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Schiit Buf

Got my BUF yesterday. Have swapped the stock "cccp" badged tube (Sovtek) with an NOS Telefunken 6922 ($400). That helped. IMMENSELY! Running a ChiFi Rotel CD 14 MKII into a Schitt Gungnir 2 into the BUF. Sounding so much less SS. :^)
Do those "CCCP" tubes look like these? They are Soviet-era, rocket-logo, Voshkod-made tubes. They last forever, but take a LONG time to break in. You may want to keep them around. They are mil-spec 6N1P tubes — they are very good!

Voshkod 6N1P rocket CCCP tubes.jpg
 
That be them, Booch! I thought them a little veiled compared to the Tele. IMO.

Cody
You need to give them time to break in. That is true with a majority of Soviet-era mil-spec tubes. These things were originally designed for high-G jet and missile avionics. Not audio. It can take a long time to lose that veiled, constipated sound.

Just keep them around. Maybe try them in another unit that is harder on its gain-stage tubes. Like a lot of early 1990s ARC and CJ stuff. Don't toss them.
 
Do those "CCCP" tubes look like these? They are Soviet-era, rocket-logo, Voshkod-made tubes. They last forever, but take a LONG time to break in. You may want to keep them around. They are mil-spec 6N1P tubes — they are very good!

View attachment 3793287
I have one in my BUF and four in my Stjarna- excellent tubes ! Took about 150 hours to break-in in the Stjarna. The one in the Buf is still in progress, but getting better all the time.
 
I have one in my BUF and four in my Stjarna- excellent tubes ! Took about 150 hours to break-in in the Stjarna. The one in the Buf is still in progress, but getting better all the time.
Those tubes can last longer than any solid-state device in the circuit. The Russians made them for ICBM use, amongst other avionic applications. Tough is putting it mildly. :)
 
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Do those "CCCP" tubes look like these? They are Soviet-era, rocket-logo, Voshkod-made tubes. They last forever, but take a LONG time to break in. You may want to keep them around. They are mil-spec 6N1P tubes — they are very good!

View attachment 3793287
Maybe leave the BUFF on all night for a couple days? The 6P14P-EV's labeled Sovtek I put in my ST-35 didn't sound all that great at first. But after I put some hours on them they opened up and I really like them now. Same for some of the octal and 9 pin Soviet era driver tubes I've bought in the past.
 
I picked up a Schiit BUF based on the positive reviews and the good experience I have had from the company over the past 7 or 8 years. I had been using the original Saga with a 6SN7 in my office system to try and get some tube warmth in the digital chain but never noticed much difference with it in or out. I put the BUF between the Modi DAC and the Saga (sans tube) and noticed a definite warmth added to the sound. However, the stock tube was definitely a bit bright. So I swapped in a 6CG7 that had many hours of use for a more balanced sound. The stock tube had no designation other than ’84’. For 100 dollars I’m very pleased to be able to add a little analogue warmth to my office system.
 
Even the number crunchers on ASR seem to like the BUF (with the exception of a couple folks who refuse to try one because they are offended by the name "Schiit"):

 
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