Tube Lab

We do a live listen A\B\C comparison between the GE, Philips Heerlen, and the Mullard Blackburn 12AX7/ECC83 on our custom prototype preamp.
High Resolution 24/96 Samples:
GE: valvesnmore.com/wp-content/up...
Mullard: valvesnmore.com/wp-content/up...
Philips: valvesnmore.com/wp-content/up...
Link to our online store: valvesnmore.com/
Link to Mellow Tone Kits: valvesnmore.com/?page_id=13253

[@jeffbrooke4892]

Great demonstration. Frankly they all sounded great to me and saying one was better than the other would be an exercise in splitting hairs. And years ago I learned that splitting hairs wasn't an excercise worth doing and that what such efforts actually revealed was that I'd be happy with either. Thanks again, I really enjoy watching your programs!

[@proffessasvids]

Lovely stuff Jim! I do like a bit of mallard! Xx

[@thomkopal1740]

Heads-up: US-made CBS 12AX7 and 12AX7A also have etched dots under the tube type print. CBS used a different stencil-style font. Don't mix 'em up!

[@proffessasvids]

Obviously mallard manufactured to the Phillips specification.. I'm pretty sure that the 'mullard' manufacturing processes and chemical treatments, used in England, were spread to the other Phillips group plants throughout Europe. Whether they were employed in the exact same way as the mallard plants is another story. Phillips had a high standard. Lovely video guys xx

[@frankgeeraerts6243]

Correct ................TFK had also his own asthonishing chemistry as every other quality brand............from WE over to RCA , GE and many others. There's a common family sound to each brand , quality tubes sound every one a bit different but all sound amazing bin their own way ........that's why tube rolling in quality amplifiers can bring out the right synergy of your system according to your musical taste and experience .........one can select different tubes for different moods and different musical genres. To give an example , often using a TFK in the first /front tube may be like looking ourside to the nature and wildlife troughout of a very clean window ............listening with an RCA can bring out the mood of a very cosy large lounge/ or theatre sipping a nice glass of great wine ...........GE may give you the feel of an up and go listening to verydynamic or orock music .............all these tubes/brands have their own smell, taste; glow and tonal balance but as far as quality goes , they are all bringing us closer involved to the music we love , sometimes solid stae high end may be very impressive but when something differs in the experience what is not defined by measurements is what's missing when we switch over from quality tubes to quality solid state ..........all is in the way we connect to music, every one in his own way ; Strange that when a solid state amplifier is qualified as exceptional , they often say it could be a tube amp because is almost singing like a tube amp !

[@Stephenwongdirectimaging]

Very nice 12ax7 compare video at beginning i thought i will choice the mullard..after few time close listening i found Ge have more detail

[@yaniv-nos-tubes]

i wanted some siemens longplates 12au7's for my rogue preamp but the only pair i found was 800$ from ebay...so i settled on a used pair of mullard longplates from 1957 for 200$ ,i once bought 10m's for 250$ each now i can't find them at any price. my advice to everyone who has tube gear - get them while you can because in a few years time they'll be gone or crazy expensive.

[@stevenhifi2188]

I have mullard 12ax7 mullard M8137 CV4004. Very nice

[@frankgeeraerts6243]

YES....

[@drewdayss]

I really appreciate you guys making these videos/recordings. So damn cool. For this recording, I'm leaning towards the GE. I'm a drummer and love trying to chase reproducing pure acoustic tones of percussive instruments. The cymbals sounded like I was behind the kit playing them live. They sounded so natural. Think I might be ordering a pair for My Decware ZP3 phonostage. Do you gents have any experience with this particular phono stage? If so, any recommendations? I primarily listen to jazz and classical on vinyl. The rest of my system is all Decware gear as well. Cheers!

[@tubelab194]

Some tubes really make a difference when rolling, ie 6sn7 Sylvania vs Tung-Sol, the Sylvania tubes all have a warm/rich sound that i like to call the "Sylvania House Sound", whereas the Tungs have less warmth and more detail. With the 12ax7's I don't hear large differences like that. With any high gain tube, noise is the number one issue - how low is the noise floor, are they microphonic? Balanced? The trick is finding good sounding tubes that meet all of the above criteria - not easy!

[@tubelab194]

I'm not familiar with your phono stage, and that's why we make recordings using a very neutral sounding preamp - it gives you a good idea of the sonics, maybe not exactly the same in your amp - but probably very close.

[@drewdayss]

@@tubelab194 I agree. Your neutral sounding preamp is best to help us analyze what will work in our individual systems. Thank you very much for your reply! Have a good one.

[@stevenhifi2188]

How about nos tung sol 12ax7?

[@robpurviance6391]

Can I borrow that record please?

[@tubelab194]

Yes it's beautiful!