Tubes Asylum

Posted by nsgarch (A) on October 03, 2007 at 15:12:00

In Reply to: RE: Slyvania GB 6201 vs Sylvania 12at7wa ? posted by Orchardist on October 03, 2007 at 13:39:14

First of all, the Agon tubes are overpriced by at least $100 IMO. I've paid as little as $20 apiece, never more than $40. Second, I have quite a few Sylvania GB 2M 6201 BP, with and without gold pins (the militaty ones have steel pins) as well as the 3M 12AXTWA BP.

They're used as drivers in my Mac MC275 MkIV, a pair for each pair of KT88's. I mention this because in these positions, they don't affect the sound as much as the 12AX7's ahead of them (actually Sylvania 3M 5751 BP's).

The main sonic difference I've noticed with both the 5751's and the 6201's is a smoother quality to the sound, whereas the standard AX's (in most all brands) exhibit a bit of grain that the number tubes don't. The Sylvanias have great mids and very flat response in either version, IMO.