[Wes S]

Took a trip down memory lane last night with some of my rare and highly sought after "Holy Grail" level tubes, as curiosity got the best of me and I just had to see if any of them could best my current favs the Raytheon and CBS-Hytron 12BH7.

From left to right - Valvo Hamburg "Coin Base" D Getter ECC81, Hamburg 6201 Pinched Waist Triple Mica D Getter, Tungsram ECC82 Grey Welded Plate Foil Getter, Tungsram Black Welded Plate Foil Getter, and Lorenz ECC82 Long Plate Square Getter

All of these sounded fantastic in their own unique way, however they just can't hang with the 12BH7 when it comes to stage expansion, note weight, detail, sense of space and impact. . .so back to the storage bin they go.

The 12BH7 in the Pendant SE with the VC is really something special folks, and I can't recommend it enough.

 

[bcowen]

From what I read, G.E. bought Ken-Rad in the late 40's I believe, and the late 40's/early 50's GE's were made in the Ken-Rad plant. Just because I read it on the internets doesn't mean it's true........

GE bought Ken-Rad in 1945. It's probably safe to assume that many of the Ken-Rad designs and materials carried on for at least a few years past that before GE was able to fully muck things up.

 

[nwavesailor]

OK...............SURLEY one or more of you guys have tried these bargain basement gems?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?




Another day, another tube flavor that is, I'm sure, great sounding. I bought many of the other types all along the way and yes, they sounded great. Frankly I have not tried many tubes in the Pendant or BB that didn't sound good!

It is my choice to hop on the bandwagon and enjoy the ride of the new (actually old) tube that Wes S has found or watch from a distance and see if the 12BH7 has longevity or joins the other Holy Grail tubes that are now sitting in boxes. I've said it here before, I am a GREAT tube buyer but I never sell. I hope my collection doesn't end up at Goodwill or in a box on a card table for $1 after I leave the planet !!!

 

[Wes S]

OK...............SURLEY one or more of you guys have tried these bargain basement gems?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?




Another day, another tube flavor that is, I'm sure, great sounding. I bought many of the other types all along the way and yes, they sounded great. Frankly I have not tried many tubes in the Pendant or BB that didn't sound good!

It is my choice to hop on the bandwagon and enjoy the ride of the new (actually old) tube that Wes S has found or watch from a distance and see if the 12BH7 has longevity or joins the other Holy Grail tubes that are now sitting in boxes. I've said it here before, I am a GREAT tube buyer but I never sell. I hope my collection doesn't end up at Goodwill or in a box on a card table for $1 after I leave the planet !!!

I don't care for Brimar anymore, so will leave those up to someone else. I am set for life myself with tubes, and have bought and sold to where my collection is complete with backups for my backups and backups for those backups and backups for those backups, and won't be selling or buying anymore. I am done and could not be happier. I have found a bunch of really cool tubes, and I have learned a ton. To me, tube rolling is all about the journey or quest to find the most lifelike tonality and timbre coupled with the biggest most immersive stage I can get. The sound I am getting now from my Pendant SE is everything I dreamed it would be and way more, so I am going to ride out the rest of my years with my current tube collection and this amazing amp. It's been fun sharing my experiences, and I now I am gonna sit back and enjoy what I have and let others share their experiences in this thread. So, I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for the next one from me.

Standouts from my journey and what I will be listening with from hear on out. There are many good and even great sounding tubes, but these are a step above all the rest for my preferences (lifelike and immersive).

Tungsram EL84 Welded Plate Foil O Getters and Foil Disc Getters for power tubes.

Tungsram EZ81 Welded Plate Foil Disc Getter and G.E.C. U709 for the rectifier

CBS-HYTRON and Raytheon 12bh7 Black Oval Plate D Getters and G.E. 5814 Pewter Plate 2 Mica Square Getter for driver tubes.

Happy Rolling and Listening!

 

[bcowen]

I am done for this week and could not be happier.

FTFY.

 

[4LoveOfSound]

A little afternoon Pendant time!

 

[nwavesailor]

Wes S has found countless glass gems throughout the years!!!

I’m glad finding new tubes is still his joy and he had aimed many in the right direction with details of X vs Y.

Like Wes, I have a lifetime of tubes. Not that I won’t try the latest gem, 12BH7, but then I’ll STOP!!!!

 

[jonathan c]

Like Wes, I have a lifetime of tubes. Not that I won’t try the latest gem, 12BH7, but then I’ll STOP!!!!

A)…to paraphrase Mae West, “it’s not the tubes in your life, it’s the life in your tubes”…
B)…then you’ll STOP saying that you’ll STOP…

 

[bcowen]

Wes S has found countless glass gems throughout the years!!!

I’m glad finding new tubes is still his joy and he had aimed many in the right direction with details of X vs Y.

Like Wes, I have a lifetime of tubes. Not that I won’t try the latest gem, 12BH7, but then I’ll STOP!!!!

Yeah, yeah. I've stopped so many times I had to stop counting.

Quitting smoking was easier.

 

[jonathan c]

Yeah, yeah. I've stopped so many times I had to stop counting. Quitting smoking was easier.

…Bill Clinton says: “I didn’t inhale”, a tube addict says: “I didn’t listen”……

 

[nwavesailor]

Yeah, I held out at LEAST an hour..............got a 12BH7 Raytheon and a Hytron black, oval plates and with D getter

But now I am DONE buying tubes.............I really mean it this time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[bcowen]

Yeah, I held out at LEAST an hour..............got a 12BH7 Raytheon and a Hytron black, oval plates and with D getter

But now I am DONE buying tubes.............I really mean it this time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[nwavesailor]

Group buy???

 

[jonathan c]

Group buy???

Wege_high_tubes? Cartago_est_delenda?

 

[bcowen]

Wege_high_tubes? Cartago_est_delenda?

Can't be anyone else, unless BangyBang opened an Italian division recently. If that happened, I feel really sorry for Italy.