April 2, 2012
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Power Tube Mini Review, 2nd Round: Part 1 New Sensor Tung-Sol 6550
This is the first installment of the second round of my power tube reviews and will cover the New Sensor reissue of the classic Tung-Sol three hole, grey plate 6550. These tubes were well broken in and were purchased in 2005 from an online tube vendor whose name I no longer remember. They are Russian made and have date codes from November, 2004. These could very well be from some of the initial production runs and may or may not be different from current production.
Listening impressions:
- Punchy bass with very good dynamics
- Very good transient response and clarity
- The sound stage has very good lateral separation and depth with clearly defined images although the images themselves are somewhat two dimensional
- Evenly balanced midrange
Overall, their sound is similar to vintage Tung-Sol three hole grey plates although not quite as refined or dimensional. Still, they're very musical and I could live with these quite happily. They are an excellent value given their quite reasonable prices.
Comments (2)
I wonder if it's the same factor that makes the Electro-Harmonix tubes. In general, I like EH's products, which sound more "modern." That, of course, means that the stereotypical audiophile will hate EH.
@rpghero27 -
You are indeed correct and New Sensor's tubes, which include their reissues under the Tung-Sol, Mullard and Genalex labels as well as the Electro-Harmonix brand, all come from their Reflektor glass tube factory in Saratov, Russia. During the Soviet era, this factory was named Xpo-Pul and some of the military issue tubes from that time bear this name on their boxes.
EH tubes are reputed to be of superior quality to their Sovtek counterparts which are also made in the Reflektor plant. The EH tubes are said to be made to tighter tolerances and go through stricter sorting procedures than their Sovtek brethren. The Electro-Harmonix 6922 is the stock tube supplied by conrad-johnson (among many other manufacturers) in those preamps and amps which still use that type. Like you, I also find the EH 6922 to be clear, well detailed and extended at the frequency extremes.