Aesthetix Rhea & Calypso Tube Upgrade

What do you guys consider to be an 'Expensive' tube(s) ?

I have the Aesthetix Janus, and in my system, I have purchased a brand new stock set of tubes from Aesthetix, and I've also purchased NOS Amperex and RCA tubes from Andy at Vintage Tube Services. I will say that for the phono section, I liked the sound of both sets just fine. For the Calypso portion, however, the stock tubes sound rolled off and therefore dead except at quite loud levels. The VTS tubes sound much better.

There is no best tube. Synergy is the key. In my Calypso, I liked the stock 12AX7 tubes with my warm McCormack SS amp and warm NOS Mullard tubes with the cool NCore digital amps.

Bob

I've never found a "regular" 12AX7, either current or NOS, that could compare sonically with (either) the RCA or Sylvania 5751 triple mica black plates. For more on these tubes, as well as 6DJ8/6922 and 12AU7, I strongly suggest you read the (classic) Joe's Tube Lore here: http://www.audioasylum.com/scripts/d.pl?audio/faq/joes-tubes.html

Old thread but current thoughts... I have had the Calypso and Rhea Signatures for a long, long time, tried most every band/type and find a 5751 RCA triple mica black plate to be the weapon of choice in my pre, with Amperex 6DJ8s. I utilize an NOS quad of Telefunken smooth plate 12AX7s (Amperex Bugle Boys were also very nice, perhaps offering just a bit of music sparkle (NOT overly tipped up at all)) in the first gain stage of the Rhea for their clean, top to bottom linearity and lack of added colour, and RCA 7058s (per Glenn at Aesthetix) in the 2nd stage (RIAA). The 3rd has far less influence on tone. I found a date matched pair of Telefunken 6DJ8 medical grade that are dead quiet (between the music of course) for the final sockets. Sounds lovely and very revealing.