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Re: Honest Opinions Wanted on ecc-83's

Posted by Mechans (A) on July 18, 2006 at 22:40:21

In Reply to: Honest Opinions Wanted on ecc-83's posted by "skeptic" on July 18, 2006 at 12:50:17:

Our Audiophile group had a shoot out recently using 3 new production and 3 old production "12AX7s". The hands down, no doubt, winner in this circuit, a Jadis DA 60 input pair. Was what Joe of the Lore told you 7 years ago, a Triple Mica Black Plate Sylvania 5751 next was a very well used Ribbed plate Telefunken 12AX7 and the next tube a Blackburn Mullard 12AX7 burned in but relatively new as it came from an excellent source in England who has an impeccable reputation from my extensive dealing with him, now my friends use him as well but he is a very small operation and I just can't say anymore. The newest tube was a Ei gold pin Elite 12ax7 which was eliminated immediately for excessive treble and lack of any tonal balance and weight, perhaps some additional burn in will help.
BTW all this was blinded except of course the tube changer. Remarkably the Smooth plate Telefunken was eliminated in the first round as well and it was definitely real because one our group bought a box of 100 in 1982 before the madness. It sounded dark too smooth perhaps,to the point of being dull and having rolled off highs. The ribbed plate was a pull and seemed to have the circuit wellcontrolled it was nuetraland clean but also had presence it showed off a little, the 5751 was a selected well tested multi auction assembled pair. One can argue that a 5751 is not a 12AX7 and of course technically the electronic parameters are different but a number of us use them. I had a pristine matched pair of GE five star TMBP 5751s to give to my friend and host. They were put in after the competition was officially over but the group listened intently and would have placed them 2nd overall.
The 5751 really is a finicky tube in terms of application, it simply does not work in some circuits but it works well enough that I have scrambled hard to assemble a reasonably large collection of them. I actually find that the Sylvania gold brand triple mica in a grey plate is inferior to almost any black plate that is older stock material. I am very cautious about using NOS even if a tube tests strong. I like the RCAs and Raytheons for the clarity and controlled bass. The JJ Tesla ecc83 was also eliminated but please don't generalize about the quality of all JJ tubes, I had a quad of EL34Ls last three years of solid use without a problem. They still make the sweeyest EL34L out there in modern production, IMHO. If you bought yours before the thin pin issue, which is being addressed they are midrange beauties. The KT -77 much maligned by Jim who I would never argue with most anyday is wrong. I got my quad very early on. The pins are the usual thicker ones not one tube has mica falling off and they are straight no tilting, and don't ring I'm just lucky I guess. Yes its a fabulous sounding tube.
The 12AX7 I am using is the Tesla not JJ 1982 Tele Smooth Plate clone nick named cross swords because they have them on the tube. It is phenomanally clean sounding and adds virtually zero coloration. I think these are indeed NOS but can't be certain. My tester has never seen a stronger testing almost perfectly matched pair- well above "new" on my recently calibrated MTC Hickok. I recommend them even though they are 80s production.
Finally for those really on a budget Shuguang has finally made a small tube that sounds good to me. The inmates may have heard me say it before but I couldn't stand the older versions for more than a few seconds. The 9th edition and the 9th only 12AX7 is a good tube. Not outstanding but very good and better than many many others it is an incredible bargain costing at most $5 a tube I even paid less for mine.

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