[hikaru12]

I have and own one, as well as a few 7728. They are warmish, and decently detailed tubes, with good balance and punch. The earlier square getter versions of which are impossible to find have the magic mids and deeper bass. They have a unique stage presentation, which is more taller and deeper than wide, and have huge soaring vocals. They are not the last word in transparency/bandwidth and are more on the fun side with a bit of middbass bloom that can punch quite hard, and are a bit rolled off and smooth in the highs.

Bummer I’ll probably stick to the Siemens Halske then.

 

[Wes S]

Bummer I’ll probably stick to the Siemens Halske then.

If you want ultimate transparency (solid state sounding ), Siemens Halske is where it's at.

 

[hikaru12]

If you want ultimate transparency (solid state sounding ), Siemens Halske is where it's at.

Have you ever tried mixing and matching different brand tubes? Is that problematic? This would obviously be for input drivers only.

 

[nwavesailor]

I have not had my Pendant for about a year now but with all these fantastic tubes, particularly the input, it is quite obvious that the Pendant sounds good to great with most of these variants and flavors. The members who really get into the various combo's and rolling, like Wes S, hear more subtleties than casual listeners may pick up. Bottom line is the Pendant sounds great with SO many tubes that it is stunning!

I have to dig out one of my Tele G73-R and try it in to my BB tonight to see if these are as good as I thought when I used them in the Liquid Platinum a few amps ago.

 

[Wes S]

Have you ever tried mixing and matching different brand tubes? Is that problematic? This would obviously be for input drivers only.

If the amp takes a pair of driver tubes, I use the exact same make, year and brand for both tubes. It might sound wierd to have a different brand/make tube in each channel. . .then again if they are close enough in sound signature you might not even notice. It sure would mess with my head though, and I don't recommend doing it myself.

As for the Pendant, I mix and match brands all the time and that's my preferred way to do it. I like the G.E.C. sound (rectifier) mixed with the Tungsram sound (power tubes), and finally mixed with the Sylvania, Funkwerk, CBS-HYTRON, or Raytheon sound (driver tube).

Some brands just bring out the best in each other, and have better synergy for my preferences. I like the sound to be as lifelike and transparent as I can get it without sounding sterile.

 

[Wes S]

I have not had my Pendant for about a year now but with all these fantastic tubes, particularly the input, it is quite obvious that the Pendant sounds good to great with most of these variants and flavors. The members who really get into the various combo's and rolling, like Wes S, hear more subtleties than casual listeners may pick up. Bottom line is the Pendant sounds great with SO many tubes that it is stunning!

I have to dig out one of my Tele G73-R and try it in to my BB tonight to see if these are as good as I thought when I used them in the Liquid Platinum a few amps ago.

The Pendant sure does sound good to great with many different driver tubes, and it sounds spectacular to next level with a select few.

Yep, I hear more subtleties the more I listen and the more I roll. . .and it keeps getting better. I have been training my ears and brain to pick up on the little differences by rolling and listening to a bunch of different tubes. As I have been hearing more and more tubes over the past 8 months with the Pendant, I have gotten way better at picking up on how some just do nuance and detail better than others, as well as how they synergize together to better suite my preferences. I have been working toward getting the sound as lifelike as possible without becoming sterile, and as such have been fine tuning this delicate balance between warmth and detail by rolling tubes, and with how spectacular the amp sounds right now with the current tube combo, I can honestly say it has been well worth the effort.

I am a firm believer that you get out of it what you put into it when it comes to tube rolling and it's worth the effort to dial in your preferred sound, and get that amp sounding it's very best. This is especially true for an amp of this caliber. The Pendant really is a dream come true for a tube roller like myself. There are tons of options for tubes, and many of them are quite affordable compared to some of the tube types used in other amps.

 

[Wes S]

Deleted duplicate post.

 

[hikaru12]

If the amp takes a pair of driver tubes, I use the exact same make, year and brand for both tubes. It might sound wierd to have a different brand/make tube in each channel. . .then again if they are close enough in sound signature you might not even notice. It sure would mess with my head though, and I don't recommend doing it myself.

As for the Pendant, I mix and match brands all the time and that's my preferred way to do it. I like the G.E.C. sound (rectifier) mixed with the Tungsram sound (power tubes), and finally mixed with the Sylvania, Funkwerk, CBS-HYTRON, or Raytheon sound (driver tube).

Some brands just bring out the best in each other, and have better synergy for my preferences. I like the sound to be as lifelike and transparent as I can get it without sounding sterile.

Noted I’ve tried it in the past with varying success. I’m eyeing some Ken Rad Long Plate D getters right now. Apparently it’s the best AX tube GE made. A very good tonality tube.

