12au7 tube?


Looking for a good 12au7 (JJ ecc802s currently). I know the Telefunken ECC802s is the holy grail, but it comes at a price that is just too steep for me to justify. Many will recommend Mullard, but I always find them a bit too "wooly", lacking in definition. They're going in a Mastersound 845 Compact.

 

What tubes would you recommend that fits between the clarity of the Telefunken (without the price...) and the Mullard? I don't mind spending a bit of money on a pair (let's say max $500 for the pair, prefer to be lower if at all possible).

audiojan

Showing 1 response by tomcy6

Brent Jessee has the Phillips factory codes and how to read them on his site here:

Mullard, Philips, and Valvo Tube Codes

Phillips owned many of the popular NOS tube manufacturers. Brent says one thing I disagree with, though. That is that you only need to look at the etched codes when the labeling is not readable. Phillips labeled tubes made in one factory with the brand of another factory all the time. You have to look at the etched codes to know where a tube came from and when it was made. They can be hard or impossible to read, though.