New Production 12AX7s - Which Are the Best ??

[Wizard of Ozz]

I’ve tested a bunch of Ruby 12AX7C5HG, Ruby 12AX7C7, and Tung Sol 12AX7 tubes this week... and a bunch of these are a lot lower gain (low mu rating) than you would expect based on advertising and the HG moniker. Even though you may pay more for a dealer to send you “high gain selected tubes”... don’t believe it until you test them yourself. Yes... they are pretty quiet (the Ruby C5s were the best overall)... but still I found quite a few microphonic and/or had a very high noise floor. NOS anything is a lot better for gain, noise, and microphonics. I have a bunch of JJs to test... although I find these really reliable, they have a really dark/dull tone to them in most amps. Hmmmm...

It’s amazing how much our knowledge base increases when we have access to tube testers.

Indeed. Much like taking your car to a mechanic if you know zip about cars. Good luck and I hope they buy you dinner first. Anything microphonic or plain noisy is getting sent right back. Snake oil is just that.

 

[napalmdeath]

I’ve tested a bunch of Ruby 12AX7C5HG, Ruby 12AX7C7, and Tung Sol 12AX7 tubes this week... and a bunch of these are a lot lower gain (low mu rating) than you would expect based on advertising and the HG moniker. Even though you may pay more for a dealer to send you “high gain selected tubes”... don’t believe it until you test them yourself. Yes... they are pretty quiet (the Ruby C5s were the best overall)... but still I found quite a few microphonic and/or had a very high noise floor. NOS anything is a lot better for gain, noise, and microphonics. I have a bunch of JJs to test... although I find these really reliable, they have a really dark/dull tone to them in most amps. Hmmmm...

It’s amazing how much our knowledge base increases when we have access to tube testers.

Indeed. Much like taking your car to a mechanic if you know zip about cars. Good luck and I hope they buy you dinner first. Anything microphonic or plain noisy is getting sent right back. Snake oil is just that.

I was under the impression HG meant high grade/tested for microphonics. Never really known them to be pushed as high gain?

I buy tubes on what I hear. I have a big stash, and what works well in V1 of one amp, might sound like shit it another. I have my JJ's to warm up a bright amp, Tungsols and EH for overly dark amps, NOS, lower gain, etc. Trial and error, advice/opinions on tubes are hit or miss.

 

[LP Freak]

I’ve tested a bunch of Ruby 12AX7C5HG, Ruby 12AX7C7, and Tung Sol 12AX7 tubes this week... and a bunch of these are a lot lower gain (low mu rating) than you would expect based on advertising and the HG moniker. Even though you may pay more for a dealer to send you “high gain selected tubes”... don’t believe it until you test them yourself. Yes... they are pretty quiet (the Ruby C5s were the best overall)... but still I found quite a few microphonic and/or had a very high noise floor. NOS anything is a lot better for gain, noise, and microphonics. I have a bunch of JJs to test... although I find these really reliable, they have a really dark/dull tone to them in most amps. Hmmmm...

It’s amazing how much our knowledge base increases when we have access to tube testers.

Indeed. Much like taking your car to a mechanic if you know zip about cars. Good luck and I hope they buy you dinner first. Anything microphonic or plain noisy is getting sent right back. Snake oil is just that.

I was under the impression HG meant high grade/tested for microphonics. Never really known them to be pushed as high gain?

I buy tubes on what I hear. I have a big stash, and what works well in V1 of one amp, might sound like shit it another. I have my JJ's to warm up a bright amp, Tungsols and EH for overly dark amps, NOS, lower gain, etc. Trial and error, advice/opinions on tubes are hit or miss.

You are correct...HG=high grade

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

I’ve tested a bunch of Ruby 12AX7C5HG, Ruby 12AX7C7, and Tung Sol 12AX7 tubes this week... and a bunch of these are a lot lower gain (low mu rating) than you would expect based on advertising and the HG moniker. Even though you may pay more for a dealer to send you “high gain selected tubes”... don’t believe it until you test them yourself. Yes... they are pretty quiet (the Ruby C5s were the best overall)... but still I found quite a few microphonic and/or had a very high noise floor. NOS anything is a lot better for gain, noise, and microphonics. I have a bunch of JJs to test... although I find these really reliable, they have a really dark/dull tone to them in most amps. Hmmmm...

