2. amps-preamps
  3. 193152-1301

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).

128x128audiojan
thecarpathian's avatar
thecarpathian
4,874 posts
 

+1 @audition__audio  about the clear tops. Annoyingly bright.

thecarpathian's avatar
thecarpathian
4,874 posts
 

You want to go with what the cognoscenti declare to be the best of the best?

Telefunken G73-R. Love to try out a pair of those. 

buist
11 posts
 

For preamp, I’ve had had good luck with NOS Mazda gray plates.

For power amp the Brimar flying leads in conjunction with Ampererex 7316 for the 12ax7

Brent Jessee sent me those.  

curiousjim's avatar
curiousjim
4,931 posts
 

My preamp uses 12au7’s and I’ve tried PSVANE and will never buy them again and would suggest than nobody should buy from them!  I tried several others and settled on NOS RCA cleartops.  They give me great highs, wonderful midrange without being too forward and really clean bass. In second place was the were the Gold Lions.

All the best.

perkri
913 posts
 

Call Andy at Vintage Tube Services. Doesn’t matter what tube you decide on if you can’t trust that it is working as it’s supposed to. If you buy from Andy, it will be as it should. 

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