I changed a Tube and…

Brent Jesse is the second best tube seller I know of, Andy at vintage tube services being number one.

@invalid Wrote:

Brent Jesse is the second best tube seller I know of, Andy at vintage tube services being number one.

I agree!

Mike

I have a nearly new Cronus Dark in my second system. Like you, I recently began some tube rolling, only the center preamp slot, because my experience in tube rolling with a CM2 was that the other tubes make only a negligible difference. 

Mostly I have been playing with new-production tubes because I generally find they tend to perform better than NOS tubes. That has been a recurring pattern in almost every tube-based product I’ve owned. Perhaps that’s only because I don’t purchase the NOS tubes that go for like $300 each.

Anyhow, I recently purchased a low-noise, matched-triodes Genalex Gold Lion 12au7 from Tube Depot. I also purchased the same JJ preamp tube that Rogue  used to supply in the CMII. Previous to these I purchased a NOS Telefunken smooth-plate. In playing with all these, this is how I would rank their performance:

Best: gold pin JJ ECC82 that came stock with the CM Dark.

Next Best: JJ ECC802S that Rogue used to equip in the CMII

Next: NOS Telefunken smooth plate.

Least Good: Genalex Gold Lion

Yup, the Gold Lion has been the least enjoyable of these, and by a rather wide margin. It could need more hours, but within the 10 or so hours I tried to tolerate it, the sound was closed in, with a very recessed midrange.

The Tele was a little grainy relative to the JJs, but then I didn’t buy a $200 example from VTS, rather a $100 one I found on ebay. 

I too will vouch for Andy at VTS: great tubes at mostly reasonable prices. Where he and I greatly differ is his appreciation for NOS RCA tubes. Every time I go with that recommendation I end up disappointed. Personally, I would only pick from his stock of Amperex, Teles, Siemens or Mullards. 
 

I have had some unpleasant experiences ordering from Brent Jesse. Two of the half dozen or so orders I received from him were total duds, completely unusable on arrival. I have had no such issues with any of the other popular tube vendors. 

helomech -Interesting take  appreciate the info . 

I had the Gold Lions sitting new for years [ forgot i had  them ]  So it was an easy choice to use one of them .

I went digging deeper into my cabinets & found all kinds of  NOS tubes  .

Most being 12au7 & 12ax7's  these were bought 2015 / 2016 - must have thought I'd tube roll down the road  ?   Have Mullards , RCA Clear tops , Telefunken , Sylvania  etc..   

I had some receipts - sellers were Brent Jesse / Andy VTS / Bryce ? 

Do not want to go down the tube rolling Hole - did that with Amps / Speakers and wind up listening to equipment not Music 

I can see the logic in new production being reliable  but sonics are tricky with any thing  NOS vs New .  I'll probably pick up the Gold Pin as that was mentioned by Bill at Rogue - he did say NOS / Vintage could be better and mentioned Jesse & Andy .

Just a thought - The Gold Lions I have are 10 yrs old - I wonder if there is a quality difference to current production ?

Seems like everything made today suffers from less quality control / cheaper materials  etc.  [ everything = TV's, Refrigerators , Washer / Dryers , AC'S / Cars , EVERYTHING!! ]