It’s amazing how much our knowledge base increases when we have access to tube testers.

Indeed. Much like taking your car to a mechanic if you know zip about cars. Good luck and I hope they buy you dinner first. Anything microphonic or plain noisy is getting sent right back. Snake oil is just that.

I was under the impression HG meant high grade/tested for microphonics. Never really known them to be pushed as high gain?

I buy tubes on what I hear. I have a big stash, and what works well in V1 of one amp, might sound like shit it another. I have my JJ's to warm up a bright amp, Tungsols and EH for overly dark amps, NOS, lower gain, etc. Trial and error, advice/opinions on tubes are hit or miss.

Yeah... the HG means they are graded/selected to be less noisy/microphonic for the V1 spot... but also some of the dealer's descriptions lead you to believe they will increase/boost the signal distortion too... not...they are garbage. About 20-30% of the preamp tubes I've bought from most of all the "trusted and well known" dealers are garbage. Microphonic, noisy, and low gain (this is why they are quiet... unlike quiet yet high gain NOS tubes). Not what I want to be putting in my amps. I might throw a lot of them up in the classified section if someone wants them. I feel bad about just dumping them.

 

[mnemonic]

I’ve tested a bunch of Ruby 12AX7C5HG, Ruby 12AX7C7, and Tung Sol 12AX7 tubes this week... and a bunch of these are a lot lower gain (low mu rating) than you would expect based on advertising and the HG moniker. Even though you may pay more for a dealer to send you “high gain selected tubes”... don’t believe it until you test them yourself. Yes... they are pretty quiet (the Ruby C5s were the best overall)... but still I found quite a few microphonic and/or had a very high noise floor. NOS anything is a lot better for gain, noise, and microphonics. I have a bunch of JJs to test... although I find these really reliable, they have a really dark/dull tone to them in most amps. Hmmmm...

It’s amazing how much our knowledge base increases when we have access to tube testers.

Indeed. Much like taking your car to a mechanic if you know zip about cars. Good luck and I hope they buy you dinner first. Anything microphonic or plain noisy is getting sent right back. Snake oil is just that.

I was under the impression HG meant high grade/tested for microphonics. Never really known them to be pushed as high gain?

I buy tubes on what I hear. I have a big stash, and what works well in V1 of one amp, might sound like shit it another. I have my JJ's to warm up a bright amp, Tungsols and EH for overly dark amps, NOS, lower gain, etc. Trial and error, advice/opinions on tubes are hit or miss.

Yeah... the HG means they are graded/selected to be less noisy/microphonic for the V1 spot... but also some of the dealer's descriptions lead you to believe they will increase/boost the signal distortion too... not...they are garbage. About 20-30% of the preamp tubes I've bought from most of all the "trusted and well known" dealers are garbage. Microphonic, noisy, and low gain (this is why they are quiet... unlike quiet yet high gain NOS tubes). Not what I want to be putting in my amps. I might throw a lot of them up in the classified section if someone wants them. I feel bad about just dumping them.

Wow those odds suck. Makes me wonder if there’s even any point spending more on relabeled/rebranded tubes that are supposedly tested. Maybe I’m better off just buying larger amounts of untested tubes and tossing the ones that don’t sound as good.

I’m still fairly new to tube amps as I’ve been using an axe fx for years, so I’m still trying to figure out what I even want to do regarding tubes.

 

[Rex Rocker]

Fave new 12AX7?? Svetlana 12AX7 - so smooth - buttery - dead quiet - great gain - robust.
http://www.thetubestore.com/Tubes/12AX7 ... lana-12ax7

How do those compare to the rest of its EHX/Tung-Sol/Mullard relatives IYO? I really like the Mullards, personally, but I wonder if those Svetlanas are a tad smoother.

 

[Ventura]

Fave new 12AX7?? Svetlana 12AX7 - so smooth - buttery - dead quiet - great gain - robust.
http://www.thetubestore.com/Tubes/12AX7 ... lana-12ax7

How do those compare to the rest of its EHX/Tung-Sol/Mullard relatives IYO? I really like the Mullards, personally, but I wonder if those Svetlanas are a tad smoother.

