What are your opinions of GE 12AX7, 12AT7, 12AU7 ?

[kramer5150]

Hi tube gurus... so I'm www surfing for various "preamp" tubes and running into the usual trendy-hot flavors telefunken, mullard, brimar, amperex...etc.  Some as much as $100-160 each from various NOS and used sellers.  And then I see EVERYWHERE, an underlying seemingly abundant surplus of GE tubes going for a fraction of that, like $6-7 each.

 

In general, then just how bad are GE tubes?... are they really "that" bad that people are literally giving them away?  What have been your experiences with them and what amp, source or preamp are/were you using them in?

 

thanks!!

[Dusty Chalk]

12ax7lps are probably the best recent production 12ax7's.

 

Also:  beware counterfeits.

[mypasswordis]

Hey, it's kramer of kramer mod fame. You're probably the reason I started down the path of headphone modding. Can't believe it's been around seven years for me, more for you. How are you these days?

[mulveling]

Hi tube gurus... so I'm www surfing for various "preamp" tubes and running into the usual trendy-hot flavors telefunken, mullard, brimar, amperex...etc.  Some as much as $100-160 each from various NOS and used sellers.  And then I see EVERYWHERE, an underlying seemingly abundant surplus of GE tubes going for a fraction of that, like $6-7 each.

 

In general, then just how bad are GE tubes?... are they really "that" bad that people are literally giving them away?  What have been your experiences with them and what amp, source or preamp are/were you using them in?

 

thanks!!

 

I'm sure there's an abundance of trash-quality GE tubes, but I've run across a number of GE tubes (50's to early 60s vintage) that I like a LOT. The GE black plate 5751 is superb; I end up going to this tube more frequently than Mullard long-plate, Amperex lp, Telefunken, Tung-Sol, and RCA bp 12AX7. They've got a natural kind of warmth that's not overbearing (I like RCA tubes but sometimes they're just too damn warm), plus superb focus and clarity. Way more musical than the 3-mica grey plate 5751 Sylvania (1962-63), which are bright and border on unlistenable. I've had bad luck with most Sylvania tubes, and tend to stay away now. Haven't tried the GE 12AX7, though.

 

I've got some red-label GE 1963 12AY7 that are interesting and can be used in place of the 12AX7 in some applications. Nice and neutral, clean sound.

 

I'm finding the GE 5814 to an excellent 12AU7 sub (as driver tubes in my monoblocks, to go along with the 12AX7) if you don't need added warmth in this position (in fact, if you need a touch of added top-end zing). I'd been using 12BH7 (RCA, which are warm and a bit dark), but in the current system the GE 5814 sounds right. I don't even have a construction-matched quad of these things in my amps! Mixing 2-mica, 3-mica, with posts, no posts -- how's that for becoming slightly less OCD with age

 

The GE 6BX7GT was superb as the cathode follower tubes in my SDS headphone amp. 

 

The GE 7581A (pink-ish base) sounded awesome as a KT66/6L6GC substitute in a pair of restored Heathkit W5 amps.

 

I think all of the ones I listed above are rapidly getting scarce and/or pricey, though

It's a bias, but I'd stay away from late-60s, 70s, and 80s vintage small-signal tubes of any make, at all costs. Honestly the modern production tubes should typically be way better than that trash. Haven't yet found a modern tube to sound awful, but I've certainly had vintage tubes that are such.

Edited January 23, 2013 by mulveling

[robm321]

Kramer is back in the game 

[kramer5150]

Thanks fellas for the warm re-entry welcome!!

 

thanks mulveling.

 

I'm slowly building up a dual-amp OTL setup around a modded earmax, darkvoice 337 and DT880-600.

 

Still rockin' the Grados though with the PPA.  I still strongly prefer the mid-level wood grados with solid-state amps.  The GS-1 and ECSS being my favorite Grado amps.  Most though still seem to prefer tube circuits.

 

thanks again for the warm welcome and kind words.

[kramer5150]

Hey, it's kramer of kramer mod fame. You're probably the reason I started down the path of headphone modding. Can't believe it's been around seven years for me, more for you. How are you these days?

LOL, still rockin' the wood grados over here.  I never really left, music listening is just a way of life I think... its always been my drug of choice.  I just needed a break from HF, more than anything.

 

Doin' allright though... kids are good, health is good, cholesterol + blood pressure are in check!  LOL.

 

thanks for the warm welcome.

[kramer5150]

So my little earmax is due for a re-tube, so thats why I posted about GE tubes.  To further confuse matters, didn't GE do a LOT of off-shore re-branding?  they never actually manufactured 100% of their product right?

[mypasswordis]

LOL, still rockin' the wood grados over here.  I never really left, music listening is just a way of life I think... its always been my drug of choice.  I just needed a break from HF, more than anything.

 

Doin' allright though... kids are good, health is good, cholesterol + blood pressure are in check!  LOL.

 

thanks for the warm welcome.

 

Sounds like things are going well for ya, good to hear. I know what you mean about needing a break from HF, in fact I think all the HCers do. Music playing has always been my drug of choice, and it's gradually completely taken over my listening time but I still make time anyway every now and then. Got a giant box full of unused 12AU7/A variants that this thread has reminded me I should probably put to use at some point.

[TomB]

So my little earmax is due for a re-tube, so thats why I posted about GE tubes.  To further confuse matters, didn't GE do a LOT of off-shore re-branding?  they never actually manufactured 100% of their product right?

 

Nice to see you over here, too, Kramer!

 

I sort of disagree about GE and manufacturing their product.  At least with the tubes I deal with, and that includes some 12AU7's, GE pretty much manufactured everything.  Where it gets confusing is their relationship with RCA.  RCA re-branded GE's and vice-versa, but that's because GE created and then owned RCA during various periods and they always had an incestuous relationship.  That said, there are some GE's out there that are not really that good when it comes to audio - some of their 5-stars come to mind.  I was going to recommend a 5963 - that has always been my favorite 12AU7 equivalent.  It typically runs on a lot lower plate voltage than most 12AU7 variants (~70V), but the plates are still rated for 250V.  They're often ridiculously cheap compared to many 12AU7's.

[kramer5150]

SOLID!!

 

thanks Gents.  I'm not really reading anything negative at all about them, I'll definitely consider them in my search.

 

thanks again