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Vintage threads from the first ten years

sovtec 12AX7LPS

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5/4/1999 12:57 PM
Gus	sovtec 12AX7LPS At the TDP there was a post about a new sovtec 12ax7lps the lp standing for long plate. Does anyone know any thing about this? Gus

5/10/1999 8:22 AM

There is a full page ad for the new sovtek 12AX7 LP on the outside back cover of the latest issue of Glass Audio magazine. It's in the form of a letter to Mike Matthews from some gents at VTV magazine who did some testing on it. They report that characteristic curves produced on a Tek curve tracer had good linearity, indicating a well made tube. Listening test opinions compared the new tube's sound favorably to some of the recognized classics. Their conclusion was that, with the exception of some prime NOS stuff, this new tube is the best 12AX7 on the market.

I haven't tried, or even seen, one of these -LP versions yet. If they are built well, out of good quality (high purity) materials, they may actually prove to be a good tube. They may sound good when new, and develop the same random discharge noise, like we're familiar with in the -WA & -WB sovteks. Hopefully they've done a better job this time.

There's a smaller reader service ad on p.78 of the same mag, mentioning some qualities like low distortion, high dynamic range, low microphonics, and that they work great in DC filament applications (does that mean it's not that good on AC?). They list the website address www.sovtek.com, so there's probably some information about price & availability.

5/10/1999 8:28 AM
Doc	Sorry, I should have gone to the website before I hit "Post". The 12AX7 LP is listed for $14.30 (same as a 5881). The -LPS version has spiral wound filament for use w/ AC heaters, and is $15.50. They better be good!

5/10/1999 7:02 PM

Doc:

    The prices listed for other tubes at Sovtek/New Sensor are a lot higher than I'd been paying so when they are available through the normal channels they should be considerably cheaper...

    BTW I was surprised to see the discontinued 12AX7WB listed for $11.20. For the intermediate stages in a higher gain preamp section I haven't found a tube that I like better! (That would be like V2 in the Peavey Classic 30 or 50.) Although I may "waffle" back and forth between the Sovtek WXT+, the Yugo EI 12AX7 and the GT ECC83 for the initial preamp tube in any of my amps, I always put in a Sovtek 12AX7WB for the #2 position... I still have a few left but I better get some more while I still can!

    Thanks for the link!

Steve Ahola

5/12/1999 5:43 AM

Yeah, we've got 'em ($9.95 each). They look like old Siemens German ones, or like really old (1950's) GE's. While I think the price ought to be lower, at least they're making something that resembles and ought to sound something like an NOS 12AX7, which should keep the price of the extant NOS stocks from going even higher, also, since it looks like the Ei 12AX7's may not be made any more, might be a good alternative to that , too.

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