CAT Ultimate/Tube rolling

Hi All,
Heard the Mullard 12AX7 tube last night & wanted to share the experience:-
The Mullard was placed in position V8 & V9 (like the other 2 12AX7 tubes provided), which is the line-stage section for those familiar with this preamp.
* high freq extension is very good. Much like the Tele 12AX7. For the 1 1/2 hrs I listened last night with a limited set of CDs, I could not discern any glaring diff between the above 2 cited tubes.
* mid-range - glorious! I think that this is what Jafox had been "warning" me of. Esp. with vocals. The voices soar & there's a certain sweetness to the voice (bloom?). Slightly more than the Tele 12AX7. Listening to trios/bigband with vocals was a pleasure.
* mid-bass - weak in my system.
* bass - weak in my system.
These 2 ranges of the freq spectrum, the Mullard came up short vs. the Tele 12AX7, the 12AX7EH (that I've been using for 3+ years) & even the Ei12AX7. The Ei12AX7 lost big-time to the Mullard in the midrange but it did have very nice bass. I realize that the Ei12AX7 is not broken in.....
Anyway, the Mullard does have mid-bass & bass but it's light-weight in my system & the sound spectrum seemed tipped up. I know & I've heard that my system is capable of more. If I hadn't heard any other tube besides it, I would not have realized this. Unfortunately, I have!!
Since I like a balanced sound nearer to neutral than not, the Mullard would be a 2nd or 3rd choice, I'm afraid.
Anyway, that's the long & short of it. Sorry if I have stepped on your toes. FWIW. IMHO. YMMV.

Hey good report here. I think the results are another example as to the importance to try different tubes on our own components in our own system. And this is what makes it possible to tune a system to our own liking.

Last week, during a power cable audition with two local audiophiles, near the end of our listening session, we swapped the Tele 12ax7's in the Callisto to the Mullard. There was clearly more resolution on the top, not so much extension, but simply more presence of percussion brushes, with the Mullard than the Tele. I felt this was as big if not more significant than the huge cost increase of a few power cords we had swapped. I don't think any of us noticed a reduction in the mid bass or bass with the Mullard. So in the context of the Aesthetix Callisto, we all much prefered the Mullard but for now anyway, the Tele is the tube to beat in the Io. I hope to soon try Mullard vs. Tele in various positions in the Io as there are 12 12ax7 tubes in this beast and 6 more in the PS.

Bombay, when you get a chance please send back the Mullards as I want to loan this pair to one of the local guys. And then I am eager to play with the Io. You can play with the Tele and EI for as long as you like.

John

one more data point, guys & gals, if anyone is reading this out there:
i just tried the combination of an Amperex 7308,white label, USN-CEP, made in USA in position V6, V7 & a pair of Ei12AX7 in position V8, V9. Executive summary: simply excellent! :-)
this combination seemed to gel like a hand in a glove. At no time was I ever made to feel that the Ei12AX7 was not broken in. Somehow the house-sound of the Amperex (which I've noted to be on the slightly warm side) counter-balanced the accurate sounding Ei12AX7 for an overall superbly balanced sound.
I played a number of tracks from a number of CDs & I got it all, I felt: excellent hi freq extension & performance. i did *not* feel that it was rolled of at all *nor* did I feel that it was fatiguing. I got excellent mids - not the sweetness of the Tele 6922-Mullard 12AX7 nor that of the Tele 6922-Tele 12AX7 but pretty darned close to the Tele-Tele combination. I got excellent bass - plenty but *not* boomy. clear bass & several shades of it. Mid-bass made a strong recovery after what I heard in the Tele 6922-Mullard 12AX7 case. Overall, I was a very happy - the sound was just what the doctor ordered & it played to the CAT's strengths.

I never stated the music I've been playing in heavy rotation. So here it is if anyone cares:-
Diana Krall "Live in Paris"
Diana Krall "Steppin' Out"
Dee Dee Bridgewater "Dear Ella"
Bob James & Earl Klugh "Two of a Kind"
Duke Ellington & Ray Brown "This one's for Blanton"
Chet Baker "Chet" - JVC K2 recording
Art Pepper "Winter Moon" - JVC K2 recording
Robben Ford & the Blue Nile - I *think* that this album is self-titled
Albert King "I'll play the blues for you"

IMHO. YMMV.

old tubes are old tubes and cannot compete with new tubes.use electoharmonix and your cat will come alive 6922 electo and 12ax7 use the gold elites made in yugoslovia.i dont understand people that use 40 year old tubes and say they sound better thats impossible those have had forty years to leak and get weak

>>old tubes are old tubes and cannot compete with new tubes<<

Look for the closest 12 step program in your town.