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In Reply to: Any current production favorite 12AX7s for CAT phonostage? Also NOS posted by mark maloof on April 20, 2007 at 11:29:18:
Mark,You have to be careful when you speak about Sovtek 'X7s. The 12AX7LPS is a GOOD tube. It has DECENT tone and it's QUIET. That makes the 'LPS a prime contender for service in phono sections. Sovtek 'WXAs and 'WXBs are GUANO.
A good way to get nice tone from 'X7s in a line stage is the use of strong used TFK smoothplate ECC83s. Used TFKs with plenty of life left in them are relatively reasonable in cost.
BTW, the EI tube was a fair copy of the TFK smoothplate.
I TOTALLY agree with talking to Jim McShane about your needs.
Eli D.
Follow Ups:
I like them a lot, they were recomended by others who have built Cornets and used current production tubes. After I built the Cornet, I tried EH 12AX7s, which work fine enough in my guitar amps, but were ok (not bad, but not special) in the Cornet. After a little burn-in, I had greater preference for the 12AX7LPS. In fact, I will try them in the revamped CAT, though it just came back, so I'll listen for a bit with the used EI tubes in there right now.I jumped the gun in saying that all Sovteks were not liked here. I did some searching, and found that others like the LPS quite a bit, and Jim McShane speaks highly of them at his site. So after listening for a few days, I'll pop the LPS tubes from the Cornet into the CAT and make a taste decision. If I like 'em in the CAT, I'll buy another matched pair from Jim.
Thanks for the tip on the TFKs. Well, if the EI tubes are a fair copy, it might make sense to stick with them (and, again, this is the tube that Ken Stevens designed the preamp around), but it can't hurt to experiment with other tubes.
EI is out of business. The tubes EI made towards the end were PLAGUED by quality control problems. Like all NOS, the good stuff EI made is going to become scarcer and scarcer. Don't get stuck with CRAP.BTW, do you remember an OLD VW commercial? "Why own a copy, when you can have the original?" :~))
Eli D.
nt
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