal. I don’t even notice it while I’m watching TV. Anyhow, aesthetically I do like the look without the socket saver better.

Anyway, for the benefit of better SQ, I’m now leaving the Linlai on the socket saver. For those of you who use socket savers, what is your experience regarding the SQ with and without the socket savers? I’ll be curious to know.

Thanks for reading. Cheers!

Where's the best place to purchase Linlai?

https://linlaiglobal.com/

Get them direct or there is no warranty.

AFAIK, Linlai Global and Grand Fidelity are the only "official" retailer.   Other members here gotten them from some Chinese Retailers or eBay at a lower price and had good results.

@xcool  I wonder if the socket saver fits a little tighter around the pins of the tube and fits tighter around the tube sockets on your preamp, that could be the difference.

@invalid, interesting observation.  From what I remember, the connections between the tubes and the socket savers do seem pretty tight.   Whereas the connection between the socket savers and the sockets on my preamp feel about the same in tightness.

I tried tube dampers on the Linlai 6SN7 tubes in my Sachs preamp and they sucked the life out of the music.  They weren't the fancy one like Herbie's, just silicon rings.  I tossed them. 

Hi!

Did someone try the cheap version of their 6SN7?

Apparently there’s 3 version:

• Basic 6SN7 (the cheap one with a different shape) ~50$/pair
• E6SN7 (same shape as the elite but Horizontal writing on the tube) ~190$/pair
• Elite E-6SN7 (which seems to be the highest quality. Vertical writing on the tube and it can almost only be found on their linlaiglobal.com website) 265$/pair

Thanks

 

edit: you can find information about their 2 'cheaper' tubes on this website: http://www.linlaitube.com/ 

The only difference I see between the two other than the logo, is the more expensive ones might be closer to exact spec.

The gentleman that originally recommended the Elites,has tried the the cheaper versions.  He strongly recommended that these were not worth trying.  I’m only going by what was relayed to me.  I chose not to try them. YMMV. 

I purchased a pair of these tubes and look forward to comparing them to the Hytron tubes I have in there now. Linlai seems to get good reviews. I hope that these have good longevity, considering the price, which I don't mind paying if they a quality. Has Linlai been around long enough to get an idea of long term reliability?

@earthbound check here: https://linlaiglobal.com

Clip, reference:

LINLAI™ is a trademark belong to a NEW vacuum tube factory in China – formed by a team of engineers who officially exit Psvane prior to 2019. (This story script is an ‘encore’ of how Psvane was formed a decade ago, when a team of highly experienced engineers exited the state-owned Shuguang tube factory then. In short, Linlai™ team split from Psvane due to irreconcilable disagreement on valuation of investments by both sides.)"

Thank you decooney. 

Phew, I read all 15 pages.  I am interested to hear how this compares to the Shunguang in my DS-2 but am sure these will fit.  My tubes aren’t exposed and would have cut holes due to the socket savers.   Maybe I’ll try the hi-fi version one day since they seem slimmer and look very similar to Shunguang. 
 

I heard Linlai had came up with a new "H" series recently and within it there’re the "CV181-H" & the "6SN7-H". I don’t see them listed on Linlai Global so perhaps it might be just for their domestic market so far? Anyone has a chance to hear the "H" series tubes yet?

Is the “H” the same as the HiFI 6sn7?
 

The HiFi are about $40 and not sure if they are even worth it

 

@rocray, maybe that was me you were referring too (Globels). I now have about 200 + hrs. on them & I'm not even thinking of rolling them yet. I just purchased an EMT 948 last month & have been waiting for the cart. to be built 5 weeks now. &&^(*%%) ! I'm kind of discouraged on playing that system. So the tubes have been silenced.  

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

Hi Dan,

  My last response was for @b8_ayaka.  He/she was wondering about the less expensive Linlai’s.  Hopefully you get your cart soon!  

@earthbound, I doubt you'll ever find a better 6SN7 than the Hytron ('52). It's a spectacularly good tube and my favorite aside from the very expensive Mullard ECC32.  

@arcfan 

I recently purchased 4 of the horizontal lettering tubes for my Atmasphere MP-1

Did you use socket savers? no chance you could fit all 6 tubes right?

Hi guys,

Are 4x linlai elites 6sn7 gonna fit in may cary audio slp 98,anyone done that??

@borisj 

The Linlai Global Elite E-6SN7 are 56mm in diameter, or  2 3/16". Measure from center of socket outward half the distance of either those two measurements leaving enough clearance for neighboring 6SN7. I believe that clearance to be .5mm or .65mm

Important note: also keep in mind your top plate clearance, the chassis.

And hopefully someone will chime in with some Cary SLP-98 experience. 

@borisj, my bad.

Recommended clearance between both valves 1cm or 10mm or roughly 3/8"

Nice, big old thread! I love it. 

