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Any current production favorite 12AX7s for CAT phonostage? Also NOS

69.200.82.208

Posted by mark maloof on April 20, 2007 at 11:29:18

The EI12AX7s in my CAT preamp phonostage should be changed soon. While I will probably pick up another pair of EI tubes for the phonostage (since that is what Ken Stevens has voiced the preamp with), I'm curious as to what's out there now that people like for 12AX7s, esp. in phonostage (the ones in my line stage, also EIs, are new ones put in by Ken Stevens when he upgraded my preamp to MKIII status. The ones in the phonostage now are the ones that were in the linestage, they are ok for now, but aging and I want to replace soon.)

I also have a Hagerman Cornet I built with nice parts (great tube phonostage kit), I used this for a few weeks while the CAT was being upgraded, and I found I liked it with Sovtek 12AX7s (I know not liked here, but several people had stated that in the Cornet they sounded pretty good. I liked them there better than an EH12AX7 pair I tried.) I may try them, as well as the matched pair of EHs I have, but curious as to what is better.

Also, not completely averse to NOS, but $$$ and reliability issues. If I go the NOS route, I would probably deal with Jim McShane. I might just get four, and upgrade the linestage too, though the EI tubes in there sound fine so far to me. I have not thought about upgraded the 6922s yet (with the upgrade of the CAT, the 12AU7s went, replaced by 6922s.) I'll worry about that later.

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