It’s true 12AU7 has the lowest noise floor, as I’ve confirmed this with my SPL meter, but all 12AU7 and 6xxx tubes have differing sound profiles.
In my case, the 6922 are silent enough that I can’t hear the noise from my seated position, but sounds better to me than its sister Gold Lion B749/12AU7.
Have you had the opportunity to compare the new Gold Lions to NOS Telefunken?
Sadly, no. I looked for a good deal and gave up. They’re so expensive these days.
Yeah but so worth the while…like a good filet mignon
Nos Telefunkens particularly the triple micas will
probably outlive your gear and even you…
In the 80s I acquired a mid 60’s Fisher 800c and 800b.
all the small signal tubes are still quiet and perform
superbly. Even after who know how many years and
hours left on carelessly…and having tried the new issue
Gold Lions…the Gold Lions are good but nowhere near
the nos Teles, RCA, Sylvanias, GEs, TungSols of that era.
This is comes from my own use with them…
New tubes just don’t measure up to vintage NOS IMO.
Yep…just look at all the tube issues on this forum from low hours
life span to premature noise…
Many of the 50s-60s tube manufacturers still had very high tolerance
quality of material standards required for reliability in WWII and cold war
era…Imagine tubes used in vital communication, and crazy as it may seem
these tubes had to survive space shots, high vibration, shock, and also
ballistic missiles and satellites.
To be fair though a dumpster sized loads of those tubes were trashed
because they failed post production testing and had to be scrapped.
New manufacture simply don’t have to live up to these higher and tighter
required standards save a very very few ruskie tubes. Chinese tubes an unknown.
Given the current world affairs quality of tubes coming our way may be less
than desireable.
I’ve been going after a few vintage tubes lately. Most specifically Mullards, but not exclusively.
Are people using the same tubes in their amps as in the pre for PSA stuff?
The use of vacuum tubes in audio gear isn’t real demanding either. The tube is pretty much good or its bad. I have a couple of hundred tubes in my collection. All of them have been tested with an old tester I have. My two ampsandsound headphone amps each use dual 1626 octal output tubes. These tubes were used in the 40s for radar installations.
Many of the tubes I purchased were NOS purchased at junk supply places, or are pulls from things like a 60’s or 70’s oscilloscope (6DJ8). My tube stock is from a variety of sources. My best dealer source was erscvacuumtubes.com, but the owner has since passed away. He didn’t charge the prices like the tube merchants (e.g., Upscale).
I don’t have any tubed PSA gear.
Two Ampsandsound headphone amps, a Kenzie and an Encore
Also own an Audio Horizons tube buffer that use 6DJ8 family tubes.
I’ve been using the 7DJ8 Tungsrams for over 12 months and no hiss, no clicks (other than from the relay. Been happy with the performance over the stock. I did live with stock tubes for close to 12 months. I do have the BHK 300s so I’m not sure if that has anything to do with the lack of hiss. I do believe that good matching is important.
I’m not even sure what I would change to next time!
Cheer
Kevin
It’s luck of the draw. Nearly all tubes have good examples and bad examples.
Good luck when it comes time to replace them. It can be quite the up and down journey. In fact, I would leave well enough alone for at least another year unless you notice the quality suffering.
The BHK is exceedingly sensitive to matