12AU7 tubes - recommendation

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Zokinjo, May 13, 2022.

  1. Zokinjo

    Zokinjo Well-Known Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Croatia
  2. Ontheone

    Ontheone Poorly Understood Member

    Location:
    Indianapolis
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  3. B. Scarpia

    B. Scarpia WatchingYouWatchingMe

    Location:
    WNC
    I won't comment on his prices and many tubes listed are out of stock but Brent Jesse BRENT JESSEE RECORDING HOMEPAGE has valuable information of various popular tubes and their substitutions.

    I will say that I'm a big fan of Sylvania tubes in general, using them in my line stage (6SN7) and mono blocks (12AT7). EH, not so much after hearing some 6550s and 6CA7s over the years.
     
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  4. harby

    harby Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, OR, USA
    Sounds like you already have good tubes. Changing them would be gamble. The EH 12AX7 are pretty sterile, I put them in reverb section of a guitar amp. Their 12AU7 would probably be barely different from what you've got.
     
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  5. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues

    My very favorite 12AU7 type tube is the Amperex (Holland) 6085. As big as an EL84 power tube it imparts a body and smoothness to the sonic presentation that I just love in several 12AU7 spots on my components.
     
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  6. matthewp

    matthewp chronic procrastinator

    Location:
    Wall, NJ USA
    Google Philco/Lansdale 12AU7. These are some of the sweetest sounding black plate 12AU7's.
     
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  7. jgrillo

    jgrillo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston, MA USA
    Don't sleep on the 5814A tubes; GE 5-star triple mica blackplates and RCA Command Series have been my favorites over the years in my phono pre-amp, and impart the sound you are looking for. Even standard 1960's GE 12au7s are nice in this regard, balanced with a super mid-range.
     
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  8. Crang

    Crang Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Austin, Texas
    The Raytheon made 12AU7s branded Baldwin from organ pulls are pretty great. Circa 1959 and 1960 and not terribly expensive. They were hand selected for audio (organ) use. Id definitely try these before trying something new.
     
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  9. gakerty

    gakerty Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    These are defnitely interesting and out of the norm for American black plates. I have a pair of the Lansdale 12au7 and used them for a while the Rogue RP7 I used to have. There's definitely much more top end energy than any black plate I've used. If ones system veers towards the "dark" these would be good tubes. Edit: Second the recommendation to look at Brent Jesse site for overall 12au7/ax7 info. Just don't grab all the good tubes that are left! : ) jk Edit: my personal favorite 12au7 type is the Amperex 7316 long plate. The descriptor "holographic" and "3D" gets thrown around a bit too much, but that's exactly what the Amperex 7316 are! Unfortunately, if you can find them they will be rather pricey these days. I have a pair that I can't use (don't use 12au7s anymore) maybe I'll put them up for sale.
     
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  10. hoytis

    hoytis PDX Cratedigger

    Location:
    Oregon
    I enjoy Mullard.
     
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  11. BrentB

    BrentB Urban Angler

    Location:
    Midwestern US
    Agreed 101%. Someone has them right now over at audioasylum for 10.00 USD each that test near/at new levels.
     
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  12. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Cannot stand Sylvania tubes. Try old Mullards or (for more top tingle) Dutch Bugle Boys..
     
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  13. FalseMetal666

    FalseMetal666 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle, WA
    Anyone have any opinions on whether 12AU7 selection is critical in a cathode follower position? If so, any recommendations or pointers?

    Great advise above in re gain stages, but curious if same logic applies to my follower/buffer situation as well.
     
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  14. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Not critical sound wise. But quality wise.
     
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  15. FalseMetal666

    FalseMetal666 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle, WA
    Noted and thank you!
     
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  16. FalseMetal666

    FalseMetal666 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle, WA
    Any folks have specific recommendations for the highest quality, affordable 12AU7? I’ve been leaning toward triple mica JAN 1689 and 5814 when I can find them cheap, just because they seem so overbuilt for the application.

    “Anything worth doing is worth over-doing,” etc
     
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  17. avanti1960

    avanti1960 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago metro, USA
    amperex and amperex made OEM.....
    then all the rest...
     
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  18. BrentB

    BrentB Urban Angler

    Location:
    Midwestern US
    All of them or just the 12au variety? I am not crazy about the Sylvania 12au myself, but really like the 6v6gt quad I have. They are Silvertone smoke glass with some silvery tops.
     
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  19. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    All of them I've tried. But that's just my taste. Too hard sounding, and the later Philips versions are the same tube, just different branding. Not to be confused with the Dutch Bugle Boy era tubes.

    Some people LOVE Sylvania tubes I'm sure but I've never found any to be good. I guess in vintage gear it's cool but not for modern stuff..
     
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  20. Adagio

    Adagio Forum Resident

    I've gone through a few different sets of tubes and Mullards NOS (CV4003) are still my favourites

    Genalex Gold Lion sounded pretty good too. But one of them failed in a weird way and sent straight DC to my speakers (I have a hybrid amp). I wasn't in the room at the time to hear it and I lost the mid-bass driver on one of my speakers
     
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  21. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    I must say my Marantz 10B is filled with them though. Sylviana designed a tube especially for the machine. I think they are the only company that ever made them so I have a bunch.

    Never had any Sylvania tube ever die on me though, or GE for that matter. Both brands used to be 5 bucks a tube NOS! I have a bunch, mainly for guitar amps.
     
  22. Henley

    Henley Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Netherlands
    As you live in Croatia I would advice that you look for some nice RFT and or Tungsram ECC82 foil getters. They can be found relatively cheap, although the O-getters are much more common.
     
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  23. Snargfarg

    Snargfarg Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hernando, MS
    My Tube experience is very limited so take what I say with a grain of salt. I have a Vincent pho-701 that uses a 12au7 tube. It came with a PSVANE in it when I bought it. I changed it to a JAN GE 12au7. The difference was amazing. The bass was noticeably stronger. The midrange seems more natural and the highs seem more airy. I've heard this tube described as "warm but crisp" and I think that sums it up well. I'm not saying they don't make a better one but this one really agrees with me.
     
  24. jcmusic

    jcmusic Forum Resident

    Location:
    Terrytown, La.
    I just finished a 12AU7 and it's variants tube search, depending on how much you want to spend the Amperex Bugle Boy 7316 D getter tubes are the best ever followed closely by the Halo getters. After that YMMV, for cheap the 5963 tubes sound really good in my system and others I have heard. PM me for info....
     
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  25. Snargfarg

    Snargfarg Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hernando, MS
    Best? I didn't think there was such a thing when it came to tubes.
     
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