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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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    clear top tubes

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    Post by Guest Thu May 08, 2014 6:04 pm

    So I've been wondering for a little while, apart from being clear top, what other difference/s are there between clear top tubes and 'standard' ones, do the clear tops have a getter?
    Would there be a marked difference in the 'sound' between a clear top and standard?

    ps I haven't yet seen a clear top in 'person'
    mantha3
    mantha3


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    Post by mantha3 Thu May 08, 2014 6:23 pm

    Clear top have side getter or dual side getters.

    I love Sonotone 12AX7 clear tops.  rugged and sound killer good.

    I like GE 5965 or other clear tops of this make.  Industrial solid build and performance is great.

    5965 is between a 12AU7 and 12AT7 gain wise
    corndog71
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    Post by corndog71 Thu May 08, 2014 10:13 pm

    I don't think they're any different in performance from other tubes. I'm willing to bet it was mostly a cosmetic decision. I have a pair of RCA clear top 12AU7 and they were decent sounding but nothing special.
    sKiZo
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    Post by sKiZo Thu May 08, 2014 11:46 pm

    I'm a fan of the RCA clear tops ... at maybe $10 a pop, you can pay a lot more for a lot less.

    RCA tubes in general are surprisingly good. Currently running a nicely matched pair of 1940's black plate foil getter 12AU7's for side drivers. Those have been in there for quite a while now. The getter's actually on the top of those.
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    Post by Guest Fri May 09, 2014 12:05 am

    sKiZo wrote:I'm a fan of the RCA clear tops ... at maybe $10 a pop, you can pay a lot more for a lot less.

    RCA tubes in general are surprisingly good. Currently running a nicely matched pair of 1940's black plate foil getter 12AU7's for side drivers. Those have been in there for quite a while now. The getter's actually on the top of those.

    yeah heard good things about RCA, so have been stocking up on RCA 12AU7, AT7 & AY7's. In fact been stocking up on a lot of tubes....ya never know ey!!  Very Happy 
    I am assuming by side drivers you mean in the ST70/120, I use 12BH7's in there, very nice!
    mantha3
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    Post by mantha3 Fri May 09, 2014 8:25 am

    7062 tubes are worth a try as are the GE 5965. these are a half inch taller and a bit more heater current. The heaters are 10,000 hour and the gain is around the 12Y7 I believe
    mantha3
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    Post by mantha3 Fri May 09, 2014 8:26 am

    mantha3 wrote:7062 tubes are worth a try as are the GE 5965.  these are a half inch taller and a bit more heater current.  The heaters are 10,000 hour and the gain is around the 12Y7 I believe
    built like tanks and sound excellent.
    Roy Mottram
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    Post by Roy Mottram Sat May 10, 2014 10:13 am

    I'm personally a huge fan of RCA clear top 12AU7s and 6FQ7s, I buy them whenever I can, to my ears (and a lot of other people) they sound better
    than most other affordable tubes (I say that to differentiate from expensive tubes like Telefunkens).
    sKiZo
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    Post by sKiZo Sat May 10, 2014 1:08 pm

    Tele-funk YES!

    Thanx for the reminder. Here's a set I haven't warmed up recently ...

    clear top tubes Drivers-002

    The Gulbransen are Phillips Holland in case anyone's wondering ... organ pulls ... Identical to the Heerlen (Amperex) Bugle Boy. Just change the screen on the label machine, and there ya go. Very nice combination with the Tele ... All later production, but still dang near as old as I am ... and you can tell how old I am ... I just said "dang" ... there ... I said it again ... dang!

    But back on topic, the RCA clear tops do give them a good run for the money. This particular combination tends to be a bit darker overall, which works well with my room.
    deepee99
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    Post by deepee99 Sun May 11, 2014 6:42 pm

    tubes4hifi wrote:I'm personally a huge fan of RCA clear top 12AU7s and 6FQ7s, I buy them whenever I can, to my ears (and a lot of other people) they sound better
    than most other affordable tubes (I say that to differentiate from expensive tubes like Telefunkens).

    I went for the more expensive and earlier RCA black-plate 6CG7/6FQ7 RCAs, but they are hugely harmonic and tough to hand-pick. For my money I would agree with Roy, you can't beat RCA clear-tops. Here's a caveat; RCA farmed out later manufacture of these tubes to Brazil to keep replacement parts up, and they show up on fleabay, but the QC isn't nearly as a good as the U.S. tubes. Make sure you're getting originals, triode-matched, about $100 a quad if you want the best. Compared with the new Russian tubes, the old clear-tops are like inflating a flat balloon. And they will last you until your hearing goes potty, 10-20 years I would think.
    Beautiful RCA "house sound." I don't think the Telefunkens or Philips are any better, at least in the SP-13, truth be told.

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