Apos Ray Vacuum Tube 6SN7 Select

Hello,

I have had the privilege of testing again their new 6SN7 Select Ray tube from Apos Audio.
At this point, thank you very much for the trust you have placed in me.
Also for letting me test another set for you.

Preface: I do not receive a fee or anything similar, this evaluation was based on a voluntary basis.
Together with other participants in Europe, Apos Audio has made the tube available to us.
You currently have the opportunity to take part in a European tour as soon as I am finished with my test.
(You are welcome to register with me, there are still places available).

You can get the Tube on Apos Audio website here if you wish to buy one or a set :
https://apos.audio/products/apos-ray-vacuum-tube-6sn7-select




Setup:

The setup consists of the Gustard R26 Dac connected to the Singxer Su2 via I2S.
Headphones are mainly the Zmf Atrium (Universe pads) and speakers from Elac from the 90s which have been refurbished.
The amplifier is the Feliks Euforia & Mcchanson Ultimate, which is very special in its design and circuitry.
The test is divided into 2 sections, one with the Feliks Euforia and one with the Ultimate from Mc Chanson.

About the amplifier:

The Feliks Euforia is an OTL based amplifier with a lot of room in the stage presentation.
Also the way the tubes are switched differs due to the transformer, in this case triode mode.
The OTL amplifier should actually be very quiet as it is not coupled to the transformer, OTL stands for Output Transformerless.
Its actual performance is also more limited compared to TC amplifiers (transformer couplers).
The Feliks also works best with 300 Ohm headphones.
Roughly speaking, the whole thing is also somewhat more primitive, as there is not much choice of tubes.
It is possible to work with adapters at this point, but the transformer is not designed for this and the results can also be distorted.
This is because the tubes cannot be driven correctly, which is what they are actually intended for.
It is also important not to exceed the maximum current heating value.
And this can also lead to a loss of sound, such as total distortion of the bass and things like that.
That's why in my test I stuck to the usual things that were officially approved by the manufacturer.
Also to give the 6SN7 Ray from Apos Audio a good identity.
Typically for an amplifier, and this is purely a manufacturer thing, the Feliks works somewhat primitively.
There are no possibilities to play with tubes in their Mu amplification factor.
This is therefore predetermined, so you can't give the actual sound more drive for more bite and pressure.
Instead, you can only differentiate between how the tube feels when listening, e.g. warm/neutral, and evaluate the overall picture.
In the 2nd test with the Ultimate Mcchanson I will go into this in more detail.
Further down you will also notice that certain combinations work very well with the output tubes, and some are not quite as good as expected or hoped for.

Construction and processing:

Here we see 2 parallel grey plates T-shaped panels where the sides are supported by 4 support rods up to the top.



On the upper part of the getter we see 2 slightly shaped U-shaped plates.



The glass as well as the label are of the highest quality and very cleanly finished.



We also have gold pins on the base for maximum performance with a ceramic base, which is not only beautifully made, but also high quality.
Here alone you get a lot for your money and the pictures correspond to those on the Apos Audio website.

Burn in and sound:

The Ray actually advertises a burn-in time of 6 hours, which I paid particular attention to. And I have to agree at this point.
Forget the first 6-8 hours completely before you think about making a judgement, and a little more playing time won't do any harm.
It sounds a bit strangely unsorted at first and is no fun either.
Give the tubes time, it's a lot less than you're used to, I found after burn in it got slightly better after the first 50 hours.
And actually gets better over time with prolonged use.
The sound after burn in, well it has a basic tone that doesn't disappoint where.
It is warm, rich in detail, has a good sense of dynamics and focus.
The bass is very well dosed, the mids very authentic and powerful, the treble range is very well resolved, free of peak as well as shrillness.
Depending on the output tube, you can steer the sound in the desired direction, and my findings here are the same as with the 12Au7 Ray tube from Apos Audio.

