Quote Originally Posted by Happy Camper
As the title says, what tubes are you using in your pre/phono/amp?

For my DAC, I'm using a 12ay7 GE Command 5* in place of a 12ax7. I wanted to get more focused and open sound and this has been a nice upgrade from the standard 12ax7.

In my headphone amp, I'm using a 2c51 adapter with a WE 2c51 driver and two TS 5998 output tubes. My amp offers many a tuberolling options as quoted below.

"In addition to the stock driver, you can also use a NOS 6SN7, 6SL7, 6188, 6SU7GTY. With optional ECC type 1 adapters you may implement the 12AT7, 12AU7, 5814, 5965, 6414, 6829, and 7062. Or, our ECC type 2 adapters are also available for the 6ES8, 6DJ8, 6922; 6DJ4, 6DJ8, ECC189, ECC88, E88CC; and Osram PCC88. Our third adapter type will allow for the implementation of the 5687, ECC182, and 7119. Other adapters available include 6CG7/6FQ7, 6GU7, and another for the 6350 and 6463.

The following NOS output tubes are available additionally for purchase: Raytheon 6080; GE 6080; Bendix 6080, 7802; RCA 6AS7; Tung-Sol 6080, 7236, 2399; IBM 5998(straight bottle), and Tung-Sol 5998(shoulder type)."

See any tubes in the lists above that has a better sound?
What's next? I'm basically on my first tube component so I can't be expected to have heard if all, but this is the first I've heard of adaptors to permit different tube types interchangably in the same device. (I have heard of adaptors that permit single opamps to replace dual opamps.)

But to your question, in my Sonic Frontiers Line 1 preamp I use six 6922s. In the gain stage specifically I use a pair of these Amperex USA white label 'PQ's. I bought them used, not NOS which would have been 4x the price, however they are working well and are very quite.