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EAR 864 Line & Phono Stage Tube Rolling Suggestions?

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Posted on November 7, 2009 at 22:05:00

XLR8OR
Audiophile

Posts: 310
Location: Sydney
Joined: August 30, 2005

Can any past or current owners of an EAR 864 preamp please suggest particular 12AX7/ECC83 and 12AU7/ECC82 NOS tubes that have worked very well in the line and phono stage sections of this preamp?

Many thanks in advance.

you should contact muser

gordan

17:06:22 11/08/09

RE: EAR 864 Line & Phono Stage Tube Rolling Suggestions?

FenderLover

14:28:24 11/08/09

you should contact muser, posted on November 8, 2009 at 17:06:22
gordan Audiophile Posts: 419 Location: Belgrade SCG Joined: July 9, 2005	muser (a member here) has a good experience with tube rolling for 864. i used to have the same and i had good results with Mullard for darker but sweeter and Telefunken tubes for less bloom and more clarity.

RE: EAR 864 Line & Phono Stage Tube Rolling Suggestions?, posted on November 8, 2009 at 14:28:24

FenderLover
Audiophile

Posts: 3310
Joined: July 31, 2007
Contributor
Since: May 17, 2009

Well, since no one seems to want to salute your post---let me drop few valve names, from my experience. All other things (coupling caps, resistors, parameters being unchanged):

Brighter, more powerful tone: Tungsram ECC83

Cleaner tone: German Valvo or Siemens ECC83 > Telefunken ECC83

Mellower tone: Philips Miniwatt (or most any 1960's era Dutch made) ECC83

Warmer Mids, nice rolled off ends: Mullard ECC83

Rich vibrant tone: RCA black plates 12AX7 = Raytheon BP 12AX7 = Tung-Sol 12AX7

Cleaner mids-high: early 1950's Sylvania BP 12AX7 > two-mica 5751's (Sylvania, GE, RCA).

I'd used all the above tubes in various setups. Each lent a unique nice tone and where able to withstand electrical and mechanical abuse. And last a good long time.

For 12AU7, I've had the best luck for good dynamic tone. And long life with the CBS-Hytron BP 5814A or 7316/7318. These three 12AU7 types are so predictable that I have use them in every unit I redo. I'm lucky enough to have a good stash of both.

I cull through my stash and select the strongest testing, lowest noise, and best tone & use these in what I think are the most critical positions in the units.

HTH... maybe a bit.

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