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These are the 50's version with black flat plates and "d" getter how do they stack up to other 5814's????
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and the winning bid was close to $160 for 10 tubes (used). From what I can see in the picture, half look to be the earlier CBS-Hytron's while the other half have the later CBS logo. I won an identical auction about 2 months ago from the same seller. Half are the earlier versions with the large, angled D-getters. The CBS-only tubes have the smaller square getter with one oddball tube with an 0-getter but otherwise identical.
These must be pulls from military equipment, because this seller has put up multiple lots of 10 for sale on ebay.
I haven't compared the CBS-Hytron's to the CBS-only 5814's. The first pair of Hytrons I tried sounded so good (and quiet) that they have remained in my amp. When its right, don't mess with it, I say.
The early CBS Hytron 5814 are very good for a 12AU7 family tube. The 5814 was a development by RCA when Collins (now Rockwell Collins) requested a lower distortion 12AU7 be manufactured for their military receivers.
I like Brimar 13D5 even better, but that may be circuit dependent. E80CC rates higher than either above per my tests, but has slightly different parameters including 150ma increased heater current.
I really like this tube. In the linestage of my CJ PV-12A, to create a ranking ad hoc, I'd say it's one of my top five'ish favorite tubes. To further qualify, it performs well with whatever gear it finds itself in combination with. They can be noisy, though.There're some construction detail nuances you may want pay attention to when purchasing this tube. There are early 5814s, not 5814As, wearing only Hytron branding (likely pre-CBS purchase of Hytron), some wearing combined CBS-Hytron branding. These date to around '53-'54. Some have tall, tapered-top heater filaments that stick up above the top mica and glow prominently when making electrons, some have heaters that you can barely see heat. I don't know that this construction detail makes a sonic difference, but I use tubes that match in visually observable construction detail. All have a raised, bent rectangular getter ring. Perhaps most you'll see as military contract tubes, etched and printed as 5814WA, but many are labeled 5814A. Some have no etched markings, which can make identification a bit tricky if the silkscreened printing is gone. Production dates of the Hytron/CBS-Hytron 5814/A range from about 1953 to 1959.
Of course, I can't speak to any chemistry changes that may have occured over time or construction differences there may be that I can't see. I don't know/haven't read/heard anything about these details.
There are later CBS 5814As. They're CBS-only branded, where the construction looks just like the earlier Raytheon 5814 and Hytron/CBS-Hytron tubes, but they have a small, flat D-shaped getter ring. These date from about 1960 to about 1963, at which point it seems that production of this tube ceased. I like to say there're tubes for every system and systems for every tube, but I haven't had such good results with these last CBS 5814As.
I've found the CBS-Hytron 5814A to have excellent top to bottom extension, a very good tonal quality - "lush" without being "mush" - and an interesting dynamic presentation. They do a very nice job of renderinng dynamic differences. The program source can seem to "breathe". Never any glare or harshness.
I've also liked the earlier and similar-looking Raytheon 5814, but I more often prefer the CBS to the Raytheon.
The only way to find out whether this tube, or any tube, works for you is to try it. These are still not an expensive tube. I watched a pair sell recently from an eBay seller I trust for all of $25. Pristine tubes in nice boxes can cost more, less-than pristine tubes, but still good-testing/performing, can cost even less.
Don?
- SJ
I haven't compared them to other 5814's but I will say that they better every 12AU7 I've tried in my amp, including RCA black and grey plates with D-getters and the clear tops. The Hytrons are smooth, rich and musical with out sounding muddy or slow. Very good separation between instruments. A great combination with Mullard ECC83's.
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