Telefunken 12AU7s and 6DJ8s??

[BmWr75]

Much has been written about Tele 12AX7s. But, I don't recall ever having read anything about the Tele 12AU7s and 6DJ8s. Picked up an oscilloscope today that has 4 or 5 of each of these in it. Are these Telefunken tubes in the same class as Mullard 12AU7s and Amperex 6DJ8s?

 

[stonedeaf]

Tele 6DJ8 ?

Not saying these never existed - but all the Telefunken's I ever saw or sold were marked ECC-88 . This is essentially the same as a 6DJ8 or 6922 tube.

 

[stoutblock]

Are they E88CC or ECC802S? If so, they are junk, but if you ship them to me I will find a use for them...


Seriously, Telefunken never made a bad tube and these high spec gold pin versions are some of the best.

 

[BmWr75]

The Tele tubes actually do have the European number designations printed on them. Don't think any of them are gold pin though. The couple I pulled to look at were plain pins.

 

[HypnoToad]

As Telefunken are supposed to be the glamor tube of the 12AX7's I wouldn't doubt they would be as good in these incarnations as well.

Kinda like comparing Mercedes, basically they are all good.

 

[stonedeaf]

ECC-88's are very good tubes

Sold Telefunken tubes in the late 70's/early 80's - this was just as the tele discontinued tube production. IMO and from a fair amount of experience with a variety of customer's amps/preamps - they were all good. We used the ECC-88's 14 at a time ADC/Dineen B-100 pre-amps - very quit - extremely consistent tube to tube.
The only tube that was at all "controversial" were their straight sided EL-34's - I thought these were great - did have some customers who preferred the some what fatter bass that GE/Sylania/etc. 6CA7's gave in ST-70's.
ECC-83's were great -sold a pile of 'em - don't remember a single bad tube - ever.
Victor Pastori - the Telefunken rep told me the manufacturing equipment would most likely be sold East -never have heard even a rumour of where the equipment went ? Wonder if in the end it simply got scrapped ?
These are a good find - enough 6DJ8/ECC88 designs out there that you'll find a use for 'em and they'll probably outlast the next three tubes you replace them with.

 

[Kegger]

Pretty much anything Telefunken, Mullard, Amperex are going to be the upper end
of the tubes as far as quality of build an most will feel they are better sounding as
well for the most part, so yah anytime you find some they may be worthy "rollers".

 

[BmWr75]

I got this scope from a retired TV repairman in north Mississippi. Was hoping to hit the motherload when I visited his old repair shop. Didn't happen. Ended up getting the scope and a handful of miscellaneous tubes. He told me he GAVE all this 6L6s to the local high school after closing up shop (shitzen!!). Did see an old Rauland (spelling?) amp in his shop with two RCA 6L6GCs in it, but he wouldn't sell me the tubes. Am hopeful the Tele 12AU7s and 6DJ8s test good when I get back home.

 

[Mr. Lin]

I have a pair of 6AK5 Telefunken tubes.

 

[seta1]

Much has been written about Tele 12AX7s. But, I don't recall ever having read anything about the Tele 12AU7s and 6DJ8s. Picked up an oscilloscope today that has 4 or 5 of each of these in it. Are these Telefunken tubes in the same class as Mullard 12AU7s and Amperex 6DJ8s?

Hi,

Telefunken tubes are every bit as good as Mullard or Phillips made Amperex (Amperex tubes can be made by Amperex USA, Mullard Blackburn or the Dutch Phillips co.). I find that tele's, which can be made by Siemens of Germany and Phillips made tubes like Amperex will last a very long time and they sound really nice. Their 6DJ8 and 12AU7 are every bit as good quality as their 12AX7's. The prices are also right up there as well for 6DJ8 and 12AU7's. Personally I feel Siemens and Phillips (european) are superior to Mullard "B" code tubes. Although the Mullard tubes sound nice, they are not as long lived and they do not sound any better then the Siemens and Phillips build tubes. With respect to the brand, as they say, be ye careful! There are a lot of fakes out there. Chances are that you found the real McCoy in that O-scope. But when buying these tubes be really careful. I have seen a lot of relabeled tubes out there of late. Telefunken tubes will normally have a diamond shape in the glass in the middle area between the tube pins on 9 pin tubes like the 6DJ8 and 12AU7. True European tubes also have a two line dark grey set of tube codes. The font is small, but tells the tube type, date, and manufacture plant. A triangle denotes Phillips, a B denotes Mullard's blackburn plant and an "=" sign with a line through it denotes Siemens. There are other plants and codes, but these are the most sought after. I see so many fakes out there anymore. One really needs to be careful.

 

[brwm05]

Telefunken 6dj8

I just searched the postings and came across your question concerning Telefunken tubes if the ecc88 were in the same class as the Amperex tubes of the same type. IMHO for most music I prefer the Telefunken tubes to most of the different ones out there huge soundstage wide and high and neutral mids and highs is more to my tastes although not quite the bottom end as the Amperex and Siemons tubes. I would add that on some recordings close miked or accoustic recordings I would give the nod to the latter ( I normally listen to classic rock or christian rock) so I stick with the Telefunkens. A final thought Telefunken made tubes for other companies Westinghouse and Tungsol are a couple that come to mind and are normally cheaper if you don't the lesser names I found them to be as good as the Telefunken branded tubes. A second final thought alot of people will pay a premium price for the 6922 or cca tubes of the same family as the 6dj8/ecc88's but to my ears I prefer the 6dj8's, I think the the 6922's sound a little bland at times I assume by the companies attempts to control microfonics in the tubes, my pre amp custom built Blue Circle is isolated very well and I use Black Diamond cones under just about everything in my system, I hope some of this made sense.

 

[spaceman]

One needs to be careful about not losing good tubes as well. I've had an oddball Telefunken rolling around in a box of loose tubes for quite awhile, partly because I wasn't sure what tube it was, LOL. I knew it was a Tele, because a very small bit of the logo was still there, & there's definitely a diamond between the pins, so I knew to keep it, until I figured out what it was. Then recently, I started putting Teles into the MX110, which takes 2x 12AT7s, & it hit me. It's funny, one has almost no branding at all, & one has an almost perfect brand, but they test almost the same, about 2% difference. It really doesn't matter though, on the branding, I just put that one in the socket that takes a shield (the other one is un-shielded).