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If NOS pre or power tubes became unavailable altogether, what new tubes would you buy?

Hey tuberollers, 

I'm curious to see what happens if there's a gun to your head, or more practically all NOS tubes disappear (dread).  What would you do with your line/pre stage and/or power stage?  

I have tried 5 different NOS 12AU7s and only 1 new 12AU7 in my preamp section (Cifte, RCA black plates (late 50s), Sylvanias, Baldwin organ tubes, Amperex 70s orange globes, and new Chinese stock Primaluna tubes).  In my power section, I have not tried any NOS tubes and 3 types of tubes (stock Chinese Primaluna EL34s, reissue Mullard EL34s, and reissue Gold Lion KT88s).  

Side note: I haven't ventured into NOS power tubes because of the cost and availability/scarcity.  I need 8 of them!

Without having tried anything else, I would be lost on new or reissue 12AU7s.  On the power tube side, I'd be just fine with either the reissue Mullard EL34s or the Gold Lion KT88s.  
128x128jbhiller
lancelock
625 posts
 
The Gold Lion KT 77's sound great in my ZOTL40, only NOS Mullard EL34 are better.
tooblue
787 posts
 
I have abandoned NOS in favor of Psvane Premium tubes or Shuguang 50 year Treasures if available in the specific tube sought and have been really happy.

lowrider57's avatar
lowrider57
3,018 posts
 
Are there any decent Russian small signal tubes that have the characteristics of NOS? Many 6SN7 type NOS become microphonic and are very noticable in preamps.
lewm
6,770 posts
 
The very best 12AU7s I have heard in my system were supposedly selected 12AU7s that were made in China.  I bought them from Billington in England, and they were "Billington Gold" class.  The only drawback was a relatively short lifespan compared to any of the other 12AU7s I tried, all of which were NOS.  The best NOS by far were Amperex BugleBoys, real ones, not fake ones.  I bought them in the 70s, so I know they are the real thing.  (No one had started faking NOS tubes back then.)  Once I realized that 12AU7s per se are not the best sounding tube, I stopped caring about which brand sounds better and converted all my gear either to use 6SN7s or 6CG7/6FQ7s.  Those two have nearly identical characteristics to a 12AU7 and can be used in any circuit that uses 12AU7s, to great advantage.  But you have to do some re-wiring, in both cases. Well worth the effort.

I agree with lowrider, 6SN7s are hellishly microphonic.  Best I've tried are either KenRad 6SN7GT with or without the silvery glass coating or RCA 6SN7GT with the gray glass coating.  But you've gotta damp them somehow.  Wonderful tubes, nevertheless.  Another one to think about are 12SX7s, which require 12V filament supply and have the characteristics of a GT type (as opposed to GTA or GTB types, which can take a higher plate voltage). 12SN7s may be a bargain, too.


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