Telefunken ECC801S

Re: fleshy midrange prominent 12AT7 - ARC 16:50:32 11/18/06 (3)
In Reply to: fleshy midrange prominent 12AT7 posted by DC STEVE on November 18, 2006 at 15:58:01:
Mullard CV4024 milspec ecc81/12AT7 are always a great choice in that they sound good in just about anything. They ARE a bit neutral IMHO, tho. "Lean" in the sense that they don't have a bump in the mids, as is the case with the Siemens. This is one Mullard that could never be accused of a "honky" midrange.... but if it were ME... Why not spend 50 cents per tube and get some assorted USA manufacture 12AT7s on eBay? Have you seen 12AT7 prices on eBay?!? You can junk as many as 90% (you won't junk more than 1/3rd) and get them cheaper than online vendors... who usually only have the 1980s CV4024 which is a real piece of crapwork. The VTLs LOVE blackplate RCAs, as well as RCA's "flat plate" special 12At7 (well... it may not be DESIGNATED "special" like 5692 red base, but it SHOULD BE. These RCA 12AT7 with the flat plates (they look like baby 12AX7 14mm plates) are superlative. I owned VTL 100s for a time, and both these RCAs, regular blackplate TungSol and RCas, and the various 6201 types sounded great in the VTL front end. You have to be careful not to put a tube with even a SMIDGE of 'bloat' in VTLs; the sonics are terrible. That leaves out MOST European types, even (especially?) Telefunkens and Amperexes. Trust me, I'm not talking out of my **** like "tube gurus"; I spent years with the VTLs attempting to make enough power for my Quad ESL63s.... tried all the CRAZY Valvo "magic" 12AT7/ECC81s... and plugged those dime a dozen RCAs back in! They are THE MOST balanced 12AT7s. Check 'em!