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Fav Tube/Best tube

E80CC my all time fav, any brand, all sound nearly identical (pinched waist, getter stuff = snakeoil)
Tungsten, Siemes, Philips = same tube.
some have rhodium pins, ebay seller claims *sought after = superior to brass pins*,,,but these rhodium pins, do not have the copper posts, which i perfer. I will have to roll the E80’s , so far I perfer vavlo by a *hair*, but can not say for sure, as all sound nearly identical, at least to my poor hearing( I failed a hearing test at Valero Refinery some yrs back , but only in testing the highest FQ’s).
Next fav tube
is Tele 12AX7, Siemens are very close,,at least as far as i can tell, have not made a further compare on that as yet.
Next and last is the power drivers.
For that I’ll have to go with the KT150’s, which i’ve not heard, but am sure will love that tube.
When I rolled the 90’s to 88’s, i might have perfered the 88’s ,,,both sound very close,,,,sorry i should have made more shootouts on those 2 , before i sold off the 90’s.
Considering nearly all amps come with stock 88’s, that pretty much confirms the 88’s is the all around best tube for most amps, |
BUt if you have power to spare in your trans, as my Defy does (2 side trans run cold, mid trans runs slightly warm,,and thats running super low super high demanding 87 db speakers!!! Testimony to jadis' trans, built like german tanks, yet sing like ,,,,, Heavenly Angels) the 150’s is the best option as a long term investment.

So thats my 3
1) E80(far superior to the wimpy 12AU7’s, if the e80 did not exist, the 12AU7 is a excellent tube <<<tongue in cheek>>>)
2)Tele12AX7
3),KT150’s.
and yours?
and go ahead and dunk all snakeoil you’ve heard over the years about certain aspects of a tube, such as *Holy Grails*

mozartfan
barbapapa
244 posts
 
Maybe you can find some RT WA or WAH. I have both and they are so closed that you can prefer one or the other. Often it depends also of the other tubes around. Tubes in an amp or in amp and pre, if they are both with tubes, are an assembly like yours whole system. The way you marry the tubes to manage the final sound you like is very important.
This is the same thing you do when you marry your speakers to the rest of your system and your system to the room.
mofimadness's avatar
mofimadness
4,933 posts
 
@ barbapapa

By "RT" tubes are you referring to RadioTechnique (France) or RFT (Germany)?
barbapapa
244 posts
 
I mean RT (La Radiotechnique)that Became later RTC (Radio Technique Compelec).
Tubes are engraved FRS, made in the cities of « Suresnes« and « Joué les Tours » (France)They made RT and RTC tubes for French military, labs, industry, national rail (transport by train) and so on.
Since 1947 they were part of the Philips that sent parts of their machinery group and made tubes under the Miniwatt Dario name but also their own tubes. They also exported tubes under Impex and sometimes Impex Dario in Great Britain.How is it possible RTC and Philips sounded different ? I don’t know.
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oldhvymec
5,101 posts
 
RCA  6L6 black plate, Pre 70s, can't beat this valve, low mids and mids one of the smoothest, most liquid valves you will hear, they load up and BELCH like no other, in a push pull amp, single ended not so good.

RCA  Small tubes, black plate, pre 70s. Best, rare, expensive, ( more of these are bad than good as far as sound, a lot these tubes are sold as good and balanced, but 10-20% is considered balanced)
5%  500.00-1000.00 pair, pure heaven

GE Tung Sol 6550 pre 65 (one of the best in MC60s) or Push Pull
Expensive valve, getting rare, I call these the KT88 killers, just a wonderful valve. Not the overall power of 88s just a classic TUBE sound but well controlled. The have a BELCH like a 6L6 RCA, They wind up and out comes the sound...Reverb Era!!!

GE 12at7 pre 70s, gray long plate, Quiet, good supplies ava. Can be a bit brash, take your time break them in, great top to bottom valve, good in a full range situation 20hz-20khz good prices..

GE 12az7 (Green) new issue excellent valve, clear mids and highs, reasonable price, good 12ax7, 12bz7, substitute, high gain. 

Amperex one of the best small tubes around good supplies good matching,

Volvo, Mullard, EL34 KINGS if you can afford a set of early NOS.
700-2000.00 quads Also a lot of great EL34 valves NOW, use to be a big problem, KT77s took the lead for 10-12 years, now a lot of good EL34s valves at good prices.

Tellies can be THE BEST, great top to bottom valve 20hz-20khz, but, again a lot of valves that are just wore out, not balanced, not matched properly, are sold as good. Really don't do Tellies justice. Very tonal balanced valve.

El in a KT90 valves (beautiful valve), solvex kt88 both good valves, solvex can suffer from QC issues.

Regards



ripleydog's avatar
ripleydog
19 posts
 
Agree E80CC is an outstanding tube. However, discovered to my dismay they are not a drop in replacement for 12AU7 tubes 100% of the time. At least if you have a transformer that can't deal with it's slightly higher output.
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