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The Dynaco Tube Audio Forum

Dedicated to the restoration and preservation of all original Dynaco tube audio equipment - Customer support for Tubes4hifi VTA tube amp and preamp kits and all Dynakitparts.com products


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GP49
TMadden
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    Telefunkens, Wow!

    TMadden
    TMadden


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    Telefunkens, Wow! Empty Telefunkens, Wow!

    Post by TMadden Sat Dec 31, 2011 2:57 am

    Hello All,

    Yesterday noon the mailman brought me a pair of very good used Telefunken ECC83/12AX7's for my VTA SP9 preamp. I had high hopes for them, as the SP9 has consistantly revealed the quality of each type of tube I have tried. I have progressed from JJ ECC83's to 12AX7EH's to Baldwin labled Sylvanias and now to Tele's in the phono stage and Baldwins in the line stage, and it just keeps getting better!
    First thing after installing the Teles I cranked the volume to full to listen to the noise level. The Teles are very quiet, and what noise there is is very smooth sounding, not as hissy as other tubes I tried. So I cued up the Fleetwood Mac "Dreams", wow! Stevie Nicks voice was more fleshed out, richer, more in the room, the reverb much more apparent. The next track is mostly guitar solo with Lindsy Buckingham singing, once again, his voice was fuller, more present, the guitar was spot on, harmonically richer and correct, just much more engaging. Next up was Alan Parsons I Robot LP, again the sound was richer, fuller, more revealing but smoother at the same time. Then I played Steely Dan, Aja, I was shocked! First track I played was Peg, it was like I have never heard it before! There was so much more detail revealed, so much more presence, the sound stage was huge and solid with so much detail i could barely take it all in! So then I cued up the track "Aja" and was just blown away. Theres alot going on in that track, and every detail was perfectly rendered, and in its own space. Again I heard details in the track I had never known were there, there was a triangle in the backround I have never heard before. Cymbals are super clean, less splash, more ring. In all, the sound is just entrancing, I'm going to be spending hours exploring my favorite LPs, and I have now ordered more, I can't get enough! Later today the mailman is bringing me more Tele's, going to put 4 in the line stage also. can there be too much of a good thing? Are there better tubes out there? Psvanes, or Mullards maybe?
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    GP49


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    Post by GP49 Sat Dec 31, 2011 1:38 pm

    Perhaps there was a good reason why David Hafler supplied his Dynaco PAS preamps with (Dynaco-branded) Telefunkens.
    Bob Latino
    Bob Latino
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    Post by Bob Latino Sat Dec 31, 2011 4:35 pm

    Not only are those Telefunken 12AX7's great sounding tubes, they usually last a long time too ... maybe 10,000 hours or more ... The only bad thing is that a lot of audiophiles know this and have pushed the prices of these great tubes up higher and higher ..

    Just be careful when you buy them because the Chinese have been known to sell "fake" Telefunken tubes. The box is virtually identical but ususally there are slight deviations from the original on the tube itself. Check the link below on fake Telefunken E88CC/6922 tubes ...

    Fake Telefunken E88CC?

    Bob
    Tube Nube
    Tube Nube


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    Post by Tube Nube Sat Dec 31, 2011 9:26 pm

    Can you suggest a good on line source for these Telefunkers?
    TMadden
    TMadden


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    Post by TMadden Sun Jan 01, 2012 12:11 am

    I bought my first pair from www.thetubeshop.com. They list a few different "grades" of used Teles.
    I'm confident they are genuine, the Telefunken printing is quite distinctive (white, chalky looking, wipes off fairly easy), they have the diamond on the bottom, the internal construction is correct. And then there's the sound! I have 8 more coming from a highly rated seller on eBay. The close up photos look good, he has nearly 1000 good feedbacks, so I'm pretty comfortable. I'll know for sure Tuesday!
    They sell for $45-50 and for good used tubes, up to over twice that for real "minty" ones.
    I'm OK with paying $45-50 for them, the sound is worth it, and like Bob said, they last for years.
    The two I bought still test at 80-85% after all these years, I have bought new tubes that didn't test as well.
    Tube Nube
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    Post by Tube Nube Sun Jan 01, 2012 1:28 am

    Thanks TMad',


    I've also got an SP9, which I think sounds great the way it came -- can't remember, JJ tubes perhaps? I'd rather not speculate on tubes, but knowing that Tele's sound good, I wouldn't hesitate at all to invest $100, or whatever, for the improvement.

    TMadden
    TMadden


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    Post by TMadden Sun Jan 01, 2012 3:14 am

    Ah, another SP9 owner! I sure like mine, experimenting with different tubes is great fun, you can tune the sound of the preamp to your preference. The Baldwin labeled Sylvania tubes sound great also, they were specially selected tubes for use in organs. They test very strong, have a lot of gain and are a very open sounding tube. The Teles are in their own class though. I have my first two in the phono stage, that's where they really shine!
    Roy Mottram
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    Post by Roy Mottram Sun Jan 01, 2012 3:33 pm

    thanks for the link Troy, I hadn't run across that supplier before, and they are less expensive
    than a couple of the other suppliers I've seen, which are very good, check these for comparisons:
    http://www.audiotubes.com/bjtubes.htm
    http://www.tctubes.com/
    be careful buying tubes (or anything) on ebay, check the number of feedbacks and rating,
    but definitely deals are available!
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    Tom


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    Post by Tom Mon Jan 02, 2012 7:21 pm

    I am the lowly (but exceedingly proud) owner of a SP-8.
    I have yet to purchase a pair of tubes that would cost more than I paid for my entire preamp.
    But that doesn't mean I don't want too...

    Very Happy
    Tube Nube
    Tube Nube


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    Post by Tube Nube Thu Jan 05, 2012 2:36 pm

    Oh wait, I think I lied -- I think my pre amp is actually an SP8, not a 9!

    Still, I imagine I'll still enjoy the improved performance of top-rank tubes like the Telefunkens.

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