Great new production tubes
"I haven't rolled that many 6SN7 tubes, but these are articulate, musical, and dynamic. These are used in a LTA DAC and MZ3 head amp. Very happy with them sonically."
Ray Tubes 6SN7 RESERVE Vacuum Tube
The Best of the Best
The RESERVE Collection of Ray vacuum tubes are artfully designed and carefully manufactured solely for hifi audiophile devices. With the RESERVE, vocals are a revelation: smooth, lifelike, and beautifully present. They convey a sense of realism and immediacy without any bloat, offering a gentle yet compelling delivery with superior decay. The treble is crisp yet laid-baid, carefully balanced to avoid sibilance or harshness. This balanced sound signature extends to the low-end as well: full and commanding, contributing to an overall superbly realistic imaging that is brain-scratchingly good.
Engineered Exclusively for Audiophile Systems
Explicitly engineered for audiophile applications, the RESERVE Collection of vacuum tubes are crafted through a unique process that targets the specific needs of audiophiles, focusing on critical sound characteristics such as vocal realism, texture, and extended bass. Every aspect of their design and manufacture is aimed at enhancing the listening experience in high-fidelity systems.
Ensuring Excellence
Every vacuum tube in the RESERVE Collection is subjected to a stringent quality assurance process. An audio engineer personally assesses each vacuum tube against a detailed checklist that includes sound profile, dynamics, microphonics, gain, conductance, and noise levels, along with overall performance. This ensures not only that the vacuum tubes align with audiophile expectations for sound quality but also that they meet our rigorous standards for reliability and consistency.
Gold Pins: Excellence in Every Detail
Gold pins not only add a touch of elegance but also serve a significant purpose. Gold's superior conductivity enhances signal transmission for crystal-clear sound, while its resistance to oxidation ensures long-term performance and durability. These qualities, combined with the secure contact gold provides within the socket, mean your vacuum tubes aren't just top-notch, they're built to last.
Magic Coating
Some things are better left unseen. You can't see inside the RESERVE tube because it's coated with something called monocrystalline carbon. This layer allows for quicker electron transmission, keeps the glass cool, and blocks out noise. If you've got an engineering background, you might find the science fascinating. For the rest of us, it's basically magic. The coating is delicate and tough to apply, which complicates production. That's why Ray only uses it for their RESERVE tubes and why it costs more. When all is said and done, it just means one thing- the sound is amazing.
Superior Sound, Secured
Ray Tubes offers an exceptional 12-month warranty, a rarity in the world of vacuum tubes (especially NOS tubes). This reflects their confidence in the performance and durability of their products. This warranty is your safeguard against any manufacturing defects, making sure that your investment is protected.
Ray Tubes Quality Control
From extensive burn-in to expert listening sessions, Ray Tubes goes above and beyond to guarantee each tube they sell is ready for your high-end system. Read more about the process on their blog.
Product highlights
- Hand-selected and tested
- Gold pins for corrosion resistance and excellent conduction
- A substantial upgrade from standard NOS tubes
- Low noise and microphonics
- Fewer than 5% of the tubes commissioned for production meet our voltage, current, and sound signature standards
- 12-month warranty against manufacturing defects
Specs
- Tube type: 6SN7
- Socket: 8-pin
Compatible Amps
Explore Ray Tubes' Tube Amp Compatibility List
Whats included
- Ray Tubes 6SN7 RESERVE Vacuum Tube
- Manual booklet
Help Shape Our Vacuum Tube Legacy
With the launch of our Ray Vacuum Tubes, we embark on an exciting mission to create a comprehensive lineup of tubes that cater to the discerning audiophile. We view this as a collaborative journey with the audiophile community and value your feedback and support to shape our future tube lineup. Let us know what other tubes you'd like us to create.
Explore More
- What Tube Amps Are Compatible with Ray Tubes?
- How Do You Maintain Your Vacuum Tubes?
- How Do I Roll the Tubes of My Tube Amp?
- Why Upgrade Your Tubes?
- FAQ
Featured reviews
"These may very well be the best vacuum tubes I've ever had the privilege of listening to." -Wave Theory
"If any really high-end tube device users out there are wondering 'Are those Ray tubes any good?' Yes. Yes they are. They are really good." -Wave Theory
Ray Tubes 6SN7 RESERVE Vacuum Tube
Sale price$242.00 USD
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Ray Tubes 6SN7 RESERVE Vacuum Tube
Sale price$242.00 USD
Overall rating: 4.714286 / 5 from 28 reviews.
