New Old Stock 6922 Tube for a Conrad Johnson ET3 SE preamplifier*

About nine months ago I purchased a Gold Lion 6922 for my CJ, I did like it better than the EH 6922 it came with. Better bottom end and better detail on the top end. My dealer has about 6 Amperex 6922's made in Holland NOS tubes. Good match for my CJ?? How will it be different from the Gold Lion and is this typical tube life in a CJ preamp.

 

I owned an ET3 and it went thtu tubes quite frequently. I think it has more to do with the design of the amp then anything else. A gteat sounding pre but I moved on.

 

Could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that Jeff Dorgay in Tone Audio addressed rolling the stock EH 6922 in either the the ET-5 or the ET3 a while back in his review of whichever it was (I think the ET5). He recommended an expensive replacement he preferred, but I can't recall what -- maybe a Telefunken (?) . There seems to be a rumor that CJ preamps are hard on tubes, but I don't think so. The real problem is that the tubes these days are so hit or miss. Unfortunately, that probably just as true of expensive NOS tubes, which I suspect are pretty picked over at this point, as it is of new production EH6922s. You might be better off just picking up a dozen inexpensive 6922s of different manufacturers for $10 ea., and chucking the bad ones, instead of spending big bucks for a Telefunken or whatever.

 

How much is he asking for the tubes?

 

Just buy a few different 6922s and see what you think. There really is no better way to answer this question. Nobody else will know your system or your preferences.

Tube rolling can be a lot of fun, and can easily make or break the sound of a system. But once you find the right combination of tubes, the results can be truly magical.

 

Good 6922s are going to set you back more than $10 unless they're used with a lot of mileage on them. Amperex 6922s from Holland are nice tubes that are rated for 5,000 hours. They can be pricey depending on the particular variant they are (the older they are, the more expensive they get; early D getter types and pinched waist versions go for a premium).

 

I have Conrad Johnson Premiere 17LS that uses four 6922 tubes.
Mine came with Gold Lions that were noisy, so I put four NOS Jan Philips ECG made in the USA and been using it for the past 2 years.
I never felt the need to roll or take them out since putting them in. They sound beautiful to me. And didn't break the bank which is a good thing.

 

I really agree with the "not breaking the bank" and "try a bunch" approach. Do some tubes sound better than others? Yes, but spending more is no guarantee, and neither is the brand. We are talking about rather delicate 40 year old devices, which means they are inherently unreliable -- even after being tested. Putting the law of averages in your favor is the approach that has worked for me. Obviously, YMMV.

 

I have an ET5 and since it only uses one tube swapped for a Telefunken Platinum, pricey but made a nice difference. upscale audio has them for $209

 

It's a 1960's 6Dj8 Orange World logo tube about $55. Meanwhile I went to the store today and he gave me an EH 6922 for free to tide me over till the Amperex comes in. One nice thing about the CJ it only takes one tube so trying some top shelf tubes doesn't break the bank. Eliminates looking for matched pairs.