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Best 12AT7 tube?

qwerter

By qwerter
in Stereo Amplifiers & Pre-Amps

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pulinap Grand Champion

pulinap

Posted
Posted (edited)

Depends on the application and your system, but I would say Brimar 6060 Yellow T, Telefunken ECC801s (<> bottom),Valvo Blue Lable 6201 (pinched waist) and of course GEC A2900.....

Psvane 12AT7 is apparently pretty good as well.

Edited by pulinap
Equaliser Veteran

Equaliser

Posted
Posted (edited)

Budget?

 

If cost is no object and you want the holy grail of these dual triode family 12v tubes then I can only recommend you to look at any diamond etched early 50's Telefunken ECC801S with a big O getter, pinched top and triple mica ones. They don't float on ebay as much as they use to and can fetch from anywhere between $250-400 for a NOS pair.

 

These are bloody brilliant for soundstage, clarity and instrument separation/imaging qualities, quite neutral but pay attention to what amp/preamp/DAC these go into and your speaker as bad synergy can end up being a sizzly bright end with vocals.

 

I would rate NOS Siemens and Valvo's second best to the Tele's.

 

For bang for buck big performers for little cost the Mullard CV4024 is an absolute smacker with bass/low end reproduction. Typical English Mullard house sound signature nice and warm sounding without messing up the treble and mids and brilliant low end reproduction. They have 4 grooves on the top of the glass structure and a flashing getter on power up. Usually about $50-70 for a matched pair on ebay I have 2 of them in the pre-amp section of my integrated amp and puts the b in bass.

 

Other worthy modern production mentions would be the grade A selected Sophia Electric and Psvane 12AT7WA's, for about $100 they represent the best of the modern production tubes, very balanced sounding and cannot go wrong with them. If the Tele's, Siemen and Valvo are a 9.5-10/10 the Sophia's would be a 8.5 and Psvane's a 9.

 

There are more worthy mentions that I've owned that would be in the top 10 for me personally but it's been a while since I've tube rolled and sold most of my stash off years ago.

Edited by DefQon
  • Like 4

qwerter Veteran

qwerter

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Budget?

 

If cost is no object and you want the holy grail of these dual triode family 12v tubes then I can only recommend you to look at any diamond etched early 50's Telefunken ECC801S with a big O getter, pinched top and triple mica ones. They don't float on ebay as much as they use to and can fetch from anywhere between $250-400 for a NOS pair.

 

These are bloody brilliant for soundstage, clarity and instrument separation/imaging qualities, quite neutral but pay attention to what amp/preamp/DAC these go into and your speaker as bad synergy can end up being a sizzly bright end with vocals.

 

I would rate NOS Siemens and Valvo's second best to the Tele's.

 

For bang for buck big performers for little cost the Mullard CV4024 is an absolute smacker with bass/low end reproduction. Typical English Mullard house sound signature nice and warm sounding without messing up the treble and mids and brilliant low end reproduction. They have 4 grooves on the top of the glass structure and a flashing getter on power up. Usually about $50-70 for a matched pair on ebay I have 2 of them in the pre-amp section of my integrated amp and puts the b in bass.

 

Other worthy modern production mentions would be the grade A selected Sophia Electric and Psvane 12AT7WA's, for about $100 they represent the best of the modern production tubes, very balanced sounding and cannot go wrong with them. If the Tele's, Siemen and Valvo are a 9.5-10/10 the Sophia's would be a 8.5 and Psvane's a 9.

 

There are more worthy mentions that I've owned that would be in the top 10 for me personally but it's been a while since I've tube rolled and sold most of my stash off years ago.

Are these the Siemens you were talking about?

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2x-ECC801S-SIEMENS-E81CC-12AT7WA-audio-tubes-NOS-ECC-801-S-/311189961002?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item48745df92a

And Valvo?

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2-nos-tubes-Valvo-pinch-waist-3-mica-6201-ECC801s-12AT7W-409019-Hamburg-plant/131346445301?_trksid=p2045573.c100033.m2042&_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20131017132637%26meid%3D846de3c02a15434cbbbed17ec91169a8%26pid%3D100033%26prg%3D20131017132637%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D311189961002

lovetube Mentor

lovetube

Posted
Posted

Budget?

