| FWIW, ECC83 is just the European name, 12AX7 is just the US name. Same tube. That said, of course different tubes from different manufacturers and eras can sound different, so that's the actual basis of what iriegnome heard. The reason this distinction is worth knowing is that not all ECC83's will give you the same results, just as not all 12AX7's will; and some ECC83's sound exactly the same as some 12AX7's.
Honestly IMO the very best thing to do is have some fun "tube rolling". That's where you buy a bunch of different tubes, and spend a week or two just swapping them in, and trying to hear a difference; and if you convince yourself that you hear a difference, then deciding which one you like best. That will get you the best results, rather than expecting "more warmth" from a specific model number. The odds of you getting "more warmth" just going by the model number are very, very slim.
Another thing: IMO qualities like "warmth" come mostly from the design of the circuit, and how the tube is powered and implemented in that circuit. What this means is there are a lot of tube devices and amps out there that were designed in a way where tube swapping won't do you any good, it won't matter. This depends on the specific amp though, and I don't know about the OP's amp.
Last edited by bongomania : 03-22-2010 at 09:46 AM.
| 
