CDP-Tube Suggestions

Thanks so much for your input. I will probably make a decision on monday. Probably a pair of NOS Mullards (CV4004) if I can find them, and probably a pair of Sovteks.

I will come back and post how they sounded in the Jolida. But while I am here I might as well share my thoughts on the tubes I have tried.

Stock (Sino?) 12ax7 ---- warm, fairly articulate bass, reduced upper end, overall not bad with my analytical system. not quite rich enough and just a smidge to much "air" lost.

EH 12ax7 --- Neutral, not a lot of richness, but accurate nonetheless. not quite as "dry" as some of the others. Not a bad choice if you dont want tonal changes. I used this tube most and feel it works well if you want a little more top end without tonal change in the middle.

EI 12ax7 --- plenty of highs, laid back mids, not upfront with vocals (polite?), gives a great 3D presentation. Good bass but needs a lot of warm-up before it can.

NOS RCA 5751s --- fairly neutral, a little edgy on the top, very similar to the EH, with a tad deeper bass but a little drier as well. The reduced output of the 5751 is hardly noticable FWIW.

GE JAN 5751 --- Deep bass, but didnt work well for me, seemed 1 dimensional and lifeless in my system.

Hope these descriptions give someone a little help.

Hmmm, I see there are several Sovtek 12ax7's to choose from.
12ax7LP, LPS, WA, WB, WC and maybe more. Any suggestions?

Nealhood, Thanks so much for your post, which I should have read more closely, you specified WA's. Thanks again.

I do remember reading somewhere about the Sovtek LPS's being a good audio tube. As cheap as they are maybe I will just buy a pair of each.

I agree with Rcj1231 who said "Sylvania 5751, triple mica black plate or Sylvania Gold Brand 3 mica grey plates. They made a big difference in my Jolida, nice and warm!" I've used both in my Jolida integrated amp and in my California Audio Labs Alpha DAC. I give the nod, ever so slightly, to the black plates version--vocals, brass and vibes pop at you and melt around your ears. I'm using Sylvania black plates right now, in DAC and preamp, and Miles Davis is sounding pretty good in the background. The GE 5751 black plates are excellent as well (much, much better than the grey plate GE JAN 5751s) and I like them somewhere in between the 2 Sylvania 5751 versions. You might want to try Raytheon 5751 black plates, although there's seemingly multiple variants; the best are very tight. I can't get behind RCA 5752s--they don't sing. Mullard 12ax7s are too fuzzy sounding for my tastes as are Telefunkens (more fuzzy than the Mullards I've tried). Bugle Boy 12ax7s are pretty good though if you want to stick with 12ax7s instead of 5751s. Have fun!

Zinfan2, thanks so much for your comments. The Sylvania's have been on my list for a while now. They are hard to come by, and when you do, they are costly. I intend to keep looking though.

I thought my first order of business (since I am somewhat new to tubes) would be to audition the "cheaper" newer production tubes. I havent ordered the Sovtek's yet. I think I will today. After I audition them I will post my thoughts, for what they're worth.