I've been experimenting for years
working to find the right mix of good sounding and reliable 6V6 tubes to
stock here at the shop. After installing thousands of tubes, here
are my two top picks and why.
Top choice - 6V6GT from
Electro-Harmonix. This was the first good-sounding, well-built 6V6
tube to arrive on the scene after several years of living with not-so-great choices. It's based on the RCA type and it does of good job of
looking and sounding like the vintage tube. The tone is very smooth and
"creamy" with a soft feel. Great for harsh sounding amps or
speakers. The reliability of this tube is much better than some of
the talk on the internet would suggest.
Second Choice – 6V6S from JJ.
This is a very rugged and reliable tube. However, the tone is
not really true to the 6V6 standard. Its voice is a little stronger
in the midrange with a little more bight and edge overall. It's the
perfect choice for some amps and speakers when you want a little more
midrange grind.
Third Choice - Tung-Sol 6V6.
Physically, this tube appears almost identical to the Electro-Harmonix
variety and it's built at the same factory. The internal parts are
the tube are moved up higher in the glass bottle. The bottom mica
wafer has a different shape and the getter (the part of the tube that
sprays the silver coating onto the glass) has a different shape and is
moved to the bottom of the tube. Neither of those components affect
the tone or reliability of the tube. I realize that there is much
talk around the internet by people who prefer the TS or the EH tube over
the other choice but as many time as I have listened to them, I have yet
to hear any difference more that what I would hear between two pairs of
the same brand. I suspect these are functionally identical tubes
although I have no direct proof. I have also not seen any difference
in reliability between the two. Therefore, I rate the Tung-Sol third
because it has a higher price tag without bringing any extra benefits.