I just received a pair of the Linlai Elite 6sn7s.  I'm one hour into them; they sound spectacular. I was pretty shocked so I landed here.  If these never got better from break-in I'd still be happy. What a tube!

These are so confusing.

I know some people are saying the Global and Elite are different. 
 

seems like the first ones people were using were just the “Elite” and they loved them. Not sure which ones to buy, what a mess. 

Also just to throw another wrench into all of this.......

Here is an example of a vertical Linlai with the wrong "base" bought from Grant.  I thought the ones with this base were only the E-6SN7 non Global's? 

I think Linlai is screwing us.

@blkwrxwgn

 

Why is that the wrong base. They look like the same base I received last year from Grant. They also match the base of every other Elite on the website. Maybe what they have picture is illustration purposes only. I don’t think Rachel is willing to risk her reputation after all these years. This picture is from the website.

@blkwrxwgn 

Linlai global tubes are made for 'western' market and they are different from non 'global' tubes,they have different presentation.U have that info on their website.And for the base of the tube I think it doesn't matter if the base have 'ring' on it or no.U can see on they website that some tubes from the elite series have ring on their base and some not.

They both look like the same tube. The internal structure looks the same.

From their website

 

The Uniqueness of [LINLAI™ Global] Tubes:

Tubes bearing [LINLAI™ Global] logo are engineered, produced and carefully screened to exclusively meet western music listeners’ preference:

1) Aim to high degree of faithful reproduction of western music instruments, such as piano, acoustic and electric guitar, acoustic and electric bass / double bass, kick drums etc, which are common in western recordings but not as common in Asian music;

2) Create live-like sound image width and depth, and offer realistic balance across high, mid and bass frequencies, without exaggerating the ultra high frequencies (much of Asian music does focus more ultra high’s and Asian audiophiles are accustomed to such a type of sound).

LINLAI™ Tubes sold to vendors in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau are tuned, produced and screened to meet Asian audiophile’s listening habits and preferences. They bear a different domestic logo – which is written in Chinese language. Such tubes will NOT have warranty from [Linlai™ Global] to buyers from outside of above-mentioned Asian regions.

Linlai™ Factory recommends all overseas buyers to purchase with factory authorized vendors for your region, in order to validate your purchase warranty and avoid unnecessary financial losses.

My primary Elite 6SN7 purchased from an eBay vender in China, are still sounding great. I’m probably at 600-700 hours.   My only experience is with the Elite’s. The only visible difference I can see between them, is the labeling, as also stated by @invalid. 

@evank What I am saying is that I posted a link to the vertical print, from Grant, tube that has the same base as the non "global elite" tube.  That's always been the point that people tried to make that the ones direct from Linlai and from Grant had a different base and different print, so they had to be different.

I think Linlai knows that you can get the same tubes from unauthorized distributors (people who sell it for a normal markup) and they are upset because they have a hell of a markup for the US market.

 

I'm guessing you are getting the exact same tube but they put a different print on the glass for the US market so they can control pricing.

 

That HAS to be the truth!!!! ;) ;)

 

 

The Uniqueness of [LINLAI™ Global] Tubes:

Tubes bearing [LINLAI™ Global] logo are engineered, produced and carefully screened to exclusively meet western music listeners’ preference:

1) Aim to high degree of faithful reproduction of western music instruments, such as piano, acoustic and electric guitar, acoustic and electric bass / double bass, kick drums etc, which are common in western recordings but not as common in Asian music;

2) Create live-like sound image width and depth, and offer realistic balance across high, mid and bass frequencies, without exaggerating the ultra high frequencies (much of Asian music does focus more ultra high’s and Asian audiophiles are accustomed to such a type of sound).

LINLAI™ Tubes sold to vendors in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau are tuned, produced and screened to meet Asian audiophile’s listening habits and preferences. They bear a different domestic logo – which is written in Chinese language. Such tubes will NOT have warranty from [Linlai™ Global] to buyers from outside of above-mentioned Asian regions.

Linlai™ Factory recommends all overseas buyers to purchase with factory authorized vendors for your region, in order to validate your purchase warranty and avoid unnecessary financial losses.

The only two advantages I see in buying the global elite tubes instead of the elite tubes directly from China is they might be better matched and if you receive a bad tube you don't have to ship it back to China for a replacement. The whole tube matching thing can be problematic because nobody is matching these tubes at the parameters that they will be used in a piece of audio equipment.

Very true, the problem is they are double the price, that's a lot to pay for an assumption.  At least each pair comes with supposed "test certificates"

Who knows.......

 

invalid

820 posts

02-04-2023 at 09:41am 

The only two advantages I see in buying the global elite tubes instead of the elite tubes directly from China is they might be better matched and if you receive a bad tube you don't have to ship it back to China for a replacement. The whole tube matching thing can be problematic because nobody is matching these tubes at the parameters that they will be used in a piece of audio equipment.