12ax7's

Telefunkin. With out a doubt the best 12AX7.

Jason is right. Telefunken will do the job nicely. Should you go hunting on ebay look also under ECC83 Telefunken. If lucky, you will find German sellers, who are usually reliable and still have good merchandise. NOS Telefunkens are rare and very costly. But if you are offered old ones with good measurements I would grab them. They are built to last, even in difficult circuits, which the Paragon is not to my knowledge.

I also agree with the Telefunkin choice! I replaced a pair of RCA's with the "Telly's" and the result was amazing! (I use a pair of 12AU7's...or ECC 82'S...as in your other post, Nealvito). More air, deeper and tighter bass, and a 3-D holographic soundstage. Andy at Vintage Tube Services got a batch of these tubes last month (12AU7's) and they're going quickly. His phone # is: 616-454-3467. I prefer paying extra for his expertise and custom matching rather that taking a "crap shoot" on ebay from an unknown source. Happy Tunes! Mike

I'll back Mike up on Andy at Vintage Tube Services, if you want the best then don't be afraid to pay a little extra for it. Andy is a man of his word and will never sell anyone bad merchandise. I got my Telefunkin 12AX7's from him along with a pair of Tungsol 5687's for the late 50's for my Sonic Frontiers Power 2 SE. Jason

HAVE A PARAGON 12 PREAMP...NEED TO KNOW IF THE CIRCUITS WILL WORK FOR 12AU7'S IN THIS PREAMP.
THANKS

HAVE A PARAGON 12 PREAMP...NEED TO KNOW IF THE CIRCUITS WILL WORK FOR 12AU7'S IN THIS PREAMP.
THANKS

I think Telefunken is overpriced (IMO). I'm running 12AX7 $10 NOS JAN Phillips in my cd player and I have no complaints.

Of course they are overpriced, especially the ECC803s version, but they sound wonderful all the same! Cheers,

Muralman1, I would assume that your CD player is using the 12AU7's in a buffer circuit, NOT as gain device. A whole world of difference in application/sound!

Wrong, Fatparrot, the tubes ARE the sole gain devices for this player. In fact, they impart a controlling influence on the sound of my otherwise colorless reference system.

There are many audiophiles who will spare no expense for whatever is a hot commodity, like pricey tubes. I just settle for glorious music.

There are even more who buy such tubes in hopes of rescuing their aurally "gifted" component chain. A futile move, in my experience.

Telefunken ECC83/12AX7, are good. But so are Amperex Bugle Boys, Mullard CV4004, and for that matter, Sylvania Black Plate 12AX7's. They're just different sounding. In the right system, to the right tastes, all of them will produce magic. Telefunkens, are smooth, rich, warm tubes, with a rounded bass. Amperex, are robust, dynamic tubes, with an excellent bass. The Sylvania's are lively, not as rich sounding, tubes. So only with system, and personal tastes matching, will you acheive, the magic, you are looking for.

Fletchj is right on the money. I prefer the rich, warm sound of the Teles, personally. I've tried all the other mentioned above and I fully agree with Fletch's description. Cheers,

A 5751 will give a bit less gain, but it also has less distortion than a 12ax7. A much quieter tube.
RCA made a tripe mica version of this tube that is very durable and wonderful sounding. Look around for them.. well worth the effort.
mike

I agree with Fletchj and Detlof, it really depends on your taste and the circuit it's used in. The best 12AX7s I've found for my taste in Jadis equipment have been Telefunkens, and the best Tele's I've ever used are their premium E803CCs. Much quieter than the standard 12AX7s, and they last forever.

I've just put four Tele E803CCs in my Jadis pre-pre and they are indeed much quieter than the best of the normal ECC83 Teles I had used so far. They also seem to provide for an even better defined and tight low-end.

Much more transparent and dynamic in my JP80 and JA80s than the standard 12AX7s, as well. Obscenely expensive and very rare, but when you want that last bit of refinement they do deliver the goods. Fortunately you get much of their performance from many less costly tubes.