[AuditoryCanvas]

So after doing my efficient ebay hunting for 12at7 tubes and reading around forums, I can speculate the following:
1) ECC801S and 6201 are believed as holy grail just as the E188CC was initially believed to be the best from the 6922 type family, their prices are astronomical(ok maybe not astronomical but compared to the rest 12at7 family are pretty big, compared to E88CC not so much), also some variants of them believed to be the best -namely the 1957 D-Getter 6201 Valvo and the 1956 Telefunken ECC801S fat ring o-getter, or even fat-ring double o-getter are virtually unobtainable, or at least very expensive
2) Been scavenging some single ECC81s with D,Square,Foil getters from early 50s to see how they fare vs the competition. The problem here is they are so similar and codes were painted on it's very difficult to tell which tube is which factory just from the picture. Going to need to accumulate a few tubes to be able to tell the subtle differences like plate holes, tube size / height etc.
3) Atm I'm waiting or about to test the following tubes - the E180CC PW 1 pair 1959, 1 pair 57/58. ECC81s - Siemens early 45 degree D-Getter pair, Philips Copenhagen D-Getter pair, Mullard blackburn 1956-1958 and Mullard Mitcham D-Getter pairs, 1956 Heerlen D-Getter pair, and a few singles with D-getters that might pair up or not to be Hollands, Hamburgs, French Mazda (RTC), or not sure what else. Oh and some Telefunkens that seem to be the inclined O-Getter type but the pic was inconclusive. Have not ventured into ECC801S and 6201 territory due to prices. I have to say these are looking juicy af https://www.ebay.com/itm/223040426319 but damn that price

I have two pairs of Telefunken ECC801s, and 4 pairs of Valvo 6201 - 1 - pinched waist double post o-getter blue Valvo, 2 - pinched waist single post o-getter (unbranded for export, Valvo codes), 3 - solid disc getter, single post (philips branded, Valvo date codes), 4 - o getter single post (philips branded, Valvo date codes).

The ECC801s and the 6201 are the best tubes I've heard. Both have incredible dynamics, huge soundstage and depth, separation, and detail retrieval. I'd say the Telefunken seem slightly more dynamic, and more neutral in the mids, though the increased dynamics on the tele could be due to the more neutral mids not masking the transients. I'm hard pushed to pick a favorite between them.

I also have a pair of Mullard 6201 on the way, along with 30 other various 12at7 types. I'll report back on findings, but I don't expect any of them to come close to the Tele ECC801s or the Valvo 6201s.

 

[AuditoryCanvas]

I'll pass on that, bought too many pairs recently. Very interested in how them sound.

The Fivre green label 6sl7 are absolutely incredible, so I have high hopes for these.

if anyone wants to split the quad with me, I'm down.

 

[gardibolt]

My Telefunken 801S pair should be here in the next couple days. Hard to believe they're better than the 6201s but I'm happy to be convinced. The sound on the 12A*7 family is just so good I am starting to feel like I have all I need.

Listening to Mozart with the angle-getter Telefunken 12AT7s through my DT880s and it's quite heavenly.

 

[AuditoryCanvas]

My Telefunken 801S pair should be here in the next couple days. Hard to believe they're better than the 6201s but I'm happy to be convinced. The sound on the 12A*7 family is just so good I am starting to feel like I have all I need.

Listening to Mozart with the angle-getter Telefunken 12AT7s through my DT880s and it's quite heavenly.

I don't think the ECC801s are better than the 6201, both are incredible and equally capable to my ears, they just have a different character/signature, both suit different music types well.

 

[kolkoo]

I have two pairs of Telefunken ECC801s, and 4 pairs of Valvo 6201 - 1 - pinched waist double post o-getter blue Valvo, 2 - pinched waist single post o-getter (unbranded for export, Valvo codes), 3 - solid disc getter, single post (philips branded, Valvo date codes), 4 - o getter single post (philips branded, Valvo date codes).

The ECC801s and the 6201 are the best tubes I've heard. Both have incredible dynamics, huge soundstage and depth, separation, and detail retrieval. I'd say the Telefunken seem slightly more dynamic, and more neutral in the mids, though the increased dynamics on the tele could be due to the more neutral mids not masking the transients. I'm hard pushed to pick a favorite between them.

I also have a pair of Mullard 6201 on the way, along with 30 other various 12at7 types. I'll report back on findings, but I don't expect any of them to come close to the Tele ECC801s or the Valvo 6201s.

