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View Full Version : Questions about Telefunken 12ax7 tubes

ybe
11-01-2003, 05:22 PM
Hello all,

I ordered the tubed EQ unit discussed here (http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22083).

I'm going to replace the two Sovtek 12ax7 tubes with Telefunkens, and being a certified tube newbie I have some questions:

I'm going to get slightly used Teles. I'll look for the diamond on the bottom. The tubes don't have to be matched, or?

I got offered two NOS Telefunkens, but they haven't got the diamond. The guy selling these said they were made by Mullard. Expensive buggers too. About $90/piece. Your thoughts on these?

Are Telefunkens overkill on this unit, BTW? Any cheaper tubes out there I should consider?

Any suggestions, advice appreciated.


And finally, what the heck am I doing here on a Saturday night thinking about tubes?
Steve Hoffman
11-01-2003, 05:25 PM
Wait and see if you like the way the unit sounds stock before you invest in old tubes.

If you are thinking about Teles; they ALL had the diamond on the bottom. If it doesn't have the diamond, it's a fake. Any seller who is legit should know that.

Slightly used Teles are all over the place, branded "Fisher", "Dyna", etc. They are fine and don't have to be matched. They should cost you around 20 bucks each. They all have the diamond on the bottom....
ybe
11-01-2003, 05:29 PM
Wow, that was fast! Thank you, Steve.
audio
11-09-2003, 12:48 PM
Is there any sonic difference between smooth vs. ribbed plates?
Steve Hoffman
11-09-2003, 12:56 PM
Originally posted by prix
Is there any sonic difference between smooth vs. ribbed plates?

Ribbed, for HER pleasure.

I haven't found ANY sonic difference between the two but others claim they can hear a difference.

The smooth plates cost more money. I don't know why.
Gary
11-09-2003, 06:11 PM
Originally posted by ybe
And finally, what the heck am I doing here on a Saturday night thinking about tubes?

Because, my friend, you have finally been bitten "totaly, completely" by SH Forums!

Congratulations! :D
petzi
11-10-2003, 04:09 PM
Originally posted by Steve Hoffman
If you are thinking about Teles; they ALL had the diamond on the bottom. If it doesn't have the diamond, it's a fake.

This may be true for the 12AX7, but there are other Telefunken tubes which Telefunken bought wholesale from other quality manufacturers. They don't have the diamond but they are legitimate Telefunken branded tubes.

To complicate things further, some resourceful counterfeit producing shops in the Far East have gone so far as to engrave the diamond into non-Telefunken tubes. They also print Telefunken boxes etc.
Rivendell61
11-10-2003, 05:57 PM
Regarding the counterfeit telefunkens: are there any clues/tips for spotting the fakes from the real thing?
Steve Hoffman
11-10-2003, 06:32 PM
Buy from an honest dealer like UPSCALE AUDIO (see my homepage).

DO NOT BUY NEW OLD STOCK TELE 12AX7's if you are afraid of getting a fake. Buy slightly used Teles that are branded Fisher/Dyna, etc.

IMO the only good Tele tube IS the 12AX7 type. I don't give a damn about any of the others!
Ronflugelguy
11-10-2003, 10:56 PM
That's what I got in my Mac 240 right now is some Fisher Branded 12AX7's and they sound great!!!!!!!!!!
Steve Hoffman
11-11-2003, 01:45 PM
Originally posted by Ronflugelguy
That's what I got in my Mac 240 right now is some Fisher Branded 12AX7's and they sound great!!!!!!!!!!

Those are probably Telefunken. Such a magic midrange!

By the way, the reason Dynaco and Fisher and McIntosh used Telefunken tubes was not a quality thing, it's just that the Tele sales guys undercut all the other tube makers by practically giving them away.
petzi
11-11-2003, 05:51 PM
Some good images of the interior of legitimate Telefunken tubes would help in determining if you have a fake.
petzi
11-11-2003, 06:02 PM
I might add that the regular Telefunken 12AX7 is probably not the target of a lot of elaborate forgery, because it is not rare and expensive enough yet. There are other Telefunken tubes which are more sought after, and demand much higher market prices.
Ronflugelguy
11-11-2003, 08:12 PM
Originally posted by Steve Hoffman


Those are probably Telefunken. Such a magic midrange!

By the way, the reason Dynaco and Fisher and McIntosh used Telefunken tubes was not a quality thing, it's just that the Tele sales guys undercut all the other tube makers by practically giving them away.

Oh Steve, I forgot to mention that they are Tele's. :cool: