Tube gurus-What's your favorite 12AU7?
- Thread starter Puma Cat
- Start date
Poultrygeist
Lunatic Member
Timeless thread but these days I'm enjoying RCA clear tops in my Bottlehead preamp.
Lavane
Lunatic Member
I really like the E80CC with the RCA clear top 12AU7 a close second. You do need to make sure your power transformer can handle the extra current needed for the E80CC, 12BH7, ECC99's etc. though.
Old thread I know but I have to cast a vote for the Amperex Heerlen 12au7. I had a pair stashed away and finally gave them a listen. A very nice tube.
GE 5963.
Gray or Black Plates?
I have a set of these, they didn't do anything special for me in my headphone amp. Same with the Tung Sol variety of the same tube. I've actually switched the GE's out for some JAN 6829s. A bit more gain for my Fostex planar magnetics. They probably aren't a direct sub in actual preamp applications.
I'll try to remember to check when I get home, but from memory they're grayish? Here's a pic. The printing on my pair is rough.
Dockerboy
in the Devil's Playground
View attachment 1500029 Going to give these a go in the WA7 Fireflies
View attachment 1500029
Tubes aint getting any cheaper, hopefully they sound good....we'll see.
View attachment 1500029
Tubes aint getting any cheaper, hopefully they sound good....we'll see.
NP Gold Lions or Long Plate JJ’s.
IMHO I would Not spend more than NP tube prices on 50 year old gas glass.
Like a Brimar/ Mullard?
Sounds like a over weight 50 year old with over blown midbass gas.
Eh…
I suppose, if you have a Klipsch speaker with no bass, to speak of, and harsh highs, maybe this would work in a inverse way.
Much better way of dealing with this, obviously.
In my experience most vintage glass overly colors the sound… and not in a good way…
And usually are noisier then NP tubes.
Whatever, worse ways to waste $ on…
IMHO I would Not spend more than NP tube prices on 50 year old gas glass.
Like a Brimar/ Mullard?
Sounds like a over weight 50 year old with over blown midbass gas.
Eh…
I suppose, if you have a Klipsch speaker with no bass, to speak of, and harsh highs, maybe this would work in a inverse way.
Much better way of dealing with this, obviously.
In my experience most vintage glass overly colors the sound… and not in a good way…
And usually are noisier then NP tubes.
Whatever, worse ways to waste $ on…
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Many, many moons ago, had the same set up. YOu might want to try the RCA clear tops. Also the PV12 was designed when tubes were scarce so current starves the tubes.
If you give the tubes a bit more bias current the 12 will really sing. Don't have to go crazy just a bit more.
6189/12AU7WA can be excellent in some applications.
The application can often be more critical than the tube. Sometimes, the specific tube makes a difference, and that same tube in another unit doesn't change a thing—or even can make things worse.
It's all trial-&-error and what ends up pleasing your ears.
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Agreed!
The above tubes in my experience are overly bright in most circuits.
Frankly-your best bet is to find someone with the same gear, and go from there.
IMHO too much BS on NOS tubes-that frankly isn't accurate.
If you into blowing cash, and tube rollin'-be my guest.
Nothing wrong with it-but you may want to avoid the scratched glass blinders.
Esp with newer tube gear.
From what I have heard from more then several friends' systems-you're actually making your gear sound WORSE.
Different yes...
If you have the rest of your system set up correctly- you shouldn't need to roll a old, usually overly colored sounding tube in your gear to band-aid.
From what I have heard, and experienced over the years, there are plenty of great sounding NP tubes-that sound just as good-and usually better then NOS if one strips away the lore BS, and is honest in what they are hearing.
And most times much more quiet.
The best tubes let the music come through organically with the least amount of specific frequency emphasis.
Not many NOS tubes-small signal, or power can make that claim.
The beauty of tubes is the avoid the audible distortions/shifts of ss devices.
For a number of reasons this seems to work well for music.
But it need not add undue "tubey" colorations.
Inevitability if you do this-your system will sound less then ideal with some genres.
IMHO the whole point of a music system/music enjoyment is to do it's best justice with anything you through at it.
The above tubes in my experience are overly bright in most circuits.
Frankly-your best bet is to find someone with the same gear, and go from there.
IMHO too much BS on NOS tubes-that frankly isn't accurate.
If you into blowing cash, and tube rollin'-be my guest.
Nothing wrong with it-but you may want to avoid the scratched glass blinders.
Esp with newer tube gear.
From what I have heard from more then several friends' systems-you're actually making your gear sound WORSE.
Different yes...
If you have the rest of your system set up correctly- you shouldn't need to roll a old, usually overly colored sounding tube in your gear to band-aid.
From what I have heard, and experienced over the years, there are plenty of great sounding NP tubes-that sound just as good-and usually better then NOS if one strips away the lore BS, and is honest in what they are hearing.
And most times much more quiet.
The best tubes let the music come through organically with the least amount of specific frequency emphasis.
Not many NOS tubes-small signal, or power can make that claim.
The beauty of tubes is the avoid the audible distortions/shifts of ss devices.
For a number of reasons this seems to work well for music.
But it need not add undue "tubey" colorations.
Inevitability if you do this-your system will sound less then ideal with some genres.
IMHO the whole point of a music system/music enjoyment is to do it's best justice with anything you through at it.
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