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Best 12ax7 tubes

#24
BassmanPaul said:
Mullard but they went out of business years ago. Of the current crop I'd say JJ.
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I like those JJ's too. I have some nice old Mullards that I use for my Vibrochamp (combined with an RCA blackplate 6V6 in the power tube spot)

Floyd Eye said:
That is extremely subjective. I agree with you about current production tubes ( JJs) and I also agree that Mullards are very nice, but so are Telefunkens, RCA, Amperex, etc. and I have a very sweet old Mazda silver anode that I much prefer over my Mullards.
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Those Mazda tubes are probably the top of the top. I'm not sure that they ever really had much of a following here, but its a moot point since its really tough to find any these days.

But lets take a step back for a moment. The OP can go out and get a NOS/JAN tube or 8 and spend a near fortune. But for most modern hybrid amp uses, you're really throwing money away for limited (very limited) gain. Depending upon the circuit, most modern 12AX7 single tube 'preamps' don't really inject that much color into the tone.

Also, I've found from goofing around with a big box of tubes, that in many cases modern tubes sound BETTER than older ones in these hybrids. Why? I'm guessing its because they were engineered and designed with a modern tube spec'ed, and thus the circuit is tuned to that tonal profile and they still work best with modern tubes.

In my ol' Hartke 3500 MOSFET model amp, I've tried: Mullard, Sylvania, RCA, GE, Telefunken, and a bunch of other 'branded' tubes that are most likely variants of those. What I discovered quickly was that that amp liked modern tubes...It came with a Sovtek, it liked several of the JJ tubes and it particularly liked the Ei tubes I tried in it.

The vintage tubes did have big full warm lows, but at the expense of the highs, and often at the expense of keeping the lows tight and defined.

Now, the Kern I'm now using has 12ax7's and a 12AU7 for the DI. It is a tube monster, rather than having a tube for slight 'color'...and it likes the old expensive tubes. ;)
 
#26
Munjibunga said:
But ... but ... he's looking for the BEST!
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Here's a $350 Mullard:
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Probably not literally the best, but I bet it would be 'passable'.

This one is probably pretty good at $700 bucks:
large_556.jpg


Or maybe this Telefunken, it'll only set you back $750.

large_155.jpg
 
#30
I've done this whole tube swapping thing with SWR amps and found that the differences between tubes, In SWR gear specifically, are minimal.

Keep in mind that tubes by themselves don't have an inherent quality of sound, but rather, are merely reactive to the equipment they are installed in.

Dont go spending tons of money on an old tubes just to find out that the differences are negligible.
 
#32
Bassmec said:
You bet! most modern hybrids don't have the plate voltage
to begin to properly run a 12ax7 tube at all.
Don't be a dullard, fit a Mullard!.
:bassist:
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You've just told the OP that modern hybrids aren't high voltage and that the 12AX7 won't be driven to full advantage, but you want him to buy a Mullard over a 15$ modern replacement? :confused:
 
#35
where did those $$$ come from ? (the HiFi Nut website?)

sylvania , GE , RCA NOS 12ax7 tubes can easily be had for
$12 -$20 each . even if they don't "sound" better than the
commie crap.... they'll likely last much longer and be more
rugged than most new production tubes .

of the new mfg , i'd choose the 12ax7aw copies with triple micas
and heavy glass .
 
#36
madmachinist said:
where did those $$$ come from ? (the HiFi Nut website?)

sylvania , GE , RCA NOS 12ax7 tubes can easily be had for
$12 -$20 each . even if they don't "sound" better than the
commie crap.... they'll likely last much longer and be more
rugged than most new production tubes .

of the new mfg , i'd choose the 12ax7aw copies with triple micas
and heavy glass .
Click to expand...

12-20 bucks for Sylvania, GE and RCA?

"Commie Crap"?

What... are you posting from the 1980's? :confused:

I intentionally picked an 'audiophile' site that had some of the rarer tubes albeit at expensive prices.

But please, if you've got a source of RCAs or any of the classic tubes for 12-20 bucks, do let everyone here know where you're sourcing them...
 
#37
madmachinist said:
where did those $$$ come from ? (the HiFi Nut website?)

sylvania , GE , RCA NOS 12ax7 tubes can easily be had for
$12 -$20 each . even if they don't "sound" better than the
commie crap.... they'll likely last much longer and be more
rugged than most new production tubes .

of the new mfg , i'd choose the 12ax7aw copies with triple micas
and heavy glass .
Click to expand...


Some of them maybe. It depends on the tube. Some Telefunken NOS are fairly cheap, others are more expensive than the amp you'd put it in.
 
#38
 
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#39
Hi,

Just finished upgrading my Trace GP12SMX pre-amp. I installed a cryo treated Electro Harmonix valve. However I have also swapped out almost all the opamps with the best I could find that were pin compatible. I'm very pleased with the result. The valve sound is nice but I think upgrading the opamps has had a much greater benefit.
 
#40
madmachinist said:
ok....

12AX7 Tubes in Stock

VINTAGE RCA 12AX7A ECC83 .... TESTED .... NOS | eBay

RCA 12AX7 MATCHED PAIR ECC83 TEST NOS EARLY 60'S PAIR.. | eBay

NOS NIB RCA 12AX7 vacuum tube tests new | eBay

NOS QUAD OF VINTAGE RCA 12AX7 12AX7A TUBES | eBay

NOS QUAD OF VINTAGE RCA 12AX7 12AX7A TUBES | eBay

1 SYLVANIA JAN 12AX7WA 12AX7 LONG PLATE tube tests NOS | eBay

NOS NIB SYLVANIA MADE ECC83/12AX7 TUBE TEST NOS 100/100 | eBay

SYLVANIA 12AX7A VACUUM TUBE * MADE IN U.S.A. * NOS | eBay

SYLVANIA 12AX7A VACUUM TUBE * MADE IN U.S.A. * NOS | eBay

i'd go on...but it's kind'a redundant......
Click to expand...

The first place you list doesn't show a single 12AX7 in the 20 and under range in stock. Although, I have purchased from them on occasion in the past.Thanks for the half hearted effort though.

On the Ebay thing...good luck. Having purchased tubes on Ebay decent ones seldom fall under 20 bucks, not to mention that you really have no idea if what's showing up actually tests well, is functional or is an out and out counterfeit these days. I've bought from eBay in the past and I give it a 50/50 chance that your tube may be good...you'll spend twice as much just finding decent quality ones. Random auctions from questionable sellers...er...whatever.
 
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