6SN7 Select Ray from Apos Audio with different output tubes on the Feliks Euforia amp:

6AS7G Svetlana:

Oh man, this is how I would have liked the Euforia amplifier in the base when I received it.
The 6SN7 Ray from Apos Audio does everything right.
The bass is powerful and hits from top to bottom, just as you would want and expect, really tight and there's nothing missing at all.
I have nothing to criticise, it's not spongy, flat or uncontrolled.
If Svetlana's mid-range weren't so unclean at times, as well as in the vocals, this would be such a great tube.
It's smooth and gorgeous, but it's just annoying, and it's not the source, because I only have this problem with the tube.
Otherwise the stage reaches in deep with a nice neutral illumination and makes it sparkle and shine.
The treble, on the other hand, is smooth and well extended in the pairing.
Sparkles nicely but also dry unfortunately, not sweet, honey rather sterile.
Overall tonally not analytical, much more on the neutral side and the Atrium doesn't sound warm at all at this point.
It also takes a good bit of its analogue character out of it.
It doesn't quite meet my personal taste in the pairing, but it does a very good job.
People with a small budget could use the Ray as a draw card if they want a neutral sound.
From memory, the Ps Vane sounds much flatter, more sterile and analytical, emotionless and cold at this point.
The 6SN7 Ray from Apos Audio is the starkest opposite here, nothing sounds flat, sterile if neither analytical nor emotionless due to the Svetlana.
Linlai 6SN7 is a little warmer and not as straightforward as the 6SN7 Ray.
Linlai is a little less clean in the bass, and is again a little sweeter in the mid and treble range.
with the basic tubes of the Euforia's that Feliks provides
In terms of new stock, the point here clearly goes to the 6SN7 Ray from Apos Audio.


6AS7G RCA:

The first thing to mention is that there is no distortion in the mid and treble range as with the Svetlana.
This is a very positive aspect.
In terms of sound, the pairing is warmer than the Svetlana but not excessively so.
Warmer and not too neutral like the Svetlana.
Overall less sterile, strictly speaking not at all.
Everything here is smooth and full-bodied with emotion, blooming and beautifully sweet.
The bass is controlled and firm, not quite on the same level as the Svetlana, but I'm happy to do without it.
As already mentioned, the mid-range is absolutely clean, warm with a nice dark background and the level of detail is absolutely clean and very good.
Vocals are intimate and clear, pleasant to listen to.
The treble range is slightly extended, pleasantly sweet and focussed.
It doesn't go quite as deep but remains controlled; the Svetlana was slightly better in this respect.
Macrofocus is much better here in the pairing and was right for me.
Instrumentally, it remains lush and beautiful, warm, smooth and very pleasant.
The pairing with the 6SN7 Ray from Apos Audio is absolutely right here.
And offers a best budget setup that will be sufficient for many things.
Everything is there to enjoy music on the good side.
With a lot of luck there will be a 6AS7G Tung sol which I unfortunately don't have and is supposed to be a bit better, but very rare and hard to find for this amplifier.
These are the only 3 manufacturers I know of who have made a 6AS7G.
I'll continue with the 6080 in my arsenal.



6080 CSF Thomson:

Mostly my favourite pair on this amp.
Because with these output tubes there is very little missing in my opinion.
In general they are very musical and have a better bass than the Mullards.
With the 6SN7 Ray from Apos Audio I realise that there is nothing lacking here either.
The RCA 6AS7G was a little more relaxed to my ear in direct comparison.
However, the 6080 Csf Thomson has a reputation for taking about 30 minutes to get there and sounding a bit metallic.
However, after 30 minutes you realise that things are relaxing.
And even then, this combination plays absolutely superbly.
Wonderful depth, clean in the separations and musical at the same time.
The bass is beautifully solid and firmly defined.
The midrange and vocals are a little less intimate, but intimate enough.
The vocals are clear and distinct at this point and a little more distant and well extended.
Not quite like the 6AS7G RCA but enough.
The treble range is slightly more rolled off and is not annoying at this point, but still fills out the details nicely and cleanly.
In terms of macrodynamics there is also enough, the focus is a little less present but you gain something else because it is a musical tube.
The desire to hear more of it is there with its slightly warmer tuning.
Together with the 6SN7 Ray from Apos Audio, this is another good combination on this amplifier that goes towards midrange and additional neutral headphones such as the Hd800 will benefit from it.
Even the Zmf Auteur cut a very good figure with this combination.


