Most Musical 6NS7 tube for a Preamp?

@ozzy62. Your assessment of the deHavilland is correct that why it requires the changes I mentioned above. Just adding audio note resistors will change all that around $60 for the two non-magnetic or over $100 for the silver versions.  Add some nicicons and v-caps and almost there. Change out that junk of a transformer and you are there.   Of all the 6sn7 tubes the CBS 6sn7 sounded the best for $15.   Happy listening

In the past I wouldn't give you a nickel for any Chinese tube but the recent new Dawning Series tubes out of Shuguang are excellent.  I recently bought a Don Sachs all in preamp and he suggested them and they are lush sounding.  WE6SN7 PLUS.

Long time 6SN7 fan and tube roller.  I happen to run a Modwright LA-100 and like it very much.  I have run every 6SN7 and I mean every! mentioned above.  I stumbled a crossed a Don Sachs forum thread and for the first time heard of a tube that got rave reviews from NOS snobs like myself, that I had not heard of nor tried.  The Shuguang Dawning Series WE6SN7 PLUS.   Bought a pair on line from a Hong Kong dealer, let them burn in for 150 hours and was absolutely shocked by what I heard.  They replaced my beloved NOS Tung Sol VT-231 Black Glass Round Plates.  These inexpensive Chinese tubes were better in every way.   Sound stage much more open and spacious, great balance top to bottom with lush but not overblown mids.  Great bass and beautiful extended highs without harshness or glare.  I had tried every 6SN7 and these were by far my favorites.  In fact bought a second pair that I now run in my Modwright Oppo in my main system.  Just a heads up....these tubes are huge for a 6SN7!  They are beautiful but in my LS100 I had to cut holes in the top for them to fit....no big deal as I had already cut a whole in it to fit the Mullard GZ-37 Fat Bottle rectifier I am running.  In any case, this Chinese  WE6SN7 PLUS is an incredible tube!

My neighbors own both the microzotl and the Sachs. We are able to A/B and often do. I can say with certainly both are wonderful sounding pre amps. The Sachs sounds bigger and exhibits more of a tube flavor but in the most natural way. The LTA offers all the beautiful layering that tubes provide but with a blacker background. If you are looking to make your stereo sound bigger, maybe slightly warmer, I’d say the Sachs. If you are looking for a slightly more neutral sound perhaps the LTA. Again, I don’t think you can lose with any of them. I have not hear either with Pass 😔

I have an XA 25 running with a deHavilland UltraVerve. My volume levels are similar to what you describe.   It is a perfect match for my tastes which are towards tube warmth.  You can roll the 6SN7 to fine tune the sound.  I just this past week rolled from a Sylvania chrome top short glass green label to an NOS black glass oval plate TungSol.  Nice extra is you do not have to worry about matched pairs.  Bass has a bit more punch. Happy before the change and happier now.  Of course, there are so many variables.  In my setup, compared to two prior preamps (an Audio Note M2 and a Vinnie Rossi LIO), the deHavilland is a great match. Both of the other two preamps are very fine products.  It is a matter of how all the variables came together for me.