Batch of VERY microphonic Mullard reissue 12ax7

[mdlockyer]

Not sure about my exact motivation for this post, but I think it comes down to a blend of venting and warning. About a year ago I ordered about a dozen Mullard 12ax7 from TubeDepot and paid the extra couple dollars each for the “low noise and microphonics” binning on them. I’m finally getting around to using them and holy crap are they microphonic. In fact, they have actually redefined what a microphonic tube can be for me. I’ve had some in the past where you could hear a hard object tapping on them, but these suckers are like condenser microphones. I can literally hear my cat walking around the room through them. After swapping through the whole batch, every last one is identical in this behavior. Truly mind blowing, especially given that they were almost $36 a piece with the added binning.

Watch out with these things, and certainly don’t trust the TubeDepot low microphonics option. Cheers!

[Phil_S]

While it is easy to believe they will do nothing so long after purchase, the only thing you lose by contacting them is a little bit of your time. I urge you to do it. Just remember to be polite and maybe apologetic for waiting so long. You might not get what you are entitled to (a full refund) but you might get a little something. You don't know if you don't try.

[WhopperPlate]

Not sure about my exact motivation for this post, but I think it comes down to a blend of venting and warning. About a year ago I ordered about a dozen Mullard 12ax7 from TubeDepot and paid the extra couple dollars each for the “low noise and microphonics” binning on them. I’m finally getting around to using them and holy crap are they microphonic. In fact, they have actually redefined what a microphonic tube can be for me. I’ve had some in the past where you could hear a hard object tapping on them, but these suckers are like condenser microphones. I can literally hear my cat walking around the room through them. After swapping through the whole batch, every last one is identical in this behavior. Truly mind blowing, especially given that they were almost $36 a piece with the added binning.

Watch out with these things, and certainly don’t trust the TubeDepot low microphonics option. Cheers!

Even better when a brand new tube out of a matched and balanced burned in quad runs away on the bias , red plates , and pops the fuse

Can’t hurt to reach out to seller

[Stevem]

Remember your talking about Russian made tubes that even if you want to go back to a year and a half ago could not have been a new run of tubes.
They are likely the rejects TD had from just after COVID started

[mdlockyer]

Y’all have motivated me to reach out to them and see if there’s anything they can do. At very least I’d like to hear their thoughts.

[FUCHSAUDIO]

I am so done with these Russian tubes. Fifty different "brands" on the same poor quality stuff. The fake tube pandemic Mike Matthews started, just so he could raise prices.

[Stevem]

Other then JJ brand, in at least 20 years I have never seen a NEW strong testing 12AT7 out of EH/ Russian made stuff!

I always end up searching out NOS ones for use in long lasting reverb driver circuits.

[mdlockyer]

Other then JJ brand, in at least 20 years I have never seen a NEW strong testing 12AT7 out of EH/ Russian made stuff!

I always end up searching out NOS ones for use in long lasting reverb driver circuits.

I think I’m at the point where I’m only going to buy NOS or JJ. Never had a bad JJ… or a bad sounding one. Almost all of what I would consider to be my best sounding amps have long plate JJs in them. Awesome stuff.

[WhopperPlate]

Other then JJ brand, in at least 20 years I have never seen a NEW strong testing 12AT7 out of EH/ Russian made stuff!

I always end up searching out NOS ones for use in long lasting reverb driver circuits.

I think I’m at the point where I’m only going to buy NOS or JJ. Never had a bad JJ… or a bad sounding one. Almost all of what I would consider to be my best sounding amps have long plate JJs in them. Awesome stuff.

Let’s wait and see what at happens this summer at western electric

[Guy77]

If you do need to buy more of these particular tubes I would buy them from a different seller. I have had good luck with other sellers but I don't buy a ton of them since I have switched over to mainly JJ.

Cheers
Guy

[WhopperPlate]

Fwiw CEDIST is matching and swapping out my burnt power tube I mentioned earlier . They have a 90 day defect return policy . Happy