Thinking about a tube roll to Brimar or Telefunken

Sorry, my error. I meant to say RCA 5751 and my fingers automatically typed 5692 (one of my favorite tubes !)

Good catch !

Joe S is a friend of mine, we have spent dozens of hours on the phone over the last few years and traded countless emails.

Joe is a VERY intelligent person and a very careful listener. His reference speakers and amplifiers are the ones I sold him, Sound Lab M-1 and Wolcott Presence 220.

He and I agree on some things and disagree on others . The rating of the Telefunken 12AX-7 is an obvious example.

For what it's worth, most audiophiles and tube experts classify the Tele 12AX7 as the "reference" design for this type. Needless to say, I agree with the majority :^).

As for the RCA 5692, I have tried many versions of it and agree it has merit. Some equipment, particularly the Aesthetix, simply DOES NOT work with the RCA, offering dismal results with it plugged into it's circuit.

As with all things audio, the associated gear, personal taste, room acoustics, listening volume and many other factors enter into the equation.

I advise you experiment with Tele's, confident that if you don't like them, there are a hundred people waiting to take them off your hands.

Good luck with your tube rolling adventures.

I prefer the Telefunken 12AX7 to all others but getting quiet ones is becoming more and more difficult.

For 6922, favorites are Telefunken 6DJ8 and Mullard gold pin 6922 (preferably Mullard with white dot on top).

Other tubes for 6922 position that you may or may not like but are excellent quality is the Amperex US Military CEP 7308. This tube is "dryer" sounding and (maybe) more accurate on top frequencies than the Mullard but not as pretty sounding.

Of course lots depends on your personal taste, choice of amplifier and speakers and even room acoustics. The Sovtek is surprisingly good, especially after being hand selected by Jim at Aesthetix.

Good Telefunkens that are graded and guaranteed by a reputable tube dealer will probably cost $125.00 each (possibly more). The Mullards I have not seen for sale in a while and the Amperex are all over the place in price.

I did answer your email but thought I would post here as well. Hope it helps you with your Aesthetix. Great gear !