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I recently purchased a tube from a tube dealer stated to be a NOS Mullard EZ81. I received the tube in a Brimar box, and in looking at the tube it looks more like some examples of Brimar EZ81s I have seen (I understand that Brimar and Mullard were alternative suppliers of the EZ81 to various NATO militaries). It has no date code visible and a halo getter.
Any tube gurus out there know is there any way to tell if this is a relabeled Mullard or is it really a Brimar?
Follow Ups:
My two cents worth:
If it was Mullard, I'd expect to see Philips production codes etched in the glass. So, based solely on that my vote is Brimar.
I assume you bought it to use it. I spent almost twenty years with a preamp that used either EZ81/6CA4 or EZ80/6V4. I cycled through every brand of those you can name, and the only one that made any appreciable difference in sound was the RFT EZ81. It subjectively added another octave to the bass. Deep, solid bass, noticeably better than any other rectifier I tried. The RFT's are really easy to spot too. The plates are stacked on top of each other at right angles to one another. And they used to be cheaper than the cachet names by fair amount.
If you're just collecting antiques, don't forget to find a U709. That's the one Genalex made. There's some pretty decent pictures of the various rectifiers of that type at The Valve Museum.
Thank you again Sondek for your advice some years ago!
Glad to know I didn't steer you wrong.
Even though I no longer use that tube, I remember what an eye opener that RFT was. I have to admit to some genuine skepticism that rectifiers could have that much influence on sound when I began rolling them.
The RFT let me know how wrong I was about rectifiers influence on the sound. Especially the bass.
.
Have Fun and Enjoy the Music
"Still Working the Problem"
true mullards should wear a typical mullard etched factory code - for example "R" for Whiteleaf factory plant or "B" for Blackburn.
Thanks for the follow up and appreciate the info and response.
I definitely bought it to use it. I tried the RFT previously and was not a fan - thought it sounded a bit thin and wasn't a fan of the treble (in an Ypsilon PST-100 MKII).
The Genalex / GEC u709s have unfortunately become unobtanium - I have seen a a few going for over $600 a tube now, if you can even find them. Some guy on usaudiomart was selling a couple for $250 back in April ($150 without box) and they were snapped up really quickly.
I agree with Sondek - that tube looks like a Brimar to me as well. You might want to try it (unless you intend to return it) since Brimar stuff can be darn good. Maybe you would prefer the Brimar to a Mullard?
I was surprised to hear you didn't like the RFT tube. I was fortunate to get hold of a couple hundred of them a few years ago and with about half of then now in customer's hands I have yet to hear anything other than positive comments about them. It seems that your system/your ears perceive things differently, so if I were you I'd try the Brimar. It might suit you very well.
Also, the tube in the pic sports the American designation 6CA4 in addition to the Euro EZ81. You probably know that Brimar stands for BRItish Made American Radio (BRIMAR). So, the inclusion of the American type number is another possible indicator that it's a Brimar.
Have you asked the dealer why it arrived in a Brimar box, and why he believes it was made by Mullard?
Thanks for the response. The ad noted that "Some tubes may be rebranded by other companies." I was expecting something like a Philips with Blackburn codes on it. I have emailed the seller for further info.
Shoot - meant this as a reply to Triode_Kingdom
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