User Feedback for Sophia Electric™ 6SN7 and 6SL7 Tubes By Morgan, California
I was very attentive when I saw your blog describing Sophia Electric\xe2\x80\x99s goal to recreate the famed Mullard CV181 in the image of the 6SN7. The Mullard CV181 and the Raytheon 6SN7WGTA are top performers for my Atmasphere MA1 MKIII mono block amps. It\xe2\x80\x99s almost impossible to find NOS CV181 in today\xe2\x80\x99s marketplace.
In theory, I would hope today\xe2\x80\x99s material science should produced better tubes compared to the good old days. We all know that is not the case. I am quite flabbergasted that the Sophia Electric 6SN7 is more than equal to the CV181, and in some aspects it leaps over the Mullard CV181.
After 150 hours of breaking in, the Sophia Electric 6SN7 has the cleanest clarity of sound. Along with the extremely low noise floor, I thought I was listening to a high-end solid state. I mean the tube has no noise. You can imagine the abundance of new sound details are showing up on my entire TAS HP list LPs.
And this Sophia Electric has incredible speed with superb dynamic swings. Its zippy do-da from soft to loud passages. If this tube is a speaker, it\xe2\x80\x99s an electrostatic design. This 6SN7 tube is crossing into the domain excellence of solid state but retaining all the tube glory like 3D imaging, ambiance, richness of music, non-glaring, and micro dynamics decay of a tailing sound. Indeed this is a beautiful musically sounding tube. This tells me the group that design this tube knows how to listen to music. Its natural and purity sweet sounding.
I find this 6SN7 goes higher in the treble and plunge deeper into the bass region compared to other 6SN7s. If you play Ray Brown\xe2\x80\x99s Soular Energy LP from Pure Audiophile label, you will be stunned by the acoustic bass and piano from the top to bottom frequency range. There is an impact of power exhibited on the piano and acoustic bass strings.
I recently tested other 6SN7 along side with the Sophia Electric 6SN7. The Sophia Electric is like the invisible man and letting other tubes exposing their own character. Wow, what a neutral sounding tube. So let the new real sound begin with the Sophia Electric 6SN7.
Thanks,
Morgan Hew
Studio City, CA