Was supposed to say “and not saying”. Was one finger typing on my phone as I’m heading out the door for work.
Thanks for the clarification, and reading your impressions I assumed there was supposed to be a "not" in there.
This one is from 51', and it's got a crazy clean sounding midrange, that is present and even with depth that seems to go forever. The bass is tight, deep and textured and hits when called on with good weight, and is of high quality with detail, not the boomy kind. The highs have sparkle with zero harshness, and I can really crank the volume with this tube and I am loving it. Another cool thing about this tube is how there is this inner glow and good instrument separation in the mids, that lets you focus on one thing at a time and hear all the little nuances better. Lastly, the holographic staging is in full effect and it's just a killer sounding tube that is a blast to listen with. Thanks to @4LoveOfSound for taking a chance on this one and for the great recommendation. For your first tube recommendation, you nailed it out of the park. 
Those silver clips (securing the plate "ears" poking through the micas) remind me of one of my favorite tubes - the GE triple mica black plate 5751. The "silver clips" variant of 5751 was only made for a couple of years (53 and 54), and is better sounding than other 5751 TM BP variants. Ken Rad was absorbed into GE before 1950, so your 5814 is kinda a Ken-Rad / GE tube. Looks like a great tube!! I didn't know they made a 12AU7/5814 with silver clips like that, or I'd have tried to buy some. You can imagine how those clips involved extra cost & labor, so they abandoned that practice pretty quickly.The Ken-Rad 5814 "Pewter Plate" is in the house and I have it playing in my Pendant SE listening with my Verite Closed and it's a winner no doubt.
I have come to the same conclusion and I think the bigger plates just need more time to warm up. The CBS-HYTRON 12BH7 is an insanely good tube with the VC. I usually always let my tube amps run for a good 30 minutes before listening, but I have listened immediately a few times recently and the 12BH7 can sound a bit slow, congested/muddy at first, but it sure does open up after a little warmup and become the best tube I have ever heard. The linearity in the upper mids and treble is perfect and then the bass and stage are next level as well.
You are stuck on the Ken-Rad for a good reason, as there really is nothing better.
I just rolled one from 52' in my Pendant SE, and it really is as good as it gets. The bass is first class, and is so big and powerful it's insane, and the mids are detailed and clear with a bit of upper mid lower treble emphasis to help cut through that huge bass, and the highs are smooth yet still extended. The staging is also first class and very immersive and it makes for a wild ride with my VC's. Honestly, this just might be the best tube I have ever had in the driver spot of my Pendant, and the cool thing is they are really easy to find and are very affordable. There really is nothing better (literally) than some good old American made tubes from the 50's. . .‘Large’ (6.3x32mm), T (timed/slow), 1A (ampere).