So on those 4 types of 6201:
1) is your double post o-getter also with 3 mica? Either way this should be the oldest one you got from late 50s to early 60s
2) The disc getter is from mid to late 60s for sure
3) The single post should be from early 60s to mid 60s
4) As most other tubes the rule was oldest = best sounding. So is that the case here?

Edit: The pinching on hamburg tubes (also with E88CC and PCC88) is so subtle, not like the Heerlen ones, but yeah I see now that the 3mica pair I got is pinched as well with date codes 1959.

 

[AuditoryCanvas]

So on those 4 types of 6201:
1) is your double post o-getter also with 3 mica? Either way this should be the oldest one you got from late 50s to early 60s
2) The disc getter is from mid to late 60s for sure
3) The single post should be from early 60s to mid 60s
4) As most other tubes the rule was oldest = best sounding. So is that the case here?

Edit: The pinching on hamburg tubes (also with E88CC and PCC88) is so subtle, not like the Heerlen ones, but yeah I see now that the 3mica pair I got is pinched as well with date codes 1959.

All of them, including the double post PW are double mica, 1958 and 1959, The PW single post are 61, the single post non pw solid getter are 64, and the o getter single post non pw are 62.

I haven't spent much time at all with any of them except the PW single post, so I need to spend some time with the double post to get a better idea, but both sound a little better to my ears than the non PW pairs, but out of the two non PW pairs, I'd say the disc getter pair have an edge over the o getter pair. I do need to spend more time with them all though. It took a lot of effort to get the Tele ECC801s out of the amp, because they're just so incredible, but after a few weeks with the single post PW pair, which I also love, I'm ready to give the others a try.

 

[kolkoo]

All of them, including the double post PW are double mica, 1958 and 1959, The PW single post are 61, the single post non pw solid getter are 64, and the o getter single post non pw are 62.

I haven't spent much time at all with any of them except the PW single post, so I need to spend some time with the double post to get a better idea, but both sound a little better to my ears than the non PW pairs, but out of the two non PW pairs, I'd say the disc getter pair have an edge over the o getter pair. I do need to spend more time with them all though. It took a lot of effort to get the Tele ECC801s out of the amp, because they're just so incredible, but after a few weeks with the single post PW pair, which I also love, I'm ready to give the others a try.

Alright man I lost my mind for a sec and did an impulse buy on these https://www.ebay.com/itm/223040426319 seller accepted offer 679 + 21 shipping a total of 700 eur which is expensive, but I really wanted that D-Getter 1957 pair...
After I get and test them might end up selling a pair or two of the 1960 PW 3micas depending on how much I like them.


Edit: I've bought some nice GEC labeled Heerlen PCC88 PWs / and D-Getters FROM THIS SELLER (lol how could I miss that part pre-edit) before so test numbers should be decent.

 

[AuditoryCanvas]

Alright man I lost my mind for a sec and did an impulse buy on these https://www.ebay.com/itm/223040426319 seller accepted offer 679 + 21 shipping a total of 700 eur which is expensive, but I really wanted that D-Getter 1957 pair...
After I get and test them might end up selling a pair or two of the 1960 PW 3micas depending on how much I like them.


Edit: I've bought some nice GEC labeled Heerlen PCC88 PWs / and D-Getters FROM THIS SELLER (lol how could I miss that part pre-edit) before so test numbers should be decent.

Holy schiit! You didn't mess around. At least I now feel better about my recent spending spree

I'm holding out for a pair of Valvo blue label triple mica D getters....They're no doubt the same, but there's something about that blue label

Then again, I've got no hope if you're now on to them too haha.

Prices for the 6201 were going for a lot less at auction last month until we started posted about them on here. I kinda shot myself in the foot

 

[kolkoo]

Holy schiit! You didn't mess around. At least I now feel better about my recent spending spree

I'm holding out for a pair of Valvo blue label triple mica D getters....They're no doubt the same, but there's something about that blue label

Then again, I've got no hope if you're now on to them too haha.

Prices for the 6201 were going for a lot less at auction last month until we started posted about them on here. I kinda shot myself in the foot

No worries I'm a team player The blue label is sexy yes but not much of them on ebay (Europe), gotta find other sources but their prices are usually sky high and they don't even have it.
I spent years collecting most rare E88CCs so if I get hooked here it will be a slow grind... So far I am satisfied with the initial batch of tubes I got from 12AT7, I wonder if they sound better because of higher gain(Mu)?
If you are comparing to other tubes make sure they are volume matched because usually louder sounds better from my experience.

