Those Mercurial 12AX7s



The 6922/6DJ8s are pretty normal acting preamplifier tubes. If they sound bad, they sound bad no matter what the application: preamp, tube buffer etc. Same with 12AT7s / 12AU7s

Not so with 12AX7s. 12AX7s are, well just plain weird.

Take the Sovtek 12AX7LPS. Its common knowledge that I am not a fan of Sovteks. My initial suspicion occurred when a guitar player said, “Yeah, I like those tubes, they distort the sound pretty good”! Ok – so this is where Vic and musicians part ways. The 12AX7LPS though is a phenomenally great preamp tube. It has a great low end and a warm midrange without smearing things together a la JJ Tesla. Place the same Sovtek 12AX7LPS’ in a Doge 6 CD player and it is just plain awful. Place them in the Shuguang CD player and it breaks free form its Jolida roots and sounds articulate. Put in back in the Ming Da MC 7R – don’t do it to me - yuch!

Then there is the GT Mallards Replicas. In the Doge, Shuguang and Ming Da amps, just wonderful. So So in the Doge 6 CD player and too much Jolida in the Shuguang CD player.

Then there is the JAN 12AX7WA - My favorite all around tube which even makes a C&Y*N amp (you do the math) sound good. So go figure. I have never heard these tubes sound bad, they sound good although do not have the spectacular presentation that the Mullards or Sovteks do.

The JJ Teslas do not excite me no matter where I put them.

I have not heard the Tung Sols – I know, I Know , I will let you know when I do.
Then, we also have the 5751s – yikes!

All the Best,

Vic