Has anyone tried any newer production tubes that were close to NOS tubes?

heiney9

Yeah, I'm going to bump this one before I get ready to leave for Turkey Day today, since I'm being lazy on the computer and listening to the office tube rig!

I have been a tube buying tear lately since it seems prices and stock for much of the best of the best old tubes is finally starting to show signs of drying up a little bit. I have been very judicious in researching and watching.

I have recently picked up some gems and I can tell you one of the biggest sleepers is in late 50's Tung Sol 12AX7 and same year Tung Sol 5751. They are hard to find comparatively, but WOW are they ever sweet and transparent. Might be my new favorite tube in that position. Do a search on the history of Tung Sol and realize they were a very serious tube manufacturer in the day.

True, early, Westinghouse charcoal plate 12AU7's from the mid 50's with high post mounted D getter are superb. Westinghouse only produced their own tubes for a very short period of time in the mid 50's before basically sourcing other manufacturer's tubes and just putting their label on it. These can be extremely hard to find basically because there are 4 very specific identifiers that are A) hard to see in the photo's people post trying to ask the seller to confirm these characteristics can be difficult.

Ken Rad/GE early 50's JG-5814. Also charcoal/light black plates, sq getter, silver wing tab clips. Dynamic, detailed and great soundstage. Earliest known 5814

Ken Rad late 40's 12AX7. light black plate, U getter with flat bar and 2 dimples, silver wing tab clips. These are sooooo smooth, a cross between an RCA blackplate and Heerlen Holland tube. Hard to find but available if you look hard enough

1958 Amperex Bugle Boy, Long Plate ECC82/12AU7, double post O getter made in Mitcham, England. W/Treble Cleft. tube code K61 over R8L What a glorious tube, that is all I can say. Vocals, vocals, vocals, midrange bloom and less mushy bottom end compared to the Blackburn version. Never knew Mitcham made a long plate ECC82.

H9

erniejade

+1 on the 50's tung sol 12ax7. That's what I'm running in my ar preamp.

schwarcw

An old but interesting video about vacuum tubes and their use can be found Here

heiney9

Very interesting Carl, thanks for posting.

H9

Mikey081057

zingo wrote: »

Agreed, and adding Gold Lion. I've used many tubes in all three lines, and they are all great. Premium new tubes are not a replacement for the best NOS tubes, but they are a great option, especially when you consider price, availability, and warranty. Plus, if you like them, you can by another set for the same price from the same retailer; say that about NOS tubes.

I have the KT88 and CV181's in my Yaqin, and they are a huge improvement over the Chinese stocker, but I have nothing to compare them to... I think the value of my tubes equals or exceeds the value of my amp.. is that normal?