AI Generated Review Summary
The Ray Tubes 6SN7 RESERVE Vacuum Tubes are highly praised for their exceptional sound quality, offering a smooth, lifelike vocal experience with a crisp treble and full bass. Engineered for audiophiles, these tubes undergo rigorous quality control and feature gold pins for enhanced signal transmission. The coating of monocrystalline carbon ensures low noise and microphonics, contributing to an amazing sound experience. Ray Tubes backs their product with a 12-month warranty against manufacturing defects.
Summary topics
- Soundstage Quality: 25%
- Sound Clarity: 15%
- Overall Sound Quality: 30%
- Tube Performance: 70%
Review topics: ["sound","tubes","soundstage","bass","clarity","vocals","ray","unit","highs"].
Review highlights
- "Tube sounds great with my jyr+ and DCA Noires." —
- "The tubes sound very good!!!" —
- "This tube sounds terrific in my Schiit Lyr+!" —
Reviews
reserve 6sn7 is same tube as psvane cv-181-TTII
"Apos is making a significant profit from their Reserve 6SN7 tubes. According to PSVane, these tubes are essentially the same as the PSVane CV181-T II Treasure tube, which sells for a much lower price. The Reserve tubes used to have a silver base, but they now come with a gold or orange base, same as the PSVane CV181-T Treasure 2 tube. If you compare the two, they sound the same, but the Reserve tubes are priced hundreds of dollars higher. If Apos refuses to post this information, I will consider filing a lawsuit against them for bias in their reviews and for selectively posting only what they want the public to see."
Exactly What My Freya+ F Was Missing
"I recently added the Ray Tubes Reserve Quad 6SN7 tubes to my Schiit Audio Freya+ F, upgrading from the stock 6N8S tubes. My home office system includes a Mac mini M4, ONIX SACD/CD transport, Schiit Audio Byggy DAC, AGD The Audion MKIII monoblock amplifiers, and Sonus faber Sonetto I G2 stand-mount speakers. I have really enjoyed the Freya+ F in my system, but I was not completely head-over-heels with the sound and felt like something was still missing. Before moving on from the Freya altogether, it was recommended that I look into tube rolling. After a lot of research, listening, and shopping around, I settled on the Ray Tubes Reserve 6SN7 quad. After receiving the tubes, I honestly could not wait for the full recommended warm-up period and started listening almost immediately. Even after only a few minutes, I noticed an immediate improvement. The soundstage became more three-dimensional, layered, and spacious, with better depth and a more natural presentation. This was already apparent before any real burn-in time, so I am excited to hear how the tubes continue to develop over the first 100 hours or so. Based on my early impressions, the Ray Tubes Reserve 6SN7 quad has brought the Freya+ F much closer to what I was hoping to hear from my system. After only a few hours of listening, it feels like the upgrade I was missing but will be sure to update after full burn in is completed."
Ray reserve 6sn7 tubes
"Vocals were so true to life. Very holographic with very nice 3d imaging. Bass was tight and precious. Worth the money for 4 matching 6sn7 reserve tubes."
Ray 6SN7 reserve tubes
"Excellent tubes. There is nothing that I don’t like. musical, resolving, excellent male female vocals, separation of instruments, feels as if singer is present in room."
Some of the very best
"Purchased to replenish the driver tubes in a HiFiMan Shangri-La amplifier, these Apos Ray Reserve tubes proved every bit up to the hype that surrounds them. Delivering a deep, rich, meaty tone, with more bass depth, punch and slam than I'd otherwise heard from this headphone setup, I'm very happy with this quad of 6SN7's and will be back to buy more."
sometimes it gets holographic. . . 🙂
"I love this tube. In the first listening hours i did not know what to expect. But after longer time the Soundstage went bigger and sometimes even a little holographic. I am using this tube in my completly self built Bottlehead crack + Speedball with a Western Electric WE 421A + Chord Mojo V1 and a Sennheiser HD 800 which already has a crazy Soundstage. 😂 Totally worth the money. And i ordered it from germany so i had to pay extra for the import. I think i nearly paid 300€ 😅."
I used these tubes with
"I used these tubes with Feliks Envy, and they underwhelm me. Yes, they got the slam, but they are missing the natural highs or the midrange magic."
Run, don't walk, to get these
"I was using the Linlai Elites in my Spatial Audio Raven. At first I thought the brightness, and lack if musicality came from the synergy of the gear. Don Sachs recommended these tubes, and I am glad I got them. They made my system engaging, and am back to listening to the music and nit the flaws in my soundstage. Heck, I'd even get a second pair just 'cause. Get them."
"Tube sounds great with my jyr+ & DCA Noires. Definitely expanded the soundstage over the Tung Sol tube I have. Improved bass presence and great clarity & separation."
Q&A
- What is the diameter of the glass bottle used in the 6SN7 Reserve tube?
- Hello. At its widest, the width of the tube is 47mm.