 

[Wes S]

Just checking back in with confirmation that the Raytheon 5814 Black Plate Square Getter 2 mica from 52' is another outstanding tube. This tube is so freaking good and suits my preferences to perfection. Compared to the CBS-HYTRON 5814, the Raytheon is more refined. The bass is tighter with more detail and texture on the Raytheon and it's actually some of the best bass I have heard with my Atticus. The mids are even more transparent and forward compared to the CBS-HYTRON, but they are also a bit smoother and more refined as well. The highs on both tubes are smooth as silk with just the right amount detail. Speaking of detail, with the Raytheon it's as good as I have heard and I am hearing all the little nuances better than I ever have. The staging is where things get real interesting, and the Raytheon has crazy holographic imaging and it puts me right on stage with the performers. This is actually the most holographic and immersive stage presentation I have heard so far in this hobby and I am extremely happy with this tube. In fact it's so damn good that I am going to just enjoy this one and lay low for a good while.

Here are some pics of this amazing tube, for reference. I have both the yellow and red lettering versions and they are the same tube.

As usual with this site, I agree with all said about this amazing tube. https://tubemaze.info/raytheon-crp-5814-black-plates-d-getter/

Happy Hunting, Rolling and Listening!

 

[Wes S]

Man o man. . .tube addiction is a very real thing that I sure do struggle with, and it seems it got the best of me once again. I have been digging the CBS 5814 so much in my Pendant SE, that it got me curious about tube types other than 12AU7 and that led me to discover that many folks prefer the 12BH7 over the 12AU, if the amp can handle the extra current. The 12BH7 is said to have stronger bass, better detail, and a grander sound all around compared to the 12AU7, and checking back through this thread Justin says that they are safe to use in the Pendant. So, that got me wondering if there was a CBS 12BH7 and sure enough there is. Guess what's on it's way to me. . .

 

[hikaru12]

Yeah 12BH7 is the industrial version. It’s slightly taller too if you’re racking it. Do you know if the gain is higher on that tube than the 12AU?

 

[Wes S]

Yeah 12BH7 is the industrial version. It’s slightly taller too if you’re racking it. Do you know if the gain is higher on that tube than the 12AU?

The gain on the 12BH7 is 16.5, which is a tad lower than the 12AU7 at 19. Where you have to be careful using the 12BH7 in a 12AU7 circuit is with the double heater current needed by the 12BH7. As for the height they are taller than 12AU7, but shorter than an EL84 (of which it will be right next to), so not an issue at all in the Pendant.

I am really stoked to hear the 12BH7 in the Pendant.

 

[bcowen]

The gain on the 12BH7 is 16.5, which is a tad lower than the 12AU7 at 19. Where you have to be careful using the 12BH7 in a 12AU7 circuit is with the double heater current needed by the 12BH7. As for the height they are taller than 12AU7, but shorter than an EL84 (of which it will be right next to), so not an issue at all in the Pendant.

I am really stoked to hear the 12BH7 in the Pendant.

Not identical, but similar with these 12BH7A's labeled as CBS/Hytron. Interestingly, the raised portion on the plates is slightly curved. Not like a true round plate, but has kind of a bulge to it. I use these in my Jota speaker amp, and have tried Tung Sols, Sylvanias, and RCA's. I like the Hytrons best, but the differences are very minor for this tube in this amp which I suppose is due to how they're used in the circuit. Output tubes (300BXLS's) and driver tubes (6922's) make substantial differences, so a tube rolling addict can still get his fix.

 

[Wes S]

Not identical, but similar with these 12BH7A's labeled as CBS/Hytron. Interestingly, the raised portion on the plates is slightly curved. Not like a true round plate, but has kind of a bulge to it. I use these in my Jota speaker amp, and have tried Tung Sols, Sylvanias, and RCA's. I like the Hytrons best, but the differences are very minor for this tube in this amp which I suppose is due to how they're used in the circuit. Output tubes (300BXLS's) and driver tubes (6922's) make substantial differences, so a tube rolling addict can still get his fix.

Nice tube! I really can't wait to hear the one I have coming. The version you have is a few years earlier than mine.

 

[hikaru12]

All this tube talk gets me interested in some 6SN7's again. Apparently you can make adapters going both ways (which is interesting because I've always wanted to try a 12AU7 tube in a Lyr 3 especially since the thread has focused on them as of late with some really good suggestions).

Also is there any way to get the Pendant with XLR headphone output? All my cans use balanced cables. I don't like using adapters as I feel you lose a bit of transparency.