[zybar]

Bill was kind enough to send me a few:

I just sent you a half a dozen tubes ,they include a Tung-Sol 6X4WA rectifier which is excellent. An E80CC which we like in the middle or you can try in the far right tube position. A Mullard D getter 12au7 which made Mullard famous, , a Hivac 1950's British tube maker they have a tendency to go microphonic but their beautiful rich tone is worth it, a 1952 Sylvania blackplate D getter and a Kenrad blackplate D getter. Try any combination of these tubes. I really love the Mullard and Hivac. These will take some time to burn in as I believe all are NOS but you will achieve the results you are looking for after a couple hours I would think.

Right now I put in the Tung-Sol, E80CC, and Hivac going left to right.

I will let these settle in and report back in the next few days.

GW

[maxwalrath]

I have a tungsol 6x4, a raytheon 5814 in the middle and a siemens e80cc on the right. I think I going to splurge on some real premium stuff, maybe $150 or so, from tubeworld in a few weeks. The tubes I have now cost $80 new, and I bought them for $60 from someone trying to sell them as a package with their minimax.

[Carlman]

From left to right:
Tung-Sol 6x4W w/ side getter

Raytheon 7720? w/ round getter

Amperex ECC82 w/ D-getter

This produces a natural and slightly warm sound while getting all the detail and well separated soundstage.  Imaging is excellent.

This combinations bests everything (other tube combo's and 4 other preamps) I've compared in palpability.  Playing James Taylor or other vocals yields a very life-like voice.  It sounds like he's there.  It's the last 2% that the other preamps just can't quite get to..

-Carl

[Bill O'Connell]

I believe the Raytheon tube that Carl is referring to is the Raytheon 7730 not 7720.  The 7730 is a fairly rare tube and the D getter version is the one to watch for but extremely hard to find.
 Regards,
 Bill

[zybar]

I want to state the obvious that Bill's custmer support has been outstanding and a credit to the industry.  

Regardless of whether I buy the Minimax for my system, I will highly recommend it to all people who ask.  

When you combine great customer service with a very good product it is an easy recommendation.

GW

[Jon L]

I have a tungsol 6x4, a raytheon 5814 in the middle and a siemens e80cc on the right. I think I going to splurge on some real premium stuff, maybe $150 or so, from tubeworld in a few weeks. The tubes I have now cost $80 new, and I bought them for $60 from someone trying to sell them as a package with their minimax.

What did you order from Tubeworld?  IME Raytheon 5814A square getter and Tungsram E80cc (sometimes labelled Siemens) ARE "real premium stuff."  

The only tubes I'm aware of that Might be better are Siemens 5814A from the 60's (rare) and Valvo 6067(much rarer.

By the way, is the middle or right position the "buffer" on the Earmax.  I do believe the Tungsram E80cc to work best in the "buffer" position...

[maxwalrath]

JonL, Honestly I'm not sure yet as to what I plan on getting. I don't know much about tubes.

I know that I had a Njoe Tjoeb cd player a while back, and they had what were supposed to be very nice tubes, a pair of Siemens 7308s I think. The original owner paid I believe $50 for them. These were better than 3 different sets I had tried at that point.

I ended up getting a Heart 6000 that came with a pair of premium tubes. I did some comparisons between the new Heart tubes and the tubes I was using with the Tjoeb that I thought were great...these new tubes SMOKED the ones I was using! They made a bigger difference than most component changes I've made, ever. No joke. Bigger than spending $400 on cables, bigger than the difference between my Dyn Audience 50's and Meadowlark Kestral Hotrods, bigger than the difference between the Tjoeb and the Heart. I really understand why people pay hundreds for a pair of tubes.

I'm unsure about the getter types I have now in the minimax. What I can say is that the difference between these tubes and the stock tubes, while worth $60, isn't the same "holy shit my system is now amazing and I can never go back to stock tubes" change I've experienced before. I don't think that change can be had at a price of $80 for three tubes...it would be more along the lines of $80 per tube, at least.

A little plug...I still have that pair of tubes if anyone is interested. They test at 80% and are the 7308 type. I would guarantee against DOA and give a cash back guarantee if not 100% satisfied.

Re. the buffer position, the e80cc sounds best in the right tube slot in my system.

Max

[nature boy]

Hey Folks,

Glad you are all groovin' on the Minimax.  I have tried about two dozen tube combinations in my little preamp.  The best one I have found to date from left to right:

Left slot - Tung-Sol 6x4 (highly recommended)

Middle slot - Valvo E80CC w/ gold pins (imparts a tight deep bass, wider soundstage and moves the soundstage forward a bit.  I found the soundstage and vocals too recessed for my taste with most 12AU7 tubes)

Right slot - Cryo treated 1970's Mullard 12AU7 (4003) "Box Plate w/ square getter.   A pricey addition to a $1195 preamp, but mid-range and vocals are to die for.

Overall sound quality - dynamic, exceptionally clean, w/ natural sounding mid-range and vocals.  If I want to to warm things up a bit, I put a Valvo or Telefunken 12AU7 in the right slot.  I sometimes prefer this with a particularly strident or edgy CD.

Enjoy this great little treat from Bill O'Connnell and Alex Yueng.  Now I wish I could hear that new Eastern Electric CDP - Bill, got your ears on?

NB