TungSol have been hit and miss for me - depends on the amp... I find them kinda bright in some amps, but otherwise top-drawer bottles.
Mullard is Mullard, I've used 'em, I've been alright with 'em, it is what it is.
EHX are rebranded from various sources to the best of my knowledge - but their 6550 and KT88 are hefty bottles that handle extreme pV

The 12AX7 Svetlanas are my "surprise" preamp - and considering their pricepoint - they're pretty trick. They're low noise, have yet to hit a microphonic one, smooth, clear and are consistent with gain throughout. No hiss either. Awesome bottles.

Still a huge fan of a GOOD eiYugo in the PI slot, outside of this, the usual suspect - LPS.

 

[Racerxrated]

Love the square getter Beijing tubes always on the lookout for those .

There's really no contest when it comes to these tubes vs any other new production today. They seem to be very plentiful buying direct from China, and at 7 bucks a tube are a bargain. I have over 20 and they all sound killer and none have failed. Pretty sure they are old NOS but they appear to have an unlimited supply, so I would still consider them new production since you can buy them anytime.

 

[blackba]

Fave new 12AX7?? Svetlana 12AX7 - so smooth - buttery - dead quiet - great gain - robust.
http://www.thetubestore.com/Tubes/12AX7 ... lana-12ax7

How do those compare to the rest of its EHX/Tung-Sol/Mullard relatives IYO? I really like the Mullards, personally, but I wonder if those Svetlanas are a tad smoother.

TungSol have been hit and miss for me - depends on the amp... I find them kinda bright in some amps, but otherwise top-drawer bottles.
Mullard is Mullard, I've used 'em, I've been alright with 'em, it is what it is.
EHX are rebranded from various sources to the best of my knowledge - but their 6550 and KT88 are hefty bottles that handle extreme pV

The 12AX7 Svetlanas are my "surprise" preamp - and considering their pricepoint - they're pretty trick. They're low noise, have yet to hit a microphonic one, smooth, clear and are consistent with gain throughout. No hiss either. Awesome bottles.

Still a huge fan of a GOOD eiYugo in the PI slot, outside of this, the usual suspect - LPS.

I will have to try the Svetlana 12AX7s again. Tried a few made 5+ years ago and did not like them. Found them bright and harsh.

Also, now on the look out for the Beijing 12AX7's with the square getter.

 

[ChurchHill]

Just wanted to say thanks to everybody for their thoughts and suggestions. Sorry I had to leave in the middle of the discussion, but I'm back now and (finally) getting caught up after being gone. I've got a list of about 7 more types I want to get. I'll order them up over the weekend, and when they get in, I'll try to start throwing some quick demos together.

At some point, I'd like to do this for several other tube types as well, such as EL34/6CA7/KT77, 6L6/5881/KT66, 6550/KT88, and maybe 12AT7, EL84, and 6V6... maybe.

Anyway, there's definitely been some great knowledge shared in this thread. I know I've learned more than I few things. So, thanks again for all your contributions!! Once I get some demos started, I'll post them in a new thread. Of course, if anyone has anything more to add here, I'll be looking forward to it!

 

[Racerxrated]

I have 3 of these tubes and really like them. I think they were made in the Beijing plant, is that correct?

yes, they were made in Beijing.

Do you by any chance have a link to these

here you go:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/6N4-12AX7-Prea ... Sw8Dhay1um

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-PCS-Beijing- ... SwX6VTx9wc

https://www.tomtop.com/p-i2744.html#flow_qa

Great tubes, just got 3 more direct from Aliexpress. Every 6n4 has been flawless, no failures so far. I've bought 25 in the last 2 yrs. Killer in Marshalls, Mesa and now my Wizard MCI.

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

Honestly, I tend to just take a chance and order a couple of NOS RFT's from somewhere in eastern europe. They seem to last a long time and sound great to my ears. Crunchy but not ice picky and also not dark.. just a tad smoother. I go run of the mill chinese in v2 and then for phase inverter, either sovtek or even a balanced JJ I have liked. Keep it simple, no need to complicate things. The RFT are always available on ebay for not too crazy money (vs buying from a dealer) and they always make it to me. I tend to find these eastern sellers to be on the level and for some reason they have access to shit loads of NOS in that area of the world. I guess following the war all those communist run factories started pumping out tubes to supply the entire eastern block behind the iron curtain.

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

A little more expensive but also fairly easy to find:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-NOS-RFT-12AX ... SweadbBqMj

 

[psychodave]

I have 3 of these tubes and really like them. I think they were made in the Beijing plant, is that correct?

yes, they were made in Beijing.