Mullard 6080:

These are absolutely magical and impressive in combination with 6SN7 Ray's.
And also a pairing that I haven't heard before, because it's amazing.
In this pairing, the midbass really comes into its own on the atrium.
It completes the endgame in layers and rounds it off very well, with the bass extending well through all levels.
In terms of vocals, it is as intimate as the Rca 6AS7G, but it goes even further where the Mullard shows its strengths.
Very emotional, beautiful voices can be heard, very well balanced.
The mid-range is incredibly well lit and takes you on a journey.
In terms of the stage, everything is just right here, from the timbre to the macrodynamics, everything is wonderfully in time and rhythm and at the same time clean, smooth, sweet and focussed.
The instruments are also very well represented here, totally clean in separation and you can hear their location and positioning very well.
In terms of the treble range, it's a bit rolled off but in a different way, rather shifted very far back.
Until this point begins to roll off, you are accompanied by the details and downright spoilt where they float in the air if they were also composed.
This is where the Mullard's strength clearly shines through, as it plays very low down and is an absolute treat for the ears with that great 6SN7 Ray tube from Apos Audio that it is said to have.
There is nothing that the treble doesn't do or fill out, it is perfect, sweet, delicate, like the midrange very soulful and intoxicating in every way.
Tonally, the presentation is kept between warm and neutral and very well balanced, the stage presentation is also very well presented and lets you look deep inside and immerse yourself.
Together with the atrium, the decay of the notes is just right, nothing is missing and it is one of the top endgames with this pairing.
Except for the Svetlana, where you could still hear the decay a good bit, I missed it a bit with the CSF Thomson and 6AS7G Rca.
Compared to the CSF Thomson and 6AS7G tube, the Mullard clearly takes first place, which also remains interference-free in the low end.
If CSF Thomson already covers the mid range well, the Mullard is one of the end games.
And it's worth keeping an eye on it if it is supported by the amplifier.
For Euforia/Elise owners, the 6SN7 Ray from Apos Audio are more than a stroke of luck and a must have.
This pairing has reminded me why I bought the Euforia.




The best for last with the infamous Tung sol 5998 for this amp:

I struggled a bit with the tube and still do.
Many say it's the best tube for this amp, and I have some reservations about it and it often doesn't really suit my taste even with Nos 6SN7 tubes driving it.
So take what I say with a grain of salt.
Others like the tube and will be as subjective as possible.
Starting with the bass, the midbass is very focussed with the 6SN7 Ray from Apos Audio.
What others like doesn't have to please everyone.
Compared to the Mullard 6080, this pairing was more beautiful in a good way.
Because the bass range covered almost everything from top to bottom and was much more multi-layered.
Certainly a matter of taste in the end.
Personally, I find it annoying when the midbass starts knocking because I find it disturbing, as if your flatmate one floor above were constantly knocking.
Maybe it makes sense to go to Auteur with the Zmf pads to take that out a bit.
But not to talk it down, it's still meaty and full.
I like that in a way.
The mid-range and stage are deep, especially the stage is very well immersed compared to the Mullard, much clearer and the details are 1-2 seconds longer in the room at this point and break up very nicely.
The vocals are just as good as on the Mullard.
Even though Mullard is a nose ahead for me here, the Tungsol does something better in the centre focus area and brings this very well to the foreground, which is brightly illuminated and very clear at this point.
The micro details also come through better.
In general, it has similar strengths to the Mullard in macrodynamics.
Both are very good from the gut.
In terms of timbre, both also share a similar experience.
In the treble range it is also similar to the Mullard, what I hear is that it is brighter at this point and details remain similar in the room before they disappear but are slightly different.
Nevertheless, the Mullard plays a bit lower as a direct comparison.
And I think overall it's because the pairing is a bit more neutral, Mullard is warm/neutral here.
The TS5998 is another corner more neutral here.
That's why my findings on the Mullard almost coincide here, although I clearly prefer the Mullard here.
This is a personal sound preference and nothing negative.
The 6SN7 Ray from Apos Audio still plays warmly here, but not quite as intended, because the TS5998 is probably the more dominant tube and its orientation is more neutral.
Overall, however, the 6SN7 Rays are very good, because they don't disguise or distort anything, they play very confidently here and round off a lot of things.
This is a good thing because there are many 6SN7 tubes that do this, even in the Nos range.

