Anyone heard the Mullard 12AX7 reissue?

[technobear]

Well after mucho tube rolling the "best" 12AX7 variants I have heard are NOS GE 5751...

I'll second that.

[hal55]

Unfortunately the output of a 5751 is too low to use in the Yaqin, which apparently only works properly with high gain tubes. From checking prices it's clear the "$5.00 rule" on tubes is long gone (you should never pay more than $5 for a tube, and preferably get two for that price).
The Yaqin I'm finding a surprisingly fun listen now that it has about 30 hours on it. NO hum whatever (unlike the GS2 I had a loan of beforehand) and it doesn't get in the way of the music. Much as the GS2 could be utterly rivetting, it could never just sit there and sound lovely, I was always keenly aware that it was putting it's own big screen technicolour flavour on the music. By contrast, the Yaqin, though not the cleanest or most transparent pre by a long way, is doing everything I could reasonably expect for it's cheap price and more besides.
Now if only I could put those Genulex Gold Lions in it, they sound a gorgeously harmonically rich tube. Bit pricey though, for less money the Mullard RIs still look good.

Hal55

[goraman]

I would go Tunsol or Tad before getting the Mullard.
I use the reisse Tungsols in my Dac and they are amazing.

[hal55]

Oddly enough so do I! The 6922 versions anyway.
Just on a sort of a nostalgia trip and wanting to check out the Mullard legend.
Must also admit though that the Pavanes in my preamp are stunning as well, so nostalgia might get the heave ho in favour of stuff I know works.

Hal55

[awkwardbydesign]

Hi, Hal. So was it worth the money then? I was going to offer to send you some ECC83s to try, then realised where you are! It has been suggested to me that NOS Telefunkens are the way to go, but that would cost as much as the amp. I have a pair of Mullard M8137s in mine, but I would like to try something fancy; no cash though.

[Riislingen]

.(snipped).. I have a pair of Mullard M8137s in mine, but I would like to try something fancy; no cash though.

Oh dear, doesn´t get much more fancy than those box plates - in my opinion the best by any measure

[hal55]

Odd, on the tubestore website they state that the Tungsols are:

"These tubes are great for linestage preamps, but generally not phono stages where a very low noise floor is required"

I was under the impression they were very low noise. Anyone agree or disagree with tubestore on this?

Quite enjoying the Yaqin, it's very nearly as good as my 30 year old Craft Audio phonostage (that was a lovely unit) that I had to sell to fund a new preamp. Hoping that better tubes will push the Yaqin past that level and quite happy to have a bit of surgery done on it as well.

[goraman]

Odd, on the tubestore website they state that the Tungsols are:

"These tubes are great for linestage preamps, but generally not phono stages where a very low noise floor is required"

I was under the impression they were very low noise. Anyone agree or disagree with tubestore on this?

Quite enjoying the Yaqin, it's very nearly as good as my 30 year old Craft Audio phonostage (that was a lovely unit) that I had to sell to fund a new preamp. Hoping that better tubes will push the Yaqin past that level and quite happy to have a bit of surgery done on it as well.

Yes and No,
I have used them in my old phono stage and use them in my Dac now so I can speak from those applications.

They are very quoit and have a very low noise floor, not quite as low as the Sovtek LPS but very low and some are dead quoit if your willing to sort through 5 or 6 to find the one that is perfect.

[goraman]

Odd, on the tubestore website they state that the Tungsols are:

"These tubes are great for linestage preamps, but generally not phono stages where a very low noise floor is required"

I was under the impression they were very low noise. Anyone agree or disagree with tubestore on this?

Quite enjoying the Yaqin, it's very nearly as good as my 30 year old Craft Audio phonostage (that was a lovely unit) that I had to sell to fund a new preamp. Hoping that better tubes will push the Yaqin past that level and quite happy to have a bit of surgery done on it as well.

Read this,they are not offered in driver grade because they are so quoit.

http://www.upscaleaudio.com/tung-sol-12ax7-gold-pin/

[hal55]

Which brings me full circle to the Mullard reissues!
Thanks for the link, very interesting.
Actually need to thank my wife who divined that Mullards would be my best choice after doing a tarot reading for me (true - believe it or not).
Hal55