RT (La RadioTechnique) 1960 MIL SPEC 12AU7 France, short plates O-getter
Tube glow both even upon start up with a beautiful glow from power on and slowly fades as tubes boot up- beautiful! A quiet tube with an even handed bass and mid range presentation, holographic soundstaging and open, airy top end. May be one of the more dynamic 12AU7's - nothing accentuated here except maybe the details one will hear- this is a very textured define sound in mid up region- reported to be better than long plates which tend to be more muffled and less detailed- Upscale has a video I feature here but his tubes are not stamped MIL Sepc with special stamps these are the hardest to get RT tubes to get they have the highest quality and spec ratio higher than the regular non stamped RT tubes! I can also say as upscale has mentioned in 2014 and just now in 2022 selling a single tube for $106 each and those are not MIL sepc. These
La RadioTechniquehave more texture and definition up on top than the so called lazier sounding Mullards or Philips of same era with long plates... a winner for price and value hands down a piece of gear no longer available in NIB NOS like these... with just a few hours I can tell these are a very special made that sets records and benchmark for price that just so happens to be made in the romantic country of France.
"they sound delicious in comparison with other 12AU7" "ONE GUY WROTE ON NON MILATARY SPEC TUBES : "Initially the
Radiotechnique was too intense in the very high highs, causing it to be fatiguing. After three days of continuous pink noise, it's not fatiguing any more. I'm glad, because I love so many of its qualities and didn't want to end up with a fatigue problem. It has great imaging (yes, headphone guys talk about imaging), it's warm and not bright despite being so extended on top, and it has more life than the other brands I tried. OH, the other brands I tried were - RCA Clear tops - the German-made RFT "
SO HIGHLY RATED THE STARS COVER THE PAGE!!!
Telefunken G73-R - "Surpassing the quality control requirements of the famous Telefunken ECC802S, these are extremely rare, limited production, black shield coated, avionics/aircraft grade, factory selected Telefunken G73R. Manufactured solely for Agilent Technology and Hewlett-Packard, the proprietary G73R part number and RFI/EMI black coat shielding indicate the highest quality grading on the planet. This illustrates exhaustive aftermarket testing for low noise, uniform output, low microphonics, freedom from physical defects, long heater life and an even, uniform cathode emission.
The finest West German manufactured Telefunken tubes, with smooth plates and diamond marked, these have G73R hand written on the outside black shield coating. Records indicate they were only available as spare parts for Agilent or H-P equipment. Critical use in hospital and aerospace equipment demanded tubes with extremely low noise and tightly controlled output. The ultimate tube for Hi-Fi, tube mics and mic preamps, these tubes are very fine, highly rare and in great demand. Authentic, the real deal, the bottom of the glass is diamond marked. Matched pairs and quads are available with tightly controlled transconductance from section to section and from tube to tube. Astonishingly accurate, the sound image blooms out of a dead quiet background. "
UNICORN RAINBOWS AND ALL THE OTHER MYTHS MAY JUST BE TRUE ABOUT THIS MYSTERIOUSLY RARE TUBE!
"ETHEREAL CONDUIT TO A HIGHER REALM" ..On the other sonic-side lies the realms of musical-ideals, dream worlds, and the sonic-heavens and havens of different tube-religions. The G73-R can be the conduit to outer sonic planes or sonic-astral realm"
SIMILAR WORDS SAID BY OTHERS: "While listing to Miles Davis SKETCHES OF SPAIN with Gil Evans I can hear, see, and feel Miles sitting on a stool in a section in my listening room, a trio of trumpet, trombone and flute behind him. As if the members of the band are right in the room with you! The dense textural details and markings for dynamics are performed precisely as recorded and reproduced so that all the interweaving parts emerge clearly. The depth of musical emotion is distinctly audible with every detail of the pure orchestral fabric as I'm not hearing my preamp, amp, or speakers anymore, just pure music, the conduit to a higher musical realm, as if there is no hardware at all! "Miles above" and Simply beautiful and well worth the price for the ECC802S 'klingarm' factory tubes!...worlds better than the newer commercial series by "miles"...