The only thing I'm hunting for right now is more ECC81s with D,Square,Foil getters from truly early 50s (I have a feeling they will sound better but no confirmation yet ) and ECC801S with fat getters.

So don't worry if you have your eyes set on some pair send me a PM and I won't interfere (probably wouldn't anyway!).


P.S. I have not yet bid on a single auction of 12AT7 so it was not me spiking up the prices I swear!

 

[AuditoryCanvas]

No worries I'm a team player The blue label is sexy yes but not much of them on ebay (Europe), gotta find other sources but their prices are usually sky high and they don't even have it.
I spent years collecting most rare E88CCs so if I get hooked here it will be a slow grind... So far I am satisfied with the initial batch of tubes I got from 12AT7, I wonder if they sound better because of higher gain(Mu)?
If you are comparing to other tubes make sure they are volume matched because usually louder sounds better from my experience.

The only thing I'm hunting for right now is more ECC81s with D,Square,Foil getters from truly early 50s (I have a feeling they will sound better but no confirmation yet ) and ECC801S with fat getters.

So don't worry if you have your eyes set on some pair send me a PM and I won't interfere (probably wouldn't anyway!).


P.S. I have not yet bid on a single auction of 12AT7 so it was not me spiking up the prices I swear!

I have a pair of fat getter ECC801s, I can't tell the difference between them and the thin getter to be honest, so I'm not sure you need to bother.

Regarding old ECC81s, I have some Ken-Rad mid 50s square declined getter that sound incredible. I don't think they're quite on the same level as the 6201 and ECC801s, but very good tubes none the less. I've also found that 12AT7WA generally sound much better than standard 12AT7, aside for a few exceptions like the Telefunken angled getter.

I'm curious if there's any difference with the blue labels Valvos, as blue was made for aviation, so were meant to be more rugged than the white label ones. The double getter post PWs I have are blue label, but I don't have a pair of the same with a normal label to compare. The other PWs I have are single post, so not a fair comparison.

edit: In comparing them to E88CC etc, I'm more referring to the size and depth of the soundstage and detail retrieval. I typically listen at the same volume.

 

[tracyca]

Hello everyone, I have been reading this thread for tube recommends I must say great thread lots of info. Anyways I have purchased a few sets of tubes from bangy bang tubes and now I worried I didn't recieve any fakes!

 

[TK16]

Hello everyone, I have been reading this thread for tube recommends I must say great thread lots of info. Anyways I have purchased a few sets of tubes from bangy bang tubes and now I worried I didn't recieve any fakes!

Good assumption is anything OldGuyRadiola has/had in his stock have a good chance in being fakes. I would not touch any of those tubes with a 10 foot pole, the new owner inherited a bunch of the negatives from OGR and no positives imo. Whether the new owner knows about the fakes, I dunno. Might not know, might know and not care. I personally would of hired experts to go through the inventory before buying a huge load of tubes. BangyBangTubes got an uphill battle, wish them luck.

LOL, bought this on my phone, thinking it was Foton 3x, now see it is an Istok 3x, excellent price.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2pcs-6N3P-Foton-Tubes-Tested/132766284673

 

[TK16]

Never could I find any 50's Mullards E88CC, so I just won an auction for 56 pair of Mitcham 12AT7 $79 bucks.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pair-1956-...tubes-Tested-Guaranteed-650-code/173501348983

 

[AuditoryCanvas]

Never could I find any 50's Mullards E88CC, so I just won an auction for 56 pair of Mitcham 12AT7 $79 bucks.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pair-1956-...tubes-Tested-Guaranteed-650-code/173501348983

I read that as you got 56 pairs

Nice score!

 

[AuditoryCanvas]

Good assumption is anything OldGuyRadiola has/had in his stock have a good chance in being fakes. I would not touch any of those tubes with a 10 foot pole, the new owner inherited a bunch of the negatives from OGR and no positives imo. Whether the new owner knows about the fakes, I dunno. Might not know, might know and not care. I personally would of hired experts to go through the inventory before buying a huge load of tubes. BangyBangTubes got an uphill battle, wish them luck.

LOL, bought this on my phone, thinking it was Foton 3x, now see it is an Istok 3x, excellent price.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2pcs-6N3P-Foton-Tubes-Tested/132766284673

Funny, I wrote to him about Fotons, and he said he had some and posted that listing for me. I saw they were Istok, and didn't get them.