I think this is a good thread to resurrect. There are other threads on this topic on Audiogon where it was explored quite enthusiastically in the last few years. They are worth seeking out.
I have obsessed and researched and bought and rolled many varieties of 6SN7 tubes in my Supratek Cortese preamp. It is an addiction.
I AM NOT AN EXPERT and don’t pretend to advise others about which 6SN7 is *best*. I think it is very system and circuit dependent, not to mention a matter of taste and personal preference. A great circuit with a highly developed parts list will make a lot of tubes sound great. A poor circuit can benefit from tubes where the characteristics of the tube serve as a remedy to counteract the shortcomings of the circuit design or parts build list.
I seem to recall reading a post in which someone expressed doubts about some of the VTV tube rankings because someone involved in the rankings had a bunch of tubes they wanted to sell. I don’t recall where I read this tidbit. Take it with a grain of salt.
One reason I wanted to chime in on this thread is that whoever came up with the rankings above arrived at different rankings than many of the other rankings on the ’net. The list above makes no mention of Tung Sol round plates, Ken-Rad black glass VT231s or the other highly sought after varieties of this wonderful tube. There are even current/recent production tubes that those with more experience than I have rate very highly. For instance, the no-longer-in-production Shuguang WE6SN7 PLUS tube. Highly sought after, virtually unobtainable since the fire in the Shuguang factory a few years back.
I have not had the pleasure or invested the time or money necessary to try any of the modern Chinese varieties, such as the so-called CV-181, the Linlai or the Psvane. There are some pretty cool looking varieties out there. Today a buddy of mine got a new Supratek preamp that used red-base Psvane 6SN7 tubes. They looked gorgeous with the color scheme of the new Cortese.
Don Sachs uses 6SN7 tubes in his preamp. Not sure what current production variety he is using but for a while he was using the Shuguang WE6SN7 plus tubes.
I think my best advise is to try a few varieties (use socket savers to protect your sockets from wear and tear), roll them, borrow some from a friend, and share your personal results here.
Let’s keep the ball rolling. I hope I have not stepped on anyone’s toes with my comments.