"Their performance was off-the-charts in two separate listenings for this report. The bass is paradoxically liquid-tight sumptuously textured with all the low nuances the Double bass can give in a live-performance, yet full-bodied, and powerful. The midrange displays first, secondary, and third octave nuances, the tube has enormous layers of harmonic tonal depth, like a well weaved tapestry of sonic colors with pure gold strands woven into it's complex sonic-fabric, as well as a pouring out of liquid sonic lower, mid-midrange and upper-mid texture. The highs are liquid sweet like milk and honey, and pure as the crystalline morning snow and true to everything life has to through at it. THE VOCAL TIMBRE was compellingly superb, hauntingly realistic, like the singers were in the room with us, breathing every word. Very compelling tube providing absolutely no ear fatigue, or preamp adjustments, providing your speakers are placed correctly in your listening environment, and you have the audiophile-gear to appreciate it's capabilities."… " LIQUID SONIC TEXTURE ELIXIER". You may just loose you job and girl firend/wife/both all because all you may do is stay connected to your amp 24/7 and never want to stop listening to music. The highets praise worth every single bloody dollar- you may think people who own 4 or 5 pairs of these are insane- until you hear your first set- you will be hooked like a musical head tripp you will never forget... the only thing you can do is listen and wonder how it is so musical and precise at the same time.
Telefunken G73-R
Value: ★★★★★ (if rolling is an expensive habit stop/just buy these)
3D image/stage: ★★★★★+++(transients detail/space like no other tube I can describe w/ Tesla Plaid Speed while still retaining insane front to back layering - precisely as recorded placements - this is reference in my set up for sure)
Musical/Warmth: ★★★★★+
Bass: ★★★★★+++ (tight nearly emotionally perfect)
Noise: ★★★★★+++ (how low can you go- this LOW!)
Overall Performance: ★★★★★++++
Pinnacle 13D5A Industrial Grade ECC82 12AU7 Toshiba Source RED TIP - (red tip usually denotes extreme reliability and low noise intended and sorted for "scientific or medical grade") Another person wrote: "Separation and blackness in between the notes is second to none. Very sweet tone on strings and piano. Like this better than the Brimar 13d5 as it had a wooden tone."
For me- I am feeling music from stings and piano very very organic and natural sounding - vocals from
Madeleine Peyroux La Vie En Rose- and Don't Wait too Long and J'ai Deux Amours- the sound is glorious - a wonderfully musical addicting sound- hairs on the back of my neck stand up! All the tingles and pleasing feeling one gets when something this good is playing... wonderful ! I wound up getting one pair and well I fell head over heels and bought more... I need to see a tube dr... and the only medicine is more tube goodness like this! as I said these are the cats meow! MEOW! ( and I don't even like cats) so for all those dog lovers like myself WOOF! WOOF! this is the dogs bone of tubes!
Value:★★★★★+
3D image/stage ★★★★
Musical/Warmth: ★★★★
Detail: ★★★★★
Bass: ★★★★
Noise: ★★★★★++
Overall Performance ★★★★+
I SHOULD NOTE- I BOUGHT 5 Pairs of these and the closer they are matched the better they sounded- with higher triode μMhos/cm and close triode matching in each tube being the obvious choice- the cream of the pick-so yes the amp DOES in fact sound better with highest rated matched tubes like so many have claimed one way or the other- Its a fact for me as I proved it trying these all and the conclusion is something buyers of all tubes should face as fact- FOR headphone AMPS the matched tube triodes make best sound BUT for preamps in a speaker system their may be less of notable difference if the tubes are not tight matches-
VALVO ECC82 Hamburg 1960, short plates, 45 degree-declined O-getter - quiet tube- The sound is transparent, a bit romantic and it's so rare to have such perfect sparkle up on top at the same time! this is a magic tube! a beautiful mix and blend. The version I have is extremely NIB and needs time to break in- but one person wrote this report after its broken in- Produced in the late 50s (this specific tube is from 1960) to the early 60s. Sound, although is not as musical as long plates (which sell for $500-800 for this kind of pair at the time of this review in 2022) it’s still a pleasure to listen to it. One of the truly great 12au7 tubes. The sound is transparent, romantic with a good mixture of warmth and top register sparkle. Airy and detailed – you may just want to keep listening to it - track after track. What strikes the most about this tube is how it can be smooth and how good treble sounds. Amperex is a great example of what I’m talking about, but this tube has outdone Amperex in the treble department. And the bass is so accurate and ever so slightly boosted - again very tastefully done! Words like tube magic come to mind here! VERY RARE AND HIGHLY RECOMMENDED but this pair is so new i'm
sure it only gets better from here... the long plate commands twice the price and adds only a bit more 3d air- these at half the going rate are insane and for me top 3 of all the tubes tested here. These are a perfect blend of tube and accurate reproduction- CRAZY and blessed to have this ultra rare tube here to review...
