tube rolling Sunday

[RnR]

Very cool review Pepe, nice stock you have there.  I'm running the E84L's in my carver 20 watt right now and loving them,  but still really interested in popping in some mullards and having a listen.

[OldiesButGoodies]

I have some RCA 12ax7 long black plates that sound very good.

I have a single RCA long plate - need to find a second one to test in stereo. 

BTW - putting aside whether one likes the sound of the Goldenear speakers,  one thing that is remarkable is their ability to differentiate equipment.  You change tubes and it is easier to notice the change than it was with the barn doors. 

[geoffr]

I'll check and see if I have a single.

[Meles]

Did you just roll them around in the bottles? Where's the results?!

I haven't tried many different 12AX7's, got a quad of Tele's and never changed them. I have had some fun rolling 12AU7's in the pre and getting very different characteristics.

So far my quick off-the-cuff semi-worthless observations on 12AX7s (I caveat these by stating what we all know,  the combo of equipment is what sounds this way or that, the tubes are just a link in a chain).

• The Tung-sols are decent tubes,  but the gold pins do not make any difference in my system (vs std ones),  so save your money and get the base version.
• The best sounding overall to me have been the Mullards,  particularly if you like solid tube-like bass.  They are just great, excellent imaging and soundstage, but also expensive.
• The Telefunkens sound slightly better than the Tung-Sols, wee bit better imaging.
• The Bugle Boys from Ian: still evaluating, but soundstage thus far feels flatter than the other ones.  Could be that I am still dialing in the new speakers.
• The Mazda Electronique 12AX7s are excellent,  I would place them above the Teles
• The Lowrey Organ tubes seem very similar to the Teles in sound,  with slightly stronger bass.
• The typical RCA 12AX7 I rate lower than the Tung Sols

WTF Pepe! Your not rolling gold pin Russian Tungsols are you! With Mazdas I thought for sure you'd be talking about black plates from the 50s. Lowrey did not make tubes by the way, just rebranded. Bite your tongue if talking about RCA blackplates (horseshoe getter a must). My favorite is a real darkhorse being talked up in other circles. The CBS 7729:


From the early 60s they go for about $175 each or so, but the non gold pin version is the CBS 12AX7A with the same halo getter and structure. Awfully nice tube for peanuts.

[Sir Thrift-a-Lot]

$175 each is peanuts?

[Meles]

$175 each is peanuts?

$20. For cbs 12ax7a.  A low testing pair of 7729 currently up for $50' but very low.

Using two myself and prefer even to the Genalex.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-GENALEX-B759-12AX7-PRE-AMP-PREAMP-TUBE-BOX-TESTS-STRONG-/121776919255?hash=item1c5a7852d7:g:kC0AAOSwFnFWDuTb

[Sir Thrift-a-Lot]

Sorry, I just reread your post.   I misunderstood.