2 thoughts on “Mullard 12au7 Short Gray Plates”

1. This tube doesn’t need an introduction – It’s Mullard! Although not as popular as its big brother 12ax7, 12au7 is holding its own when it comes to sound. Very good bass and mid-bass – tight, structured and textured. Vocals is the strongest side of this tube – nice touch of warmth – may be a bit too much, but for some compositions specially with mail vocals this is the tube. Female vocals on the other hand come through as being too thick being overpowered the the amount of mid-bass. Very nice and chocolaty sound. High frequency as expected is rolled of much earlier than in a lot of other tubes. What surprised me in the tube is the amount of air – it’s very uncommon for a tube with reach sound to have great air around instruments. Not being well balanced, with emphasis on bass, this tube is not a great tube for all types of music, but would work beautifully with old recordings. RECOMMENDED.

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2. I put in a matched quad of the CV491 version of these from 1963 (about $100/tube). Boy they sound GOOD. Very liquid, yet still dynamic. They bring power and authority, yet they’re very smooth.. Tons of detail, especially in the mid-range. The layers in the mid-range are astonishing. These tubes create soundscapes that fill the room with beautiful music. They bring beauty, magic, AND aura. The soundstage is very large. The bass hits hard and it’s accurate. I have no problem with the highs. The seem sweet and pleasant to me. They could very well be rolled-off, but it’s not bothering me a bit. My favorite tube right now. Better than the CV4003, which is a bit more aggressive.

   Mullard CV491 1963 Short Plates – 5 Stars
   That being said, a matched quad of the CV491 1955 long plates are in the mail right now, so there’s familiar competition on it’s way….

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