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What are some favorite NOS 12AX7s for phono?

I recently bought a new phonostage here on Audiogon. I wanted something made right here in the States like my last tube preamp,so I pulled the trigger on one made by Jenison Audio;the Perpetuum model. I checked and he(seller: dividebytube) doesn't have one listed for sale right now, but I have been really happy with it. I have a VPI table w/ SME 309 arm, and right now I'm running a Dynavector 10X5 high opt. MC phono cart. I have tried Sovtek LPS 12AX7 tubes and liked the treble detail and "crisp and clean" sound they offer, but I am definitely looking for more of a 3-D sound. I am open to suggestions for NOS (or modern production) 12AX7 tubes that balance detail and warmth, sort of an "updated vintage" sound. I welcome any suggestions.
javastan
miner42
709 posts
 
You must relegate to the fact that if you want a quiet phono stage (especially a MC stage) cheap tubes are not the way to go. I suggest to email Jim McShane and get his take on what you might need. He ha never steered me wrong.
stickman451
553 posts
 
Check out Sophia's website for more info; they are located in Virgina I believe. Supposedly they go to the Chinese factory and cull-out the best testing 12AX7's as they come off the assembly line. They are a little pricey in my opinion but overall they are the best 12AX7 that I have run across. My Hovland eats phono tubes for lunch so I am replacing them quite often; gets a tab bit expensive. I am in the hunt now for an end-all top shelf tubed phono; I've tried the Audio Research Ref Phono 2 several times and it was very good. Looking at trying the EAR 912 also.

http://www.sophiaelectric.com/
stickman451
553 posts
 
And, I've had mixed results with the NOS 12AX7 Mullards; sometimes they are very good, other times they seem to go 'noisy' really quick. The Sophia's go noisy in my Hovalnd too but it takes significantly longer. The HP-100 does use a third tube in the phono, a 12AT7 and at the moment I am using a NOS Mullard there; best that I have found. Unfortunately, Sophia does not carry the 12AT7.
larryi
3,888 posts
 
I've heard various 12AX7s and 5751s in my own phonostage (Viva Fono), and that of two friends (a Tron phonostage and Hovland HP200). The closest to a "universal" 12AX7 (sounds good in all applications) was the Amperex Bugle Boy. That delivers a warm sound, but is not overly muddy and lacking in speed and dynamics. The Mullards tended to be mixed bags--in some applications it sounded phasey and muddled. 5751s are also reasonably universal, though they have lower gain than 12AX7s (about 70% of the gain of a 12AX7).

The tube I settled on for my Viva Fono phonostage is the Telefunken ECC803S. This is NOT a universal tube. It is extremely fast, clear, dynamic and tight sounding -- probably too much so for most applications.
stickman451
553 posts
 
Larryi,

not to high-jack this forum, but what's your run-down on the basic differences between the three phonos that you mentioned above? I am looking for a replacement for my HP-100 which I love but is just not quiet enough. I've auditioned the AR Ref Phono 2 and thought that it was very good; big, bold, plenty of detail, and lots of what I call grunt; extremely quiet too... Have you ever auditioned the EAR 912; that's on my listen-too short list?
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