Fancy an encore ? EL34 Sophia Electric:

I thought of you, my friends from the Feliks Euforia/Elise amplifier.

Here I was unbiased and did not expect the result.
Here we see a complete new stock tube combination that I have never tried myself.
And this is a combination that is on a par with the Mullard 6080 combination.
But simply with more melting, butter, sweetness and honey added.
It doesn't make sense from a kitchen point of view but in terms of audio it's the last ingredient you're looking for.
The bass range is no longer quite midbass and has diminished here.
But it extends again in a different way, much more refined and powerful when it needs to be and much better staged.
Very pleasant on the ear and not annoying, very nicely dosed and you love it.
Mid-range and vocals, the vocals are absolutely another highlight here.
With so much feeling and melodiousness behind it, it lets you sink in and listen for a good while and is very, very pleasant.
The mid-range is also very well represented, even better than with the Mullard 6080 and even more precise and accurate.
The detail already starts there and extends nicely up to the low end or treble range.
The separation of the instruments is also very well represented and very precise, even in the decay, a real melting.
And the whole scene moves closer and its location is even easier to hear.
Also, the way it is presented when the piano or other instrumental things flow in with the vocals.
The treble range is sensationally good and also gives a deep insight.
But the Mullard 6080 is a bit more refined, I have to give it that.
Tonally, the pairing is definitely on the warm side and also somewhat darker, even darker than the Mullard 6080.
The Makrodynamic has also increased a little at this point and allows it to be experienced very well.
The timbre is extremely well represented, the combination with the 6SN7 Ray from Apos Audio is a very good one.
I can imagine that with other EL34 tubes you can achieve even better results with the 6SN7 Ray from Apos Audio.

Conclusion:

I have already listened to the 6SN7 Ray from Apos Audio for a good 50 hours.
And can say for now that it is another tube that is very remarkable and puts some Nos 6SN7 GTB's in the shade.
The tube has a lot going for it in terms of sound as well as the manufacturing and choice of materials.
In general, it is on the warm side and still remains warm enough when paired with something neutral.
You can definitely get more out of it if you have a more flexible amplifier that offers more variety on the output tube side.
I'll go into this topic in more detail in Part 2.
Overall, it's an excellent tube where you can't go wrong and it's money well spent.
It delivers bass that is not spongy, the midrange remains full and smooth, and the treble remains excellent here too.
It produces a nice clean round sound that stays nice and meaty.
It was also not absolutely necessary to compare the tube with other Nos tubes.
These were better than my Nec GTB, Ultron GTB, Westinghouse and I preferred them to the Brimar Gty in the Euforia amplifier.
As a new stock tube an absolute dream of a tube where you should strike.
It was also better than my Linlai Elite 6SN7 (I left a little feedback in the 6AS7G Svetlana section).
I also stand by this feedback, no question.
Just like the 12AU7, it's another pipe that should not be missed and you should give it a chance.
The 6SN7 Ray from Apos Audio has already gone into my 2nd amplifier.
And I can already say that with EL84 tubes it is on another level where it absolutely shines.
Also in long term listening where I thought I only write a lot of good things what about the bad ones?
Well to be honest I couldn't find anything, I found more with the Nos than with the 6SN7 Ray from Apos Audio.
The only tip I can give is that you should not go too warm with the combination.
Because too much warmth starts to mask the higher frequencies.
It is definitely for me one of the best tubes in the New Stock I have heard so far.
Not even the inexpensive TAD tube can keep up with what the 6SN7 Ray from Apos Audio offers.
Incidentally, the New Stock Tung Sol plays too romantically and not quite as resolving as the 6SN7 Ray from Apos Audio.
At this point, one more remark: all output tubes ran completely noise-free with the 6SN7 Select Ray from Apos Audio, without hum of any kind. (Even the EL34 Sophia Electric )
Even though this is an amplifier issue, I wanted to mention it here.
I also enjoyed testing the tube and found it to be very good, which also gave me an emotional lift.
Once again, a huge thank you at this point.