[Wes S]

The TungSol is in the Pendant. Wow! The Ken-Rad is good, but this TungSol is amazing! Nice find @Wes S Deeper bass than the Ken-Rad, beautiful sparkly highs. Nice linear sound. I think the Ken-Rad has an edge on stage width. The TungSol is a little more forward. Both excellent and I’ll listen to them both.

Awesome! Glad you are digging it.

 

[nwavesailor]

So ladies and gentleman, boys and girls..............TS, Hytron, HiVac or Tele G73-R????????????????

I am really liking the G73-R

By the time you spend $25 here and $50 there ya can own this rare Tele.
NO, you may not have a back up......... and a back up for that backup............ and yet MORE backups but you can have perhaps one of the best 12AU7's ever made. How many of us have really ever gotten into any of our backups at any rate???

We were all chasing Footscary production and Funkwert tubes with foil getters just a few moths ago.
There will always be more tubes that are 'rediscovered' and Wes, to his credit, has found many of these gems.

We are lucky to have amps that respond well to these tubes and there are, IMO, WAY more gems than clunkers for the ampsandsound offerings!

 

[Wes S]

So ladies and gentleman, boys and girls..............TS, Hytron, HiVac or Tele G73-R????????????????

I am really liking the G73-R

By the time you spend $25 here and $50 there ya can own this rare Tele.
NO, you may not have a back up......... and a back up for that backup............ and yet MORE backups but you can have perhaps one of the best 12AU7's ever made. How many of us have really ever gotten into any of our backups at any rate???

We were all chasing Footscary production and Funkwert tubes with foil getters just a few moths ago.
There will always be more tubes that are 'rediscovered' and Wes, to his credit, has found many of these gems.

We are lucky to have amps that respond well to these tubes and there are, IMO, WAY more gems than clunkers for the ampsandsound offerings!

Enjoy the Tele man, don't let our enthusiasm for affordable tubes working so well in the Pendant SE, deter your enjoyment from that rare gem in the BB. I imagine these 12BH7 we are digging so much, are too dark for the BB anyway.

Different strokes for different folks (Different tubes for different amps). . .

 

[Wes S]

Rolled in a different rectifier (Funkwerk Erfurt EZ81 Welded Plate Foil Disc Getter) and the extra bit of bass drive, speed, detail and stage expansion it brings, pairs very nicely with the Tungsram EL84's and Tung Sol 12BH7. My Atticus's bass slam is hitting as hard as ever and the mids sound absolutely sublime with this tube combo.

Happy Saturday and happy listening!

 

[bcowen]

So ladies and gentleman, boys and girls..............TS, Hytron, HiVac or Tele G73-R????????????????

I am really liking the G73-R

By the time you spend $25 here and $50 there ya can own this rare Tele.
NO, you may not have a back up......... and a back up for that backup............ and yet MORE backups but you can have perhaps one of the best 12AU7's ever made. How many of us have really ever gotten into any of our backups at any rate???

I had to whip out a backup not too long ago. The treble on this one had incredible air and space initially, but it was all too fleeting.

 

[Wes S]

I had to whip out a backup not too long ago. The treble on this one had incredible air and space initially, but it was all too fleeting.

LOL and Wow! Luckily, I have never had that happen. However, I sure have had a tube or two go bad (noisy) on me over the years, and each time it was really nice knowing that I could continue to enjoy that sound I had come to know and love (and dialed in my system with) by having a backup. . . Heck, I can't even totally enjoy a tube, until I have secured a backup. Peace of the mind is a good thing, and that's what backups bring.

 

[jonathan c]

I had to whip out a backup not too long ago. The treble on this one had incredible air and space initially, but it was all too fleeting.

 

[bcowen]

LOL and Wow! Luckily, I have never had that happen. However, I sure have had a tube or two go bad (noisy) on me over the years, and each time it was really nice knowing that I could continue to enjoy that sound I had come to know and love (and dialed in my system with) by having a backup. . . Heck, I can't even totally enjoy a tube, until I have secured a backup. Peace of the mind is a good thing, and that's what backups bring.

In all my years of tube rolling, that's actually the first one I've ever broken. Naturally I've had a number go noisy or badly microphonic or fail in some other way, but never shattered. It was like a slow-motion train wreck as I saw it roll off the table, but was unable to get to it quickly enough. Landed on a carpeted floor, and a 9-pin or small octal would have likely survived that without issue. But not a 6AS7G....glass is too thin and too big I guess. On the plus side, it was a rather bland sounding tube.

 

[4LoveOfSound]

I put the Ken-Rad 12BH7 back in. These 2 tubes have a completely different presentation. I'm listening to Nora Jones Come Away with Me via Roon. This Ken-Rad sound stage is super wide with each instrument in it's own place. HIGHLY detailed sound. I can distinctly hear the bass guitar strings buzz on a couple tracks. Her voice is slightly forward of the instruments. Highs are smooth. The TungSol definitely has more bass, but it bleeds slightly into the lower mids I feel. The sound stage is more intimate, the instruments not separated like the KR. Her voice still slightly forward of the instruments. The highs definitely have more sparkle, but could bight a light too much for me on occasion. This might smooth out some with more hours on the tube. The same tracks I distinctly heard the bass guitar strings buzz with the KR, I could hear something with the TS, but I was like "was that string buzz I just heard?" I could hear it, but just not as clear. I really like them both because they are so different in presentation. @Wes S you might want to try this early 50's Ken-Rad....

