The Tung-Sol 12ax7 Black Plates are truly a rare find, becoming about as scarce as smoking in a restaurant these days—and let me tell you, this tube is absolutely “smoking” in its own right.
While you might expect it to mirror the classic RCA black plates, it carves out its own distinct identity. It offers a profile even richer than the RCA, delivering that signature chocolaty tone but with an added complexity—think of it as a shot of strong coffee softened by a heavy pour of thick cream. The result is a superbly smooth and musical experience that eliminates any hint of harshness or sharpness.
Even on tracks I’ve heard hundreds of times, the level of detail and newfound smoothness was staggering. It’s a remarkable piece of engineering that feels almost like black magic.
Final Verdict: Highly Recommended. This is a top-tier choice for anyone seeking a detailed yet liquid-smooth vintage sound.
I have to agree 100% with nick on this tube–The black plate TungSol 12AX7 with the “Bent rectangle” shaped getter is a fantastic 12AX7 tube that is STRONG competition for the best European type ECC83s! TungSol has an unmatched level of resolution, transparency, and immediacy. Whereas the RCA blackplate is slightly richer in texture only in the midrange, the TungSol outperforms the RCA in every other way, especially as far as soundstaging and the previously mentioned transparency. I would take the Tung Sol over the RCA for ANY application. The only downside? The TungSol blackplate is one of the RAREST 12AX7s on the planet! But if you find one, you will love it. This is a very “fast” sounding 12AX7 in the best high-fidelity tube equipment. With a pair of blackplate TungSol 12AX7s installed in V1 and V2 of my Hagerman Cornet2 custom phonostage, my reference-quality LPs take on added nuances and subtle shadings that I simply do not hear with lesser 12AX7s. For instance, on my original 1st pressing of Ray Charles “Genius Plus Soul = Jazz” on Impulse records (fantastic music and reference sonics; a 10/10 LP) with the blackplate TungSols I can hear the sharp crack of the snare drum in full detail, but I can also hear the slight overtones of the wood of the drumsticks themselves resonating from the tight cymbal, snare, and floor-tom work that characterizes the tight percussion on this early Quincy Jones’ arranged recording. Also present with the TungSol blackplate 12AX7s in the phonostage are subtle cues that reveal the size of the studio itself..such as the almost inaudible echo of the louder horn fills that echo ever so slightly off the studio’s well-damped walls. It’s present at a low decibel level as compared to the main recording, but it’s there… and fully audible with great 12AX7s like the TungSol black plates! I firmly believe that TungSol is terrifically UNDER appreciated on the whole as far as tube companies are ranked; TungSol makes many of my favorite tubes.. from their legendary 6550s to their 6SN7s; they made “the good stuff” . The blackplate TungSol 12AX7 is one of the all-time greats!!
The Tung-Sol 12ax7 Black Plates are truly a rare find, becoming about as scarce as smoking in a restaurant these days—and let me tell you, this tube is absolutely “smoking” in its own right.
While you might expect it to mirror the classic RCA black plates, it carves out its own distinct identity. It offers a profile even richer than the RCA, delivering that signature chocolaty tone but with an added complexity—think of it as a shot of strong coffee softened by a heavy pour of thick cream. The result is a superbly smooth and musical experience that eliminates any hint of harshness or sharpness.
Even on tracks I’ve heard hundreds of times, the level of detail and newfound smoothness was staggering. It’s a remarkable piece of engineering that feels almost like black magic.
Final Verdict: Highly Recommended. This is a top-tier choice for anyone seeking a detailed yet liquid-smooth vintage sound.
I have to agree 100% with nick on this tube–The black plate TungSol 12AX7 with the “Bent rectangle” shaped getter is a fantastic 12AX7 tube that is STRONG competition for the best European type ECC83s! TungSol has an unmatched level of resolution, transparency, and immediacy. Whereas the RCA blackplate is slightly richer in texture only in the midrange, the TungSol outperforms the RCA in every other way, especially as far as soundstaging and the previously mentioned transparency. I would take the Tung Sol over the RCA for ANY application. The only downside? The TungSol blackplate is one of the RAREST 12AX7s on the planet! But if you find one, you will love it. This is a very “fast” sounding 12AX7 in the best high-fidelity tube equipment. With a pair of blackplate TungSol 12AX7s installed in V1 and V2 of my Hagerman Cornet2 custom phonostage, my reference-quality LPs take on added nuances and subtle shadings that I simply do not hear with lesser 12AX7s. For instance, on my original 1st pressing of Ray Charles “Genius Plus Soul = Jazz” on Impulse records (fantastic music and reference sonics; a 10/10 LP) with the blackplate TungSols I can hear the sharp crack of the snare drum in full detail, but I can also hear the slight overtones of the wood of the drumsticks themselves resonating from the tight cymbal, snare, and floor-tom work that characterizes the tight percussion on this early Quincy Jones’ arranged recording. Also present with the TungSol blackplate 12AX7s in the phonostage are subtle cues that reveal the size of the studio itself..such as the almost inaudible echo of the louder horn fills that echo ever so slightly off the studio’s well-damped walls. It’s present at a low decibel level as compared to the main recording, but it’s there… and fully audible with great 12AX7s like the TungSol black plates! I firmly believe that TungSol is terrifically UNDER appreciated on the whole as far as tube companies are ranked; TungSol makes many of my favorite tubes.. from their legendary 6550s to their 6SN7s; they made “the good stuff” . The blackplate TungSol 12AX7 is one of the all-time greats!!