The best-rated vacuum tubes on Tube Maze, ranked by reader votes: preamp tubes, power tubes and rectifiers. Each list shows the top five tubes in its family (with at least three votes), so you can see at a glance which vintage and current-production tubes readers rate highest. Click a tube for its full listening review, or a heading to browse every review of that type.
Preamp tubes
Top-rated 12AU7s
- Mullard 12AU7 Long Plates Mitcham5.0 · 4 votes
- Brimar 12AU7 Clear Top Gray Plates4.8 · 5 votes
- BEL 12AU7 Short Plates India4.8 · 4 votes
- Sylvania CHS 5963 Gray Plates4.5 · 8 votes
- Mullard 12AU7 Short Gray Plates4.5 · 4 votes
Top-rated 12AX7s
- Siemens E83CC Triple Mica5.0 · 4 votes
- RCA 12AX7 Carbon Black Plates4.7 · 6 votes
- Tesla E83CC Gold Pins4.5 · 26 votes
- Mullard 12AX7 Short Plates4.5 · 10 votes
- RCA 5751 Black Plates Triple Mica4.5 · 15 votes
Top-rated 12AT7s
- Sylvania JHS 12AT7 Gray Plates 2 mica4.8 · 6 votes
- Amperex 12AT7 Bugle Boy France4.4 · 11 votes
- Telefunken 12AT7 smooth plates4.3 · 7 votes
- Mullard CV455/12AT7 D-getter Solid Plates4.3 · 7 votes
- Sylvania JHS 12at7WA Black Plates 3 Mica4.3 · 39 votes
Top-rated 6SN7s
- Sylvania CHS 6SN7W Metal Base4.5 · 13 votes
- Tung-Sol 6SN7GT Black T-plate Mouse ears mica4.5 · 17 votes
- Ken-Rad 6SN7GT/VT-231 Clear Glass4.4 · 5 votes
- Sylvania 6sn7GT Black T-Plates 3-holes Bad Boys4.3 · 34 votes
- Raytheon CRP 6SN7GT D-getter Black Plates4.3 · 7 votes
Top-rated 5814s
- Raytheon CK5814 Black Plates Triple Mica4.4 · 26 votes
- GE 5814 Black Plates Triple Mica4.1 · 21 votes
- CBS-Hytron 5814A Black Plates4.1 · 8 votes
- Ken-Rad (GE) 5814 Carbon Plates4.1 · 10 votes
- RCA 5814 Black Plates 3 Mica4.1 · 23 votes
Top-rated 5751s
- RCA 5751 Black Plates Triple Mica4.5 · 15 votes
- Sylvania JHS 5751 Black Plates, 3 mica4.4 · 12 votes
- GE 5751 5 Stars Black Plates4.4 · 13 votes
- Raytheon 5751 Black Plates Triple Mica4.4 · 8 votes
- Sylvania 5751 Gold Brand Gray Plates Triple Mica4.2 · 13 votes
Top-rated 6DJ8s
- Siemens CCa/E88CC O-getter Gold Pins5.0 · 4 votes
- Sylvania 6DJ8 Black Plates4.1 · 18 votes
- Amperex ECC88 D-getter Pinched Waist4.0 · 20 votes
- Brimar 6922/E88CC Gold Pins3.9 · 54 votes
- Amperex 6922 Pinched Waist D-getter3.8 · 21 votes
Power tubes
Top-rated EL84s
- Valvo E80L Gold Pins Holland5.0 · 4 votes
- Sylvania 6BQ5 Gray Plates4.7 · 3 votes
- Lorentz EL84/6BQ54.3 · 3 votes
- Ei EL84/6BQ5 Yugoslavia4.0 · 19 votes
- Reflector 6P14P-ER USSR3.9 · 73 votes
Top-rated EL34s
- Matsushita EL34/6CA7 Japan4.0 · 46 votes
- Tesla EL34 Red Base Czechoslovakia3.9 · 29 votes
- Mullard EL34 Russia3.8 · 18 votes
- Mullard EL34 Metal Base3.7 · 17 votes
Top-rated KT88s
- GE 6550 Triple Getter4.2 · 27 votes
- Svetlana SED Winged C 6550C Russia4.2 · 47 votes
- Shuguang Black Treasure KT88-Z3.7 · 65 votes
- Genalex Gold Lion KT88 Russia3.6 · 30 votes
- Mullard KT88 Russia3.5 · 94 votes
Top-rated 300Bs
- Takatsuki TA-300B4.7 · 19 votes
- Western Electric 300B New Production4.3 · 47 votes
- Sophia Electric Royal Princess 300B4.1 · 18 votes
- Western Electric 300B Round getter4.1 · 9 votes
- TJ Full Music 300B/N Mesh Plate3.8 · 46 votes
Top-rated 211s
- RCA 211/VT-4-C USA4.4 · 5 votes
- GE 211/VT-4-C USA3.9 · 17 votes
- Shuguang 211 tube China2.9 · 20 votes
Top-rated 6AS7s
- Mullard 6080 Mitcham4.2 · 22 votes
- Raytheon JAN 60804.2 · 10 votes
- Cetron 72364.1 · 13 votes
- Bottlehead Crack headphone amplifier4.1 · 14 votes
- Tung-Sol 5998 Top Getter4.0 · 41 votes
Top-rated 6080s
- Mullard 6080 Mitcham4.2 · 22 votes
- Raytheon JAN 60804.2 · 10 votes
- Cetron 72364.1 · 13 votes
- Bottlehead Crack headphone amplifier4.1 · 14 votes
- Tung-Sol 5998 Top Getter4.0 · 41 votes
Rectifiers
Top-rated rectifiers
- Brimar 5Z4G Hole Plates O-getter4.0 · 18 votes
- TJ Full Music 274B3.9 · 31 votes
- Sylvania CHS 5931/5U4WG3.9 · 30 votes
- Genalex GZ34/U77/5AR4 Russia3.8 · 45 votes
- Mullard GZ34/5AR4 Russia3.8 · 14 votes
Heard any of these? Rate the tubes you know on their review pages, and the rankings update with your votes.