I just realized my TungSol is not a black plate. It's a 1956, grey plate D getter. So my impressions are probably different than Wes' black plates. Should have payed more attention! Still a nice sounding tube for my collection.

 

[jonathan c]

In all my years of tube rolling, that's actually the first one I've ever broken. Naturally I've had a number go noisy or badly microphonic or fail in some other way, but never shattered. It was like a slow-motion train wreck as I saw it roll off the table, but was unable to get to it quickly enough. Landed on a carpeted floor, and a 9-pin or small octal would have likely survived that without issue. But not a 6AS7G....glass is too thin and too big I guess. On the plus side, it was a rather bland sounding tube.

…the only excitement that the tube provided was during the fall to its demise……

 

[hikaru12]

I put the Ken-Rad 12BH7 back in. These 2 tubes have a completely different presentation. I'm listening to Nora Jones Come Away with Me via Roon. This Ken-Rad sound stage is super wide with each instrument in it's own place. HIGHLY detailed sound. I can distinctly hear the bass guitar strings buzz on a couple tracks. Her voice is slightly forward of the instruments. Highs are smooth. The TungSol definitely has more bass, but it bleeds slightly into the lower mids I feel. The sound stage is more intimate, the instruments not separated like the KR. Her voice still slightly forward of the instruments. The highs definitely have more sparkle, but could bight a light too much for me on occasion. This might smooth out some with more hours on the tube. The same tracks I distinctly heard the bass guitar strings buzz with the KR, I could hear something with the TS, but I was like "was that string buzz I just heard?" I could hear it, but just not as clear. I really like them both because they are so different in presentation. @Wes S you might want to try this early 50's Ken-Rad....

I just realized my TungSol is not a black plate. It's a 1956, grey plate D getter. So my impressions are probably different than Wes' black plates. Should have payed more attention! Still a nice sounding tube for my collection.

Made me nervous there - Wes impressions was that the Tung Sol was a cleaner sounding tube. I have yet to find a replacement for my CBS so I decided to buy the black oval plate. My hope is I’ll extract just a little more detail out of with this tube. It’s either this or a Siemens now at this point. I got just the right amount of slam for my satisfaction now it’s just refining the sound and trying to extract the last bit of detail while keeping everything sounding natural.

So ladies and gentleman, boys and girls..............TS, Hytron, HiVac or Tele G73-R????????????????

I am really liking the G73-R

By the time you spend $25 here and $50 there ya can own this rare Tele.
NO, you may not have a back up......... and a back up for that backup............ and yet MORE backups but you can have perhaps one of the best 12AU7's ever made. How many of us have really ever gotten into any of our backups at any rate???

We were all chasing Footscary production and Funkwert tubes with foil getters just a few moths ago.
There will always be more tubes that are 'rediscovered' and Wes, to his credit, has found many of these gems.

We are lucky to have amps that respond well to these tubes and there are, IMO, WAY more gems than clunkers for the ampsandsound offerings!

I’m with you - the occasional pricey over the top tube is cool as long as you balance it with cheaper backups. I feel like I’d eat a $500 tubes life in no time. That’s why it’s important for me to keep some cheap backups.

 

[nwavesailor]

I’m with you - the occasional pricey over the top tube is cool as long as you balance it with cheaper backups. I feel like I’d eat a $500 tubes life in no time. That’s why it’s important for me to keep some cheap backups.

The G73-R reportedly have a long life of 40,000 hours so, over time, they are actually cheap AND a bargain !

 

[Wes S]

And then there were two. . .

HYTRON 12BH7 Black Oval Plate D Getter (Dual Support Rods 50' OG Version) & Tung Sol BOPDG

I have been going back and forth between these 2 fantastic tubes, and they both bring something different but equally awesome to the mix. The Tung Sol is more forward and intimate with incredible bass and vocals, and has a very controlled "HiFi" like sound and sounds like you are in a well damped room or recording studio. There is more of a mids focus overall with the Tung Sol and the midbass slam and texture is first class and the vocals are to die for (being forward, clean and lifelike). Due to the forwardness of the Tung Sol, the staging is tight and has the 3Dness in full effect. Now on to the early Hytron, and it's more open and raw sounding with a much larger stage and more of a concert hall or live show type feel, with reverb and decay for days. Also, the Hytron is more forceful and powerful sounding with better extension at both ends and the instruments and vocals are positioned a bit further back and more in line with each other as well. Although they are different in their presentations, both tubes have good note weight, detail for days, and are fatigue free and put me "there" and work well with both my Atticus and VC. I have to say it's really nice finding two tubes of equal caliber, but with completely different presentations, so I can switch things up and keep things fresh just like I do with my two ZMF headphones and two iems.

Keep it fresh and happy listening!

 

[Bassic Needs]

I'm no longer seeing the Pendant listed for sale on ZMF'S site: https://shop.zmfheadphones.com/collections/amps-dacs

 

[hikaru12]

I finally got the Tung Sol in. It’s definitely more detailed especially micro detail. I’m hearing clearer background sounds. It is still warm and smooth without overdoing it and very linear similar to the CBS I’ve been using for a while. I’m still getting used to the slightly lower gain of the BH7 tubes. Thankfully, mids aren’t as forward as I was afraid of (the Raytheon’s sounded downright aggressive at times). There’s not much to hate about this tube at all.

I’m finally getting my custom speakers in tomorrow so curious if the detail will translate to the big stage as well. Overall a very enjoyable tube! I can’t say it’s killed my CBS though but who cares?

(In a nice Koa veneer inspired by Zach as I always loved this type of wood but never got the chance to get one of his cans in it)