Stereotypes : do they really fit? Tube Brands not people.

[goraman]

I was giving some thought today how we assume any given tube made by Mullard will sound warm,Telefunken's are fast and lively, All Japanese tubes are crap, ect...
Really every Western Electric will be truly amazing?
300B, EL84,2A3 will a RCA 12AX7 sound the same as a RCA 12AT7 even though they are completely different in construction?
I have been surprised by tubes no one raves about in 12AT7, and not been impressed by brands people tend to covet.
I would like to hear peoples thoughts on this?
I get alot depends on where it is used and the circuit it's used in, but in any given circuit where the tubes voice is heard line the input pre amp section rolling a collection of tubes have you ever said that Mullard doesn't sound the way it is rumored to sound or I like the Westinghouse better than the Amprex ?

Sure there must be others that have been surprised buy Brands that don't get a lot of love.
Is it crazy to expect that the 10,000 different tubes made by any given manufacture would all be voiced to sound exactly the same ?
Alot of these tubes where not even designed with Audio in mind.

[anthonyTD]

Good post,
And to a degree, I sympathise with you, as far as how certain brands and types have been pigeon holed into sounding a certain way etc, Alot will depend on the equipment the valves are being used in for the majority, but I know from experience that are are a few types that do indeed have such a prominent character, that its hard to ignore, in what ever piece of equipment you fit them in.
I was giving some thought today how we assume any given tube made by Mullard will sound warm,Telefunken's are fast and lively, All Japanese tubes are crap, ect...
Really every Western Electric will be truly amazing?
300B, EL84,2A3 will a RCA 12AX7 sound the same as a RCA 12AT7 even though they are completely different in construction?
I have been surprised by tubes no one raves about in 12AT7, and not been impressed by brands people tend to covet.
I would like to hear peoples thoughts on this?
I get alot depends on where it is used and the circuit it's used in, but in any given circuit where the tubes voice is heard line the input pre amp section rolling a collection of tubes have you ever said that Mullard doesn't sound the way it is rumored to sound or I like the Westinghouse better than the Amprex ?

Sure there must be others that have been surprised buy Brands that don't get a lot of love.
Is it crazy to expect that the 10,000 different tubes made by any given manufacture would all be voiced to sound exactly the same ?
Alot of these tubes where not even designed with Audio in mind.