Prøv at brug denne vejledning. In most circuits it is used
as a class A amplifier per triode section. This tube has been, and
still is, widely used in the preamplifier stages of high fidelity audio
equipment, musical instrument amps, public address
equipment, and broadcast equipment. It was used in so many different
types of equipment that the vintage versions of this tube are still
available without too much searching. Like their cousin, the 12AX7, the
premium USA and West European brands are being hunted to
extinction, but there are still bargains to be had in other vintage USA
brands. Here is the list of what is available in the 12AU7 family:
12AU7 / 12AU7A:
The common USA version of this tube. The 12AU7 can only be used in
parallel
filament circuits. Like the 12AX7, this is not a hassle since virtually
all hi-fi tube amps are of the parallel filament design. RCA, GE, and
Sylvania actually made most of these tubes, regardless of brand on the
label. The early RCA version has ribbed flat black plates with a
top getter and a white label. Still available, and still a bargain
since everyone wants the "cleartops": 1960s versions that have
greyplates and the getter on the side, making the top clear. These
"cleartops" are currently the hottest selling 12AU7, and are still a
great buy at current prices. Watch this tube....I predict in 5 years it
will be as hard to find as the Telefunken smoothplate, and just as
expensive! The 1970s new logo version (and the late 1940s-1950s version
with the white label) of the RCA 12AU7 has greyplates and a top getter.
This greyplate RCA is about the best bargain you can get in a vintage
RCA 12AU7. The GE versions pretty much always used greyplates and a top
getter for this tube. The numbers are etched into the glass with a
pattern of dots
below the number. Don't miss trying the "organ stock" 12AU7 tubes that
were sold to organ manufacturers. These sweet tubes were screened for
audio use in organs, and have the organ brand on the label. Usually
sold at bargain prices because of the re-branded label, the RCA
cleartop and Raytheon blackplate versions are a great find! Tung Sol
made an early "blackglass" version in the late 1940s, which hides the
inside of the tube from view, and is very rare; later Tung Sol 12AU7
tubes look like early RCA greyplates inside. All of these vintage tubes
used a chalky label paint, and often the tube label is smeared or
partially rubbed off. This does not indicate use or poor quality.
Rather, it is an indication of a genuine vintage tube, and all of these
are excellent quality.
ECC82: This is
the European version of the 12AU7, and is identical to it. The brands
in demand are
Telefunken, Amperex, and Mullard. Telefunken tubes have a diamond shape
molded into the bottom of the glass. Both ribbed plate and the more
famous smoothplate types are available, just like the 12AX7, but are
being hunted down and soon may be an endangered species. Amperex and
Mullard have tiny date codes etched in the glass near the bottom of the
tube. The most popular Amperex are the Holland made Bugle Boy series,
with the tiny cartoon tube blowing a bugle on the label. They later
went to just a white label that said "Amperex", and then after that
used
the orange label with the world logo. The earlier Mullard tubes had the
word "Mullard" inside of a shield logo, later versions said "IEC
Mullard". Watch for the very rare long plate versions from the 1950s
available in most European brands. These had narrow plates that were
about 3mm longer than the 1960s and later versions. The earliest had
square shape top getter elements, late longplates have a halo top
getter. Even rarer are the Mullard and Amperex made CV491 longplate
square getter tubes, made only for the military. Most of these early
Mullard tubes can be spotted not only by the date codes and longplates,
but by the distinctive "wrinkle" glass, where the surface of the glass
tube is not smooth but rather has tiny wrinkles or sometimes an
eggshell texture. These are all tubes of unequalled quality, and are
worth the high prices they are commanding these days. Even used ones
will blow away any of the trashy tubes in production today. Vintage
versions again used the chalky paint, and frequently the labels on any
of these tubes are usually smeared.
CV491:A military
specification version of the ECC82. These are usually found in Mullard
or Brimar versions, but I have seen Siemens as well, and some made by
Amperex. This tube was made into the 1990s so careful selection needs
to be made. The best are the Mullard and Amperex longplates from the
1950s, which look identical to the longplate ECC82. Ei Yugoslavia made
a nice smoothplate version into the late 1980s which sounds
surprisingly good despite it's late vintage "East Europe" stigma
attached to it. Overall, these are a step up from the standard ECC82
tubes, since they have military specs.
5814: This is a
military spec tube. Sometimes the vintage GE versions may be labelled
JG-12AU7WA in white and have 5814 etched into the glass. These are all
low microphonic thanks to their rigid mica supports. Older versions
have a third mica spacer near the top. These "triple mica" versions are
in great demand today. The broadcast versions of this tube are the GE
5-star, and the RCA Command series. These vintage tubes have just
started to become a hot item, as NOS stocks of the West Europe types
become harder to find. These tubes can withstand many on-off cycles and
mechanical shock without a problem.
6189: This can
be both a military spec tube and a premium industrial tube. Often, the
military versions will be marked 12AU7WA in addition to having 6189
etched in the glass. The older vintage of these tubes are usually
blackplate with the extra "triple mica" spacer at the top. GE made this
in their 5-star line for broadcast. The RCA military 6189 is gold
lettered 12AU7WA, has blackplates, and extra support rods. These are
excellent step up tubes in the 12AU7 family, when you can find them!
5963: This is a
nice industrial type which is nearly identical to the standard 12AU7.
