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12AX7 Recommendations

goldswimmerb

goldswimmerb

Failed out of engineering, but look at me now!
Subscriber
Hey guys, So I just got a Little Bear RIAA T10 V2.2 Pre-Amp and have been noticing a ton of sibilance with the Chinese tubes that it comes with. I was wondering if you guys could possibly recommend some decent 12AX7 tubes, preferably under $60 for 3 of them. Thanks!
 
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Used/strong testing RCA or GE 12AX7A's can be had in the ballpark of $15-20 each and will have 2-3x the lifespan of any current production 12AX7s (and sound better IMO).
If you look hard enough, you can even find them NOS in this price range. Good luck in your tube journey!
 
byoungman1 said:
Used/strong testing RCA or GE 12AX7A's can be had in the ballpark of $15-20 each and will have 2-3x the lifespan of any current production 12AX7s (and sound better IMO).
If you look hard enough, you can even find them NOS in this price range. Good luck in your tube journey!
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I agree with byoungman1. Note that this advice comes from a man with the Telefunken logo as his icon. :)

Several years ago, I tested Sovtek 12AX7LPS tubes that had been in service a relatively short while -- in some cases less than a year. The emissivity of most of them had dropped below minimum levels. I suspect cathodic poisoning, and I hope (and trust) that Sovtek since resolved the issue. In the meantime, I've steered clear of them.

Have any of the Sovtek fans tested their 12AX7s lately? I'd love to know how they are holding up now.
 
tubeampking said:
Sovtek 12AX7LPS. Great tube, spiral filaments for x low noise. Right in your budget too.
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I have read so many endorsements of this tube, I am seeking them out. They cost a bit more, but not so much that one could not afford to do some rolling and find out.
 
I recently sent 4 vintage 1961 Webcor labeled Mullard 12AX7 to a guy in Sweden.....about your price range.

Wonderful sounding tubes IMO. Ribbed, short plate, gray mullards.
 
BuzzK said:
Have any of the Sovtek fans tested their 12AX7s lately? I'd love to know how they are holding up now.
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I too would like to know. A good friend of mine swore by the LPS', until they had been in his gear for a year or two and became unstable, then went poof.
Its funny that a lot of people are scared of vintage tubes solely because of their age, but yet they'll buy/replace new-production tubes every few years without giving consideration to other options.
 
Sovtek LPS here too.
In my rig I have tried new stock Mullards and found them to be a bit warm, and new stock Tungsols which were extended but lacked a little in the mids.
I found the Sovteks to be very well balanced.
 
Vintage Telefunkens and Mullards are pricier than most other alternatives, but they sound great and last for many years. Vintage GEs, RCAs, Toshiba, and other brands are a good value, IMHO.
 
Got some Sovtek 12ax7LPS in my Fisher 400 and love them. I use them in the preamp positions and ElectroHarmonix 12ax7 in the Phase inverter position. Haven't had a premature failure issue yet. Maybe as a driver would be a different story.
 
HVHiFI said:
Got some Sovtek 12ax7LPS in my Fisher 400 and love them. I use them in the preamp positions and ElectroHarmonix 12ax7 in the Phase inverter position. Haven't had a premature failure issue yet. Maybe as a driver would be a different story.
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Have you specifically tested the emissivity of the Sovteks?
 
BuzzK said:
Have you specifically tested the emissivity of the Sovteks?
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I haven't since I haven't had a problem. Your making me wonder what they will be. My tester does not test emission it tests gain, transconductance, and noise so should give a good picture of tube health.
 
How do vintage Amperex 12AX7 stand up with this crowd? I have a few of these NOS that I acquired back in the 80's still in their boxes. They were intended for use as replacements in our companies o'scopes. I have a few NOS 6DJ8 also.
 
Amperex BB are my overall favorite but you won't find them in the OP's price range. The new production Tungsol aren't bad...a bit grainy at the top to my ear.
 
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