(88 votes, average: 3.39 out of 5)
Loading...“I could hear instruments that is not obvious previously
“the clarity of the Psvane blew me away”
“very nice tubes they sound like my nos mullards but a smidgen cleaner”
4 thoughts on “Psvane 12ax7-T Mark II”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Having previously explored Psvane’s 300B, KT88, and 12AU7 offerings with mixed results, I was curious to see if the Psvane 12AX7-T Mark II could live up to its “premium” reputation. My initial impression was overwhelmingly positive; the tubes arrived in stunning packaging, complete with individualized serial numbers and matching test data sheets—a refreshing change from the dusty boxes of the NOS world.
However, the excitement faded once the tubes hit the bench. While one tube met the specified 1.9 GM, the second was a disaster, testing at 1.2 and a measly 0.6 GM. It was so weak that two of my amplifiers outright rejected it. After 24 hours in a tube warmer, the “contaminated” materials seemed to settle and the tube “came to life,” but this raised serious quality control concerns for a high-end product. Furthermore, the gold-plated pins are notably thin compared to Genalex or NOS alternatives, which could lead to seating issues in certain sockets. Even after a full 48-hour burn-in, the “matched” pair was no longer matched, drifting to 1.9/1.9 and 2.3/1.9 respectively.
Sonically, there is no miracle here. While they offer excellent bass, a wide soundstage, and impressive transparency, they lack the organic smoothness of a Telefunken. The midrange feels flat and clinical, reminiscent of old-school solid-state gear. There is a distinct lack of texture and nuance in vocals; while the detail is present, the soul is missing. The high end is sharp and fatiguing, making for a tiring listening experience over long sessions.
Final Verdict: The Psvane 12AX7-T Mark II is a decent step forward for new production tubes, but between the QC inconsistencies, thin pins, and dry, sterile sound profile, it is certainly no “NOS killer.” It’s a capable tube, but it still has a long way to go before it can be called truly great.
You are 100% accurate in your evaluation of the Psvane 12AX7T. It is very un-involving, very flat and SO DRY; the Psvane does not resolve subtle ambience cues in fine recordings and completely fails to deliver the EMOTION content of music. The Psvane sound never “moved me” in any way. It really has that “transistor in a glass bottle” sound… the Psvane 12AX7Ts made both my modified EAR 834P MM/MC phono-stage and my vintage Audio Research SP8 MK II sound flat, dull, lifeless…. like an Adcom GFA 535! Except because I needed TWO PAIR of Psvane 12AX7T for the Audio Research, I spent more on these Psvane 12AX7 tubes than an Adcom preamp would ever cost on the used market. I heard NO improvement over the basic China-produced $25/PAIR Shuguang 12AX7B when compared to these $80/Pair Psvanes! The real issue for me is that strong-to-NOS testing vintage Telefunken ECC83 tubes with smudged logos or Fisher and Dynaco logos , can be purchased for around $45 each on eBay, and they are superior in EVERY WAY to the Psvane. (BTW: Smart Shoppers– look for Telefunken/Mullard?Amperex/RCA tubes with a smudged logo but is still a great tube! One cannot listen to a LOGO.. or a tube box for that matter so one should not get too obsessive about logos and boxes!) An Ei ECC83 is another great NOS alternative. If you desire a better modern 12AX7 tube, I can personally recommend the Tianjin Full Music 12AX7. They really are great in my gear; they look quite similar to the legendary Mullard M8137/CV4004. These tubes are about the same price as the Psvane 12AX7T, but are really quite good, with excellent 3-D soundstaging and decent low level detail resolution. The Tianjins seem especially well-suited for phono-stage use. Another alternative is the Shuguang 7025. These are only about $14.50 on eBay when sold as “Shuguang 7025” and are absolutely a different tube from the Shuguang 12AX7B. If you need selected, low noise tubes, the Shuguang 7025 is sold by Tube Amp Doctor and also by the Tube Store in premium selected form; the Tube Store sells them as their “Preferred Series 7025” for around $25… for that price they are screened for low noise and low microphonics; for $5 more, they will sell one with low noise AND balanced sections. Tube Amp Doctor marks this tube up considerably more– they want around $40 for the EXACT same tube. This 7025 tube is an improved version of the “Mullard ECC83 Copy” made in China and sold by Groove Tube a few years ago. The new version has great sound AND great reliability. Either the Tianjin ECC83 or any of the China 7025 tubes is preferable to the Psvane… and the Tube Store “Preferred Series 7025” is a GREAT tube for only $25; I prefer it by far to the modern New Sensor Mullard re-issue 12AX7 by a huge margin and even favor it over the expensive Gold Lion 12AX7 reissue tubes in certain applications. Yes– it’s THAT GOOD!
As always opinions of tubes differ. I have been quite happy with the Psvane 12AT& tubes as preamp tubes in my Decware Mini Torii. They do require a long time to settle in. I’ll have to try the Shuguang 7025 and perhaps the TJ 12AX7. FWIW I never cared for Telefunkens. I have a pair of the Shuguang Nature or Natural series 12AX7’s and they are fine in my single ended TRK3488 amp. Are these better than the best, to my ear in my gear, old production? No, but so many variations of those tubes were produced and there are some duds there too. It is still good for all of that we have some decent new production tubes available.
Hi Les,
I have a pair of Psvane in a Rogue Pharoah with 105 hours on them now, they have a very full lower midrange/bass and aren’t very articulate in this region. You mention they require a long time to settle in, how long did you find this period to be and does for lack of a better term midrange bloat disappear?
Edwin