12AX7

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pitdogg2
pitdogg2 Posts: 24,575
in 2 Channel Audio
Anyone have any collecting dust that are good strong tubes? No Russian or Chinese need apply ;)
Just trying to see what is out there/available in Raytheon, Sylvania, Tung-Sol, RCA or others of European descent. GE made many for a ton of others not too interested in them at the moment
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,042
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    how many do you want/need?
    I may have a coupla decent vintage Amurrican plinkers if you just want to fiddle about (ahem, so to speak) with high mu twin triodes a bit. ;)

    They'd be free for the cost of shipping if and strictly as is (though' I would at least give them a basic emission/grid leakage/shorts test).


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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,575
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    One is in the power supply one in the signal path.
    Yes its exactly what I'm doing fiddling about. Before I plop down top dollar just trying to see what difference they make. I'm now using two GE 12bz7 early 50's black plate tall bottles.
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  • Faustin
    Faustin Posts: 1,149
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    Hey Ivan. Did I send you a list of the 12AX7's I have available? I thought I did.
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,575
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    Yea pal I just didn't want to wear out my welcome :D I got a bunch of your others. I'll revisit it.
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,042
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    pitdogg2 wrote: »
    One is in the power supply one in the signal path.
    Yes its exactly what I'm doing fiddling about. Before I plop down top dollar just trying to see what difference they make. I'm now using two GE 12bz7 early 50's black plate tall bottles.

    Lemme see if I have two decent testing/sounding plinkers. I'll let you know (it might be a few days, though).

    I might not have much in the way of 12AX7 family members. I am not a big fan of 12AX7s (although there are, of course, some things here that use 'em), so I don't have much of a bullpen, so to speak ;)
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,575
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    Yea no problem Doc.
    Well with this bunch they're all new to me.

    Why not AX fan?
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,042
    edited October 2020
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    pitdogg2 wrote: »
    Yea no problem Doc.
    Well with this bunch they're all new to me.

    Why not AX fan?

    I don't like what they do to music in most applications. There's a coarseness to 12AX7s that I associate with their high mu (but mine is a minority opinion) -- and they seem like a silly choice for phase splitters (even though they did get used for that, probably because they were cheap). That, plus... I cannot afford (i.e., justify the price of) the good ones.
    Rather use 6SL7s or 6SN7s based on a few decades of exposure to both (e.g., in phono preamp sections -- although of course the amplification factor of the 12AX7 is even higher than the 6SL7). It's not an objective, scientific opinion. :|


    My opinion of 6922/7308 tubes is even lower, though ;)


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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,575
    edited October 2020
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    I can't disagree with the 6sn7, I have a gaggle of those as well. Many preamps that take them are pretty pricey.
    I see prices all over the place as well and a dizzying array "equivalents" as well in the 12xx family. In the meantime I'm just trying to figure out whether the one 12ax7 or the pair of 12au7 swapping out make the biggest difference.

    To my ears most of the GE tubes have had an edginess on the top end that my ears dislike. I have 2 pair of CBS branded GE made 12au7's. Both black plates one pair made in 57 the other 61. Same edginess I hear in the 6sn7 group, although through the years GE had lots of different internal tube structures. I did find two different 6sn7 that I liked. The bridged filament and the early parallel T plates.

    The 12bz7's are pretty smooth I must say. Just a tad microphonic when tapped, but very quiet other than that.
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  • Mikey081057
    Mikey081057 Posts: 7,127
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    Ivan I have a pair of Tesla (not JJ) e83cc (12AX7 equivalents) I could send you. i used them in a phono pre that I sold some time ago....
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,575
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    Pm incoming mike.
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