Single Ended 6N6G amplifier

Here’s a nearly one of a kind amplifier; a single ended 6N6G.

The 6N6G is a very early compactron tube, with a driver and an output stage in one glass envelope. A far more popular compactron tube for hifi is the 6EM7/13EM7. Those date to the 50’s I believe, but the 6N6G seen here is from the 1930s. The tube itself has a very nice look, with an ST shape and hefty internals.

This amp was carefully made by a very talented gentleman in Oregon, and I was lucky enough to be its first owner. The amp is so unusual, it features a secondary input stage using 6DJ8 tubes. This can be dialed in with the small knob, while the chicken head knob is used for volume. In this way the amplifier can be tailored to match a variety of sources.

The sound was very detailed and yet still richly triode feeling with big images. This amp brings out all of the sounds on the recording, but can easily feel tense and overdriven on some recordings. Fooling with the knobs can make the sound more or less pleasant. Overall, it has a more strident feel than some of the other DHT amps I’ve owned, almost like a big SE Pentode. This is a tube I’d like to see again, perhaps without the secondary input.

One of the best things about this hobby is getting to use one-of-a-kind handmade items like this amplifier, carefully planned and constructed by a craftsman to his satisfaction, not to a monetary goal. You sure aren’t going to get this amplifier from a factory anywhere.

The transformer set on this amp is the Tamura TamRadio iron that I like so much, harvested from an early 60’s Sony reel to reel.