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
Dear @jbhiller : No one has to worry about tube sources because always exist better alternatives that are almost really unknow for many of us and that's why I posted here.

Is clear that many of us want to stay sticky on tube electronics and maybe because many of us already losted the " adventure " esprit of a human been. Looks like many of us already losted the " quest " to find out what to do and how achieve a true better system quality performance level in favor of MUSIC.

Certainly rolling tubes is not a true answer to but try to learn how to look for true answers.

This is what a gentleman posted in other thread :


"""  the most accurate phono cartridges sound more like good digital . This makes me think some people do like pleasant distortion  . Remember ignorance is bliss until you have heard the difference . """


" until you have heard the " true " difference ": we can't have a true valid opinion in what we have not valid experiences.


Regards and enjoy the MUSIC not DISTORTIONS,
R.
My mistake, it has to be this way.

"  we can't have a true valid opinion if we have not valid experiences. "

R.
@rauliruegas 
If you can't identify at least one piece of gear you believe is better than whatever other piece of gear (or better yet, the entire signal path) you've heard, as I have asked you for, then I suggest your opinion reflects the depth of your experience. C'mon, give it a try. I won't flame you. I just want to know what experiences you are basing your opinions on. Perhaps I will learn something.
One thing about Raul is he can make you think . This is a tube rolling thread after all . The question I ask myself if different tubes sound different then maybe he is right . I know it is nice to use tubes to change the flavor to our liking but is it a true accurate representation of the recording ? I don’t think so . We must ask again do we want the truth or the euphoric pleasant distortion ? I too am using tube amps and love the way they sound but I am tempted to try a SS amp I am considering a Benchmark ABH-2 . At least I wont sweat in the summer .

raul, please go start your own thread.

enginedr, solid state components can sound very different from each other too. There is no way to know what a recording is supposed to sound like, so you might as well listen to a system that sounds good to you.