RCA made a nice blackplate version of this tube, Sylvania has a gold
pin version, and GE has it in their 5-star broadcast line. The plate
voltage rating is a little lower than for a 12AU7, but for most
applications, it will work fine. It has a rugged cathode and should be
long lived, similar to the 5814. Watch this tube, as it is plentiful
now and prices are low. As audiophiles discover it, the rush will be
on!
6680: Motorola
and GE are the brands you find most often with this tube, but RCA made
a nice cleartop version for a very short time. It is identical to the
12AU7, but has the added benefit of being able to withstand variations
in filament voltage without affecting it's output. This tube was
designed originally for two-way mobile radio use. It makes a fine hi-fi
12AU7 tube as well. Never as plentiful as other types, this tube is
rather scarce today.
ECC802: This is
a premium version of the European ECC82, with matched triode sections.
These are very rare in the USA, and often command very high prices.
E80CC:This
unusual European tube is basically an industrial type 6085. However,
it's specs are similar enough to a 12AU7 that audiophiles are grabbing
them up while the prices are still reasonable. The heater life is rated
at 10,000 hours, and some have gold pins. The larger box plate
structure gives this tube low microphonics and silky smooth sonics.
Some of the Philips Holland versions had the rare pinched waist, where
the glass dips inward and actually molds around the top mica plate,
giving the plates extra support and virtually eliminating microphonics.
Since this tube has a much higher Gm and Mu factor than a 12AU7, the
gain is going to be greater and this tube will give a more forward
presentation. Awesome in phase splitter applications. If in doubt,
check with your amp or preamp manufacturer to see if this tube will
work OK in your application. This tube is also about twice as tall as a
12AU7, so installation space in your chassis is a consideration as
well. These are out of production, rare, and getting very hard to find.
B749:This is
made by Genalex (Marconi-Osram Valve Co. of England) and is extremely
rare in the USA. The B749 is in the "Gold Lion" series of audiophile
tubes, and has the gold lion and gold script on the glass. Inside it
looks similar to a Mullard 12AU7, and has a red Genalex decal across
the bottom. These are said to sound the best of all 12AU7 types, and
this reputation, coupled with it's overall scarcity, has driven the
market price of this prize tube to extreme heights. Worth seeking out
as these may be the first out-of-production classic European tube to go
totally extinct over the next dozen years or so.
OK, SO TELL ME HOW THEY SOUND!!
A tough question if there ever was one!
The best advice is to get a few types and hear for yourself the good
sounds you have been missing. All of these vintage tubes are excellent,
much better than the Russian or Chinese yuck that is being made today.
When replacing any stock Russian, Chinese, or East Europe tube with any
of these vintage NOS types, you will notice immediately that the
midrange glare is gone. Gone too is that honky, boxy quality, and the
tiring upper midrange screech that current production tubes are famous
for. Here are some VERY GENERAL observations about some of these
vintage tubes:
TELEFUNKEN, SIEMENS, VALVO, LORENZ, and other German made NOS:
These tubes are usually characterized by an impressive open "air" at
the top end. The soundstage is large, even in mono applications these
tubes have a great 3-D image. The midrange is ruler flat, and the bass
is tight and accurate. For phono grade and critical high gain
applications, the Siemens Nickel Plate and the Telefunken smoothplate
or ECC802S are awesome. These tubes have a fine sense of dynamics, and
most are impressively quiet. These are not "warm" tubes, and to some
ears their lack of midrange warmth may be heard as bright. I tend to
think of them as accurate, and their clean, focused sonic image is
astonishing. My personal favorites.
AMPEREX, PHILIPS, MAZDA and other Holland/France/Belgium made NOS:
These tubes are a great balance of a clean, airy top end, nice midrange
warmth, and accurate bass. They are very pleasant, clean, and musical
to listen to in hi-fi applications. Unlike other clean European tubes,
these break-up impressively when overdriven in a guitar amp. The rare
longplate versions are the same, but with even more soundstage space
and detail. The Mazda adds a nice bit of dynamic punch to the sound.
MULLARD, GENALEX, BRIMAR, and other British made NOS:
Like a warm British jacket of the finest tweed, these glorious tubes
have an attractive sweet warmth in their midrange and lower regions.
The top end is silky and pleasant, without being rolled-off. The best
of these tubes retain a fine sense of "air" at the top, and the upper
midrange is smooth and liquid. These tubes reproduce the human voice,
especially female voices, with haunting realism. The rare longplates
and Genalex versions have an eye-popping huge soundstage, razor sharp
focus and detail, and an uncolored top end while retaining the warmth
of the lower priced versions.
RCA, RAYTHEON, GE, SYLVANIA, and other USA made NOS:
This group is very diverse. The RCA, Raytheon, and Sylvania blackplates
are among the best here. These are very musical tubes with air and
sparkle at the top end, warmth in the mids, and great bass. The RCA are
drop dead beautiful in guitar amps, even the lower priced greyplate and
longplate versions. They also have a wonderful "phat" gritty sound when
overdriven in these amps. Check out the RCA cleartops, they are a
knockout at their current price, about half that of a NOS European
tube! The blackplates and most tubes made for organs are very quiet.
The greyplate GE is an all-around nice-guy tube to listen to, the 5814A
here possibly getting the nod for hi-fi use. The Sylvania greyplate and
military versions are clean and a bit bright, but the 5814A versions
are very accurate. The RCA 5814A is more like the Mullard, with a rich
warmth and wide bandwidth. Currently, the USA made tubes are a nice
surprise with their low prices as compared to the European types.
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Edit: Tilrettet af moderator /Virious