Do you by any chance have a link to these

here you go:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/6N4-12AX7-Prea ... Sw8Dhay1um

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-PCS-Beijing- ... SwX6VTx9wc

https://www.tomtop.com/p-i2744.html#flow_qa

Great tubes, just got 3 more direct from Aliexpress. Every 6n4 has been flawless, no failures so far. I've bought 25 in the last 2 yrs. Killer in Marshalls, Mesa and now my Wizard MCI.

The thing is... are these tubes tested by the sellers? Cheap is cheap for a reason. I purchased literally 100’s of the 8th generation preamp tubes and all were not equal. My vender was really good and I was able to get replacements for low testing tubes. I cleaned them out. I have close to 300 in my stash...all properly tested. FWIW, the tubes I have sold in the past have all been tested. I wouldn’t sell junk.

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

I have 3 of these tubes and really like them. I think they were made in the Beijing plant, is that correct?

yes, they were made in Beijing.

Do you by any chance have a link to these

here you go:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/6N4-12AX7-Prea ... Sw8Dhay1um

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-PCS-Beijing- ... SwX6VTx9wc

https://www.tomtop.com/p-i2744.html#flow_qa

Great tubes, just got 3 more direct from Aliexpress. Every 6n4 has been flawless, no failures so far. I've bought 25 in the last 2 yrs. Killer in Marshalls, Mesa and now my Wizard MCI.

The thing is... are these tubes tested by the sellers? Cheap is cheap for a reason. I purchased literally 100’s of the 8th generation preamp tubes and all were not equal. My vender was really good and I was able to get replacements for low testing tubes. I cleaned them out. I have close to 300 in my stash...all properly tested. FWIW, the tubes I have sold in the past have all been tested. I wouldn’t sell junk.

This +1. I just got 200 from 3 different vendors... direct from China... last batch of 50 just arrived after being stuck in customs for a month... and the reject rate so far has been around 20%. Mostly due to noise and some are microphonic. These are not just plug and play. Slam them in your amp and hope for the best. They need to be tested and sorted. Most do test very high for gain ratings which is good though.

 

[Racerxrated]

I have 3 of these tubes and really like them. I think they were made in the Beijing plant, is that correct?

yes, they were made in Beijing.

Do you by any chance have a link to these

here you go:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/6N4-12AX7-Prea ... Sw8Dhay1um

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-PCS-Beijing- ... SwX6VTx9wc

https://www.tomtop.com/p-i2744.html#flow_qa

Great tubes, just got 3 more direct from Aliexpress. Every 6n4 has been flawless, no failures so far. I've bought 25 in the last 2 yrs. Killer in Marshalls, Mesa and now my Wizard MCI.

The thing is... are these tubes tested by the sellers? Cheap is cheap for a reason. I purchased literally 100’s of the 8th generation preamp tubes and all were not equal. My vender was really good and I was able to get replacements for low testing tubes. I cleaned them out. I have close to 300 in my stash...all properly tested. FWIW, the tubes I have sold in the past have all been tested. I wouldn’t sell junk.

You make a good point, no I don't have a tester but none have failed and all sound killer in every amp I have owned in the past 3 years.
If I were reselling then I would be taking a chance without a tester, no doubt. But these are for my personal home use, and they were in my amps while I still gigged up till last June. I have confidence in them, but if one fails so be it. Even tubes that are tested can fail..I've had issues with Dougs and The Tube Store with failed tubes that were supposedly tested. They did send me replacements though.

 

[Racerxrated]

I have 3 of these tubes and really like them. I think they were made in the Beijing plant, is that correct?

yes, they were made in Beijing.

Do you by any chance have a link to these

here you go:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/6N4-12AX7-Prea ... Sw8Dhay1um

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-PCS-Beijing- ... SwX6VTx9wc

https://www.tomtop.com/p-i2744.html#flow_qa

Great tubes, just got 3 more direct from Aliexpress. Every 6n4 has been flawless, no failures so far. I've bought 25 in the last 2 yrs. Killer in Marshalls, Mesa and now my Wizard MCI.

The thing is... are these tubes tested by the sellers? Cheap is cheap for a reason. I purchased literally 100’s of the 8th generation preamp tubes and all were not equal. My vender was really good and I was able to get replacements for low testing tubes. I cleaned them out. I have close to 300 in my stash...all properly tested. FWIW, the tubes I have sold in the past have all been tested. I wouldn’t sell junk.