Value: ★★★★★+
3D image/stage: ★★★★★
Musical/Warmth: ★★★★
Detail: ★★★★★++ (could use some more warmth- but sample is NIB)
Bass: ★★★★★
Noise: ★★★★★
Overall Performance: ★★★★★
Tesla ECC802S long plate Czechoslovakia yellow print 32 XD (1966) - a remarkable tube and reported to be one of the finest 12AU7's made for the money - yes it is very quiet and all kinds of musical, wonderful details - good examples like this set could be close to top Siemens, or maybe as close to a pure <> ECC802 fortune 500 life styles of the rich and famous "Telefunken" at a lower price- The right pair like this matched year tube set will impress you but once you start to listen for details -I think this tube could fool you and make you forget all about shopping for anything else- piano and string are done so organically here! stop rolling and find a great matched pair like this and your search could be over... opens up after burn in - reported to have very long life of over 10K+ Hr life a finer tube than the Haltron label for RFT or RCA anything (gray or black etc) I think - The Tesla is known for low microphonics and low noise- and super transient dynamic package while being so musical... a winner for less $$$
Value:★★★★★
3D image/stage ★★★★
Musical/Warmth: ★★★★
Detail: ★★★★★ (could use some more warmth- but sample is NIB)
Bass: ★★★★★
Noise: ★★★★★
Overall Performance ★★★★★+
RCA 12AU7A Clear Top original "Hickok Elect. Instr. Co"-
"Here are the words you might have heard about this tube : Vivid, vibrant with high resolution, rich-full sound throughout the frequency range - all true" - One of the best in my bunch of tubes- best overall balanced musical experience. If I only had one tube to choose on a budget or not this could be it if I was listening to darker headphones a sure bet as well... a must own tube set... perfect synergy with my Kennerton GH50Mk2- quick and the most out of head experience and superb details with out one ounce of fatigue. Musical and accurate... breathes more life in the music and nearly equal detail to the Ray Samuels Apache XLR vs XLR. No harshness just music- this is in the top 4 of all tubes no matter the price and matches very well with my headphones and amp. My favorite tube if all other tubes stopped being made I would be might be ok with a few prime examples of these if stranded on a desert island (if that island had 120V that is)
Value: ★★★★★+
3D image/stage ★★★★★
Musical/Warmth: ★★★★★
Detail: ★★★★★+ (just the right amount of detail vs warmth)
Bass: ★★★★★ (accurate)
Noise: ★★★★★+
Overall Performance ★★★★+1950's RCA Blackplate 12AU7 (LABELED CONN)
Incredible detail and micro dynamics, musical but a bit analytical nearly clinical- tempo and speed very tight. Bass seems neutral and mids and highs seems more detailed than any other tube I can recall here. An articulate experience - but honestly the Clear Top RCA I received sounds more musical and less fatiguing which should be the opposite here- a testament to each tube set will sound slightly different.
Value: ★★★★★+
3D image/stage ★★★★★
Musical/Warmth: ★★★
Detail: ★★★★★+ (this sample too detailed more than the RCA clear /not as musical as I would like for tube)
Bass: ★★★★★ (accurate)
Noise: ★★★★★
Overall Performance ★★★★
Tungsram ecc82 red serial# printed on tube gray plate o getter 1960s-1976 Industrial Grade tubes were subject to rigorous test and burn in process. Faster and more Holographic than
Tesla ECC802S. Amazing spread out width and 3 d landscape - very beautiful sound- neutral/natural sounding, it has a extended top end and tight bass - vocals on both female and male sound so delightful, no harshness yet still defined details. So lush yet refined. Very good bass. Mid range is dreamy. Highs are spot on. This is a heavy weight tube and deserves the reputation it has as being jaw dropping good. (some weep to their knees I have read)... worthy of all the hype! I consider this top of the litter in many ways. Definitely in top 4 of this group so far.
Quiet and reliable with top notch sound quality. This version is very neutral/natural sounding, it has a extended top end and tight bass compared with the dual bar getter below which is unicorn in 2022 in NIB condition but the dual bar getter support is a tiny bit more euphoric and slightly more romantic and more tube sounding while still holding on to the details.
Value: ★★★★★+
3D image/stage ★★★★★
Musical/Warmth: ★★★★★
Detail: ★★★★★+ (just the right amount of detail vs warmth)
Bass: ★★★★★ (accurate)
Noise: ★★★★★
Overall Performance ★★★★★+
Tungsram CC82/12AU7 RED SERIAL NIB NOS- DOUBLE BAR GETTER
AWESOME GETTER GLOW SPARK AND very even upon start up! But that doesnt make or explain the music you get from this crazy rare tube... Everything enhanced over the single bar getter above!!! performance is similar BUT extremely rare tube came all the way from Italy and took 4 weeks to arrive. Worth the wait- this is a tube that will make you stop searching - it gives you everything you could want- depth, clarity and detail with the perfect amount of warmth of tubes with air and wetnness no solid state can produce so well that I know of... the is a maestro maker... musical and magical. Listening to this tube with the Mk1 JM Edition of the Kennerton Vali Neoteric Dynamic - it is a musical experience that rivals any planar I have ever auditioned with amazing height and clarity. I would be cautious as to recommend this tube to those who like very bright headphones such as Utopia or Ultrasone Edition 10 - however this tube may be perfect for the AudezeLCD5 since this tube is so full and satisfying- you may weep at how good vocals and emotion comes through.... now I know why I bought a second set... remarkable The single bar getter above is very neutral/natural sounding, it has a extended top end and tight bass where the double has more warmth and tube greatness while still being accurate and holds the details of the single bar. Incredible combination here! !
ONE GUY WROTE: "I'm using it in a very expensive VAC sigma preamp I shouldn't say this but one of the best 12AU7s I found was the same tube but with the double support bar getter tube looks the same but the double bar getter one sounded much better. So watch what your buying Best for Classical or jazz I would say"- he missed all music this tube is in the top 2!!!!
THIS IS THE TUBE TALK ABOUT JAW DROPPINGLY GOOD PERFORMANCE AND WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO ROLLING TUBES!!!!
Value: ★★★★★+VERY RARE AND RARE/ EXPENSIVE!
3D image/stage ★★★★★++
Musical/Warmth: ★★★★★++
Detail: ★★★★★++ (just the right amount of detail vs warmth)
Bass: ★★★★★++ (accurate)
Noise: ★★★★★++
Overall Performance ★★★★★++
Amperex ECC82/12AU7 Holland, Orange Globe late 1960s and early 1970s, NOS
When booting up the Amprex they glow evenly together and its a slow getter glow for a few seconds- very nice! listening to the Amprex ORANGE Globe and notes dance in the air with Jancintha singing Light My Fire - very sweet voicing here- the flute sounds nice - its not as clearly defined as the both RFT's or Pinnacle I mentioned in this review. Similar to a Bugle Boy- this has a nice warmish mid-range with balanced highs and lows and ample while not over doing it. It's a lusher sound - more relaxed and not as fast. The Amprex is a bit more romantic and warm- mid bass ever so slightly more prominent. The Amprex can have a more 3d stage than the RFT but - Killer by Eminem sounded faster on RFT and left to right pans seem faster on RFT. This is a romantic tube. Lots of air and beauty. There is no harshness here at all- this is a lush (not lazy though) sound that is very very pleasant- I can imagine this is not really recommended for amps that are warm already or headphones that are warm or dark- unless you want to really pour on the lushness. For me and my headphones like the GH50JM Mk2 this tube is a bit too much of a good thing. I can imagine this being great with any FOCAL or Ultrasone or would be IDEAL for LCD 5. You could listen to this tube all day and NEVER get fatigued. It could put you to sleep with some songs... THIS WAS WRITTEN ON THE ORANGE GLOBE- and I 100% agree:
Later versions of this tube were produced under the 'Orange Globe' logo. Many times you can find Herleen, Holland Amperex with a 'Hammond' logo. These are very nice low noise tubes that were highly screened for use in organs. They are the same as any Bugle Boy or Amperex ECC83, except screened for higher quality. Hammond Amperexes are one of my favorite tubes... I buy them whenever I can. I have found certain Hammond Amperexes to be exceptionally sweet, as good or better than any 'Bugle Boy' labeled tube.
Value: ★★★★★+
3D image/stage ★★★★★
Musical/Warmth: ★★★★★+
Detail: ★★★★ (more warmth than detail)
Bass: ★★★★★ (accurate)
Noise: ★★★★★ (quiet!)
