which tubes?????

[hinodit]

MC 75 tubes??

I inherited a pair of near mint Mcintosh MC 75 tube amps. The only thing is there are no tubes. I need opinions on which brand of tubes to use. Thanks in advance for any opinions.

 

[hinodit]

I just inherited 2 McIntosh MC 75 in near mint cond. but they have no tubes. What tubes would you suggest I use in them?????

 

[jaymanaa]

If they've been dormant for awhile, you may want to have a tech give them a clean bill of health before powering them up. If the tubes are missing, that could be an indicator they've been sitting for awhile.

 

[hinodit]

They are all ready in the shop they will be done in a week. I am just taking opinions on which brands of tubes to try.

 

[chefg1]

you will have to buy a set of correct tubes for that amp first. to see how you like the sound.

 

[ferninando]

another question is, ""how much money do you want to spend""?
I would start with a well known, respected brand of AKrs recomendation of , say, better than good class but NOT totl. IMO.
You probably won't hear the diff between the 2. IMO.
Great inheritance by way.

 

[hinodit]

That sounds good to me what brands would fall into that category.

 

[jaymanaa]

Sorry, but one more question. Do you want to go with new production tubes that are being made right now, or older American or Euro tubes (used or in new conditon NOS)?

 

[hinodit]

I would prefer the nos tubes. Old amps need old tubes.

 

[jaymanaa]

I would prefer the nos tubes. Old amps need old tubes.

Absolutely the best track. :thmbsp: RCA, GE, and Westinghouse are all good tubes. Mullard made a lot of tubes for RCA as well. You can tell them by the acid etched markings which reveal time and place of manufacturer. What tube numbers are we talking about here. For power tubes, it's really tough to beat the RCA 6550s. For the small signal 12AX7, AU7, and AT7 it's more of a tasters choice thing. For the 12AU7 you can't go wrong with a Black plate RCA 5963, or an RCA cleartop. The RCA 5814 is a nice quiet tube that is evenly balanced, esp. if it has a triangle stamp on the box by the number 5814. It's a direct 12AU7 plug in as well. 12AT7s and 12AX7s are going to have the most influence on the "Tone" and SQ of the amps. This is where I would spend a little extra and get the really good stuff. For the 12AT7, the RCA gold pin 6201 is killer, and probably on top until you get into some of the Euro pricey stuff. For the 12AX7? You'll want to try a few different specimens. Telefunkens are known for their airy, sparkly, crisp top end, while Mullards are thought by some to be a more musical, or lush tube. If you can spare a little gain in that stage, the triple micah, black plate 5751 RCA is a wonderful tube. For super quiet operation, the 7025 has spiral filaments in any brand, which is said to reduce microphonics. This might give you a start, but there will be a ton of suggestions. Probably best to listen to guys that have these amps and have done the rolling. I've never had the pleasure of owning anything MACtubed.

 

[hinodit]

WOW! Thanks for all that information. I have a feeling this is going to be a very interesting and fun adventure. I have never owned a mcintosh tube system ether couldn't afford one. Thanks again for the great starting point man love this audio site.

 

[guitbanger]

I'm talking power tubes only here, most (if not all) ST shape USA made 6550's were made by Tung-Sol with several variants, all expensive at this point. Sylvania made a straight bottled tube that are great sounding, but hard to find. GE made several versions that are very good as well. Phillips/MPD is another variant (probably made on the old GE equipment, just a guess). Depending on how deep your pockets are....there are probably more GE's out there NOS than the others and maybe the best bang for buck. YMMV