 

If cost is no object and you want the holy grail of these dual triode family 12v tubes then I can only recommend you to look at any diamond etched early 50's Telefunken ECC801S with a big O getter, pinched top and triple mica ones. They don't float on ebay as much as they use to and can fetch from anywhere between $250-400 for a NOS pair.

 

These are bloody brilliant for soundstage, clarity and instrument separation/imaging qualities, quite neutral but pay attention to what amp/preamp/DAC these go into and your speaker as bad synergy can end up being a sizzly bright end with vocals.

 

I would rate NOS Siemens and Valvo's second best to the Tele's.

 

For bang for buck big performers for little cost the Mullard CV4024 is an absolute smacker with bass/low end reproduction. Typical English Mullard house sound signature nice and warm sounding without messing up the treble and mids and brilliant low end reproduction. They have 4 grooves on the top of the glass structure and a flashing getter on power up. Usually about $50-70 for a matched pair on ebay I have 2 of them in the pre-amp section of my integrated amp and puts the b in bass.

 

Other worthy modern production mentions would be the grade A selected Sophia Electric and Psvane 12AT7WA's, for about $100 they represent the best of the modern production tubes, very balanced sounding and cannot go wrong with them. If the Tele's, Siemen and Valvo are a 9.5-10/10 the Sophia's would be a 8.5 and Psvane's a 9.

 

There are more worthy mentions that I've owned that would be in the top 10 for me personally but it's been a while since I've tube rolled and sold most of my stash off years ago.

 

spot on .

the GEC2900 as P said above also a killer 12at7 replacement

Duc

qwerter Veteran

qwerter

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Like these?

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/RARE-Matched-Pair-NOS-NIB-Valvo-E180CC-7062-12at7-6414-tubes-McIntosh-/201177112228?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item2ed7171ea4

Equaliser Veteran

Equaliser

Posted
Posted (edited)

They look the same to me.

My Valvos were same as the blue ones you listed. Those Valvo with white text look to be a later production or another plant. I think some RFT's were also labelled as Valvos and made in West Germany. They go for cheap too compared to the NOS big boys.

Edited by DefQon
Equaliser Veteran

Equaliser

Posted
Posted (edited)

I love the GEC 6AS7G/6080 family of triodes and possibly one of the best there is (apart from the WE 421A) but can't say the same for the 12v dual triode family. Just ok at best. IME and IMHO.

Edited by DefQon

ehtcom Grand Champion

ehtcom

Posted
Posted

Just had a quick squiz in my personal tube collection. I thought I had a couple of the Seimens ECC801S, but they are empty boxes :(

I only have a Trio of used Seimens ECC81, a quad of used Telefunken Diamond base 12AT7, a trio of used Valvo 6201 gold pin, a pair of new GE6201, a Philips PQ 6201 gold pins, new pair of Philips JAN12AT7 and five new UK made Zaerix 12AT7 :)

 

@@qwerter happy to test any on my AVO and in an amp if your interested.

 

Cheers, Earle.

Warren M. Veteran

Warren M.

Posted
Posted

In my phono preamp I have a NOS Raytheon 12AT7WA which is phenomenal. In my JLTi KT120 power/integrated amp (currently used as a power amp), I have Sylvania 12AT7WCs which go extremely deep but this tube needs a top quality damper to control its low-frequencies without crushing its exceptional dynamics. I use Herbies tube dampers on all my tubes. It was recommended to me that I use GE 12AT7WCs on my Doge 8 preamp and I agree that they are the best I've tried so far on it.

 

Regards

Warren

wis97non Experienced

wis97non

Posted
Posted (edited)

Valvo, Pope, Tungsram white label, almost all Japanese brands, certain French brands, Phillps Harleen, Polam,  etc.

 

Telefunken, RSD, Siemens are very clean but sterile....also high priced. Good for mixing and matching with the more "soulful" tubes.

Edited by wis97non

  • 3 weeks later...
pulinap Grand Champion

pulinap

Posted
Posted

Valvo got mentioned quite a lot, but there is quite a variety of these tubes... Which ones?

 

Blue label pinched waste........I think it is the ones in the first picture.

qwerter Veteran

qwerter

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Your pics show a few E180CC as well. They are not 12AT7 substitutes.

They are, according to the information I have.
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