This +1. I just got 200 from 3 different vendors... direct from China... last batch of 50 just arrived after being stuck in customs for a month... and the reject rate so far has been around 20%. Mostly due to noise and some are microphonic. These are not just plug and play. Slam them in your amp and hope for the best. They need to be tested and sorted. Most do test very high for gain ratings which is good though.

My experience is that the 6n4 military has been flawless, not one bad tube. 25 and counting. But that's just my experience.

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

I have 3 of these tubes and really like them. I think they were made in the Beijing plant, is that correct?

yes, they were made in Beijing.

Do you by any chance have a link to these

here you go:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/6N4-12AX7-Prea ... Sw8Dhay1um

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-PCS-Beijing- ... SwX6VTx9wc

https://www.tomtop.com/p-i2744.html#flow_qa

Great tubes, just got 3 more direct from Aliexpress. Every 6n4 has been flawless, no failures so far. I've bought 25 in the last 2 yrs. Killer in Marshalls, Mesa and now my Wizard MCI.

The thing is... are these tubes tested by the sellers? Cheap is cheap for a reason. I purchased literally 100’s of the 8th generation preamp tubes and all were not equal. My vender was really good and I was able to get replacements for low testing tubes. I cleaned them out. I have close to 300 in my stash...all properly tested. FWIW, the tubes I have sold in the past have all been tested. I wouldn’t sell junk.

This +1. I just got 200 from 3 different vendors... direct from China... last batch of 50 just arrived after being stuck in customs for a month... and the reject rate so far has been around 20%. Mostly due to noise and some are microphonic. These are not just plug and play. Slam them in your amp and hope for the best. They need to be tested and sorted. Most do test very high for gain ratings which is good though.

My experience is that the 6n4 military has been flawless, not one bad tube. 25 and counting. But that's just my experience.

They are good tubes... but not as flawless and perfect as some reports claim. Try some more... at loud volumes and cranked gain and see how they hold up.

 

[Racerxrated]

I have 3 of these tubes and really like them. I think they were made in the Beijing plant, is that correct?

yes, they were made in Beijing.

Do you by any chance have a link to these

here you go:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/6N4-12AX7-Prea ... Sw8Dhay1um

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-PCS-Beijing- ... SwX6VTx9wc

https://www.tomtop.com/p-i2744.html#flow_qa

Great tubes, just got 3 more direct from Aliexpress. Every 6n4 has been flawless, no failures so far. I've bought 25 in the last 2 yrs. Killer in Marshalls, Mesa and now my Wizard MCI.

The thing is... are these tubes tested by the sellers? Cheap is cheap for a reason. I purchased literally 100’s of the 8th generation preamp tubes and all were not equal. My vender was really good and I was able to get replacements for low testing tubes. I cleaned them out. I have close to 300 in my stash...all properly tested. FWIW, the tubes I have sold in the past have all been tested. I wouldn’t sell junk.

This +1. I just got 200 from 3 different vendors... direct from China... last batch of 50 just arrived after being stuck in customs for a month... and the reject rate so far has been around 20%. Mostly due to noise and some are microphonic. These are not just plug and play. Slam them in your amp and hope for the best. They need to be tested and sorted. Most do test very high for gain ratings which is good though.

My experience is that the 6n4 military has been flawless, not one bad tube. 25 and counting. But that's just my experience.

They are good tubes... but not as flawless and perfect as some reports claim. Try some more... at loud volumes and cranked gain and see how they hold up.

You're kidding, right? There's a reason I'm going deaf...Most days I get some quality time cranking each amp to volumes much louder than most gigs I played over 30 years. That's where the magic is as you well know....and I have tried each and every 6n4 at high volume as soon as I receive them. That way I can toss the bad ones right away. Not too concerned when they are 7-8 bucks per tube. But so far I've had no failures, and every amp sounded great with them in.
Now, I did have a failure with a Chinese B that I ordered direct from Aliexpress...bought 2 and one was bad. But the military 6n4 has been great.

 

[Racerxrated]

Just want to add that even at 20 bucks a tube, for the tested 6n4 that guys are reselling, that's still worth it for the tone you get.
Easily worth it. Some NOS tubes don't sound as good as these, and you pay a crap ton more for those.