What are the best tubes for a VTL TL 2.5 Preamp?

Like Noble my VTL 2.5 uses 12AT7’s and 12AU7’s. I have tried the following 12AU7’s Golden Dragon, Ei, CIFTE and Telefunken. Except Golden Dragon, all sound pretty good but it was dependent on what 12AT7’s I was using at the time. My advise is to shop around, mixing and matching is a fun way to spend a afternoon.

Thanks for the responses. My VTL does use 12AT7"s and not 12AX7's.

By the way, which has more impact on the sound the 12AU7"s or 12AT7"s?

before investing in expensive tubes, ask the manufacturer if the circuit is tube sensitive.

i have been told by at least 2 manufacturers that the brand of tube will have a very small impact upon the sound of a component.

My Lamm LL2 Deluxe is quite sensitive to tube swaps (using both 12AU7 and 6922). My previous First Sound Presence Deluxe II preamp was not as sensitive as the Lamm, although tube swaps did make a difference in the system's sound.

I agree that swapping some less expensive tubes would be a good way to proceed before spending large amounts on NOS tubes.

By the way, there are many domestic NOS 12AU7 tubes that can be excellent...Raytheon and RCA 5814A come to mind. They run about $40/pair on E-Bay, and they sound quite good.