Best 12AU7 Type Tubes for a Preamp
I am hoping for some help finding good quality and good sounding 12AU7 variant tubes for a preamp – I need two tubes. A price of around $100 each or less would be great but I would pay a bit more (150 ea.) for something that is likely to sound better. The unit came with JAN PHILIPS ECC82 (12AU7/5963) and I also own a pair of reissue/new Mullard ECC92 tubes. Both sets are quiet but I am wondering if there is something even better sounding at a moderate price.
Readily available NOS options I have seen include:
New options I have found (in addition to Mullard) include (among others):
Thanks for any help.
Mitch, Definitely NOS only, nothing newer is even close…..70s & 80s, can be very very good, 50s and 60s can be magical…..though with some tubes dating can be difficult. I’ll find my notes and repost in next couple of days. I went through a manic phase and have tested at least 30 types (I think I still have 40+ pairs?), I also I had an amazingly thorough link I’ll try to find if I can |
I installed matched NOS Telefunken smooth plates into my Rogue M-180s two days past. They will need some break in time but so far I like them more than the JJ tubes I replaced so I anticipate I will like them more and more as time passes. I also have a matched set of NOS Raytheon Black plates sitting in a box and will roll them into the M-180s in a couple months. I will also use these in my Rogue RP-7 some time down the road. Here is a good reference for the 12au7 rolling options.
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