Overall Performance ★★★★★+
RFT ECC82 E.Germany 1966, O-getter with dual thick support rods, labeled and boxed for RSD/Germany
Beautiful even dual tube glow when you first turn on amp! Glorious! Incredible sound! Silent black textured backdrop! silky smooth and musically engaging. FAST! great for all genre of music since it's so even handed... These are a cold war gem from E Germany. Vocals on both male and female are heavenly strings and brass instruments are spot on. Separation is spot on. 3D Stage and width could be less than the top tubes costing three times more but for this price these beat so many others for double! Plus these are NIB so I expect them to open up a bit more- Man this is a great set! Macthed triodes with tight tolerances!
Value: ★★★★★+
3D image/stage ★★★★★
Musical/Warmth: ★★★★★
Detail: ★★★★★+ (just the right amount of detail vs warmth)
Bass: ★★★★★ (accurate)
Noise: ★★★★★+
Overall Performance ★★★★★+
_______________________________________________________________________________
TUNG-SOL 12AU7 Clear Glass Long Gray Plates O-Getter early 1960
Worth the $200 for the pair! You could spend more but not get more... this is a end the search tube money or not these could do it all. Very musical and fast. Tempo and rhythm excellent. What else you want?
Value: ★★★★★+
3D image/stage ★★★★★
Musical/Warmth: ★★★★★
Detail: ★★★★★+ (just the right amount of detail vs warmth)
Bass: ★★★★★ (accurate)
Noise: ★★★★★+
Overall Performance ★★★★★+
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
TUNG-SOL 12AU7 Clear Glass Long Gray Plates D-Getter early 1950's Hickok Co.Inc
Quiet and accurate. A keeper that any amp owner will love- nothing too overly done. Perfect balance between details and warmth. A winner set here! warm sounding tubes with precise resolution - similar to the RCA D getter believe it or not... didn't spend too much time with this as I think they resemble the RCA D getter - this pair is extremely NIB with excellent - μMhos/cm ratings so I didn't want to use it too much just yet as I just checked for noise and microphonics and it has none - also played a few songs and went right over to RCA D getter and its similar (so I moved on)
Value: ★★★★★+
3D image/stage ★★★★
Musical/Warmth: ★★★★ (since new there is hug potential to score high in all categories)
Detail: ★★★★★
Bass: ★★★★
Noise: ★★★★★++
Overall Performance ★★★★+
RCA 12AU7 Mid-Late 1950s, Long Gray Plates with D-getter - very lush yet detailed tubes- a treasure with a rating of μMhos/cm 2600/2400 and 2475/2700 these are like the day they were minted ! holographic and musical- not my favorite for my set up I like the Tung Sol D Getter a bit more but these are still young baby's and need time to open up is my guess. These are a treasure of a tube and will not be broken in by me- they are whisper quiet and beautiful in every way but for me the match up for my headphones and amp are not ideal. This is for a slightly laid back (the warmer of all the RCA's I have- which for some people is WHY these are so desirable and expensive! I have seen these as high as $99 each in 2022 NIB from reputable dealers BUT they dont score as high in life μMhos/cm as my pair - I never seen a tube this old score so high!) BUT for me I don't like my RCAs so warm sounding - I like it a bit more forward. These are more AUDIOphile sound tubes and should please those looking to get lost in the music more than evaluate as my analytical mind is. hats why I know they will open up more as someone owns them.
Value: ★★★★★+
3D image/stage ★★★★
Musical/Warmth: ★★★★ (since new there is hug potential to score high in all categories)
Detail: ★★★★★
Bass: ★★★★
Noise: ★★★★★++
Overall Performance ★★★★+
RCA 12AU7A Early 1960s, Long Gray Plates O-Getter 1960s near perfect/ideal stock match- Tektronix checked and precision matched pair with the same Tektronix code labels- these come in NIB 2600/2575 μMhos/cm and 2575/2450μMhos/cm - insane numbers for such an old tube! All the great qualities for the RCA long plates from the 1960's one could expect.
Value: ★★★★★+
3D image/stage ★★★★
Musical/Warmth: ★★★★ (since new there is hug potential to score high in all categories)
Detail: ★★★★★
Bass: ★★★★
Noise: ★★★★★++
Overall Performance ★★★★+