In Barn for Rolling: Ray Tubes 6SN7s for the LTA Aero DAC

I imagine different people look at the above image, and the notion of tube rolling, in two basic ways—with joyous anticipation or dread.

Same photo, same topic, opposite feelings. Happens all the time in art and life so why not in hifi, too. I fall into the ‘joyous anticipation’ camp having owned and rolled tube-based hifi gear for more than 20 years.

That experience has taught me two important things about tube rolling:

different tubes can make the music coming out of our hifi sound different
different tubes can make us even more excited about the music coming out of our hifi

Linear Tube Audio (LTA) kindly connected me to Oakland, California-based Ray Tubes who sell new production, Ray’s-branded tubes that are “hand-selected, tested, and consistent” and come with a one-year warranty against manufacturing defects. I recommend a trip to the Ray’s Tubes website to get the complete story.

For the purposes of tube rolling in the recently reviewed LTA Aero DAC (see review Part 1), which allows for the use of 12SN7s or 6SN7s with the flip of a rear-mounted switch, Ray Tubes sent two matched pair of 6SN7s from their stash: SELECT and RESERVE.

I’ll let Ray explain:

The SELECT Collection is for those who want an immersive experience. These tubes offer superior clarity, depth, and detail. Each one is handpicked for its exceptional sound quality.

The RESERVE Collection is made for high-fidelity devices. These tubes focus on vocal realism, detailed treble, and extended bass. They deliver excellent sound. They’re the best we offer. If you don’t like them, find someone else to make your tubes.