First off:

Audiophile want to be's don't read this you are not going to like what you want to hear. Now then to business.. Telefunken is not the end all of 12AX7's or 12AU7's as you have heard. Your Ear is as different as every human is. So don't hop on the wanna-be wagon. I am a tech and repair vintage Hi-Fi and I have not met ONE person yet that tell the difference in alot of 12AX7 or 12AU7 branded Telefunken, Mullard, Philps or RCA etc vacuum tubes. D getter Halo getter, black plate grey plate, ribbed plate or smooth plate is alot of hype! Don't get fooled by the people who hype it all up.. sure I sell Telefunken.. why? It makes money why keep them.. a good RCA or General Electric tube sounds just as nice if it tests the same! (Make sence so far?) Further more alot of tubes that were branded Rogers which are really Philips! You may want to note this. Want to talk about Mullard?, That to is a Philips tube which in turn is a Rogers.. etc.. Even some of the IC Yugoslavian tubes were made on a Philips tube making machine.. so what does that tell you. If they are good its all good if they are bad.. well then they are trash. I have bought and sold tubes since 1977 and that should tell you something. I have MacIntosh, H.H. Scott, Eico, Dynaco, Heathkit, Knight,Lafayette etc and I know what I am talking about. Buy what you can afford. Don't let the NUTBAR audiophile wanna be's influence you! Trust your ears and buy accordingly. The key to this whole review is ... its all good if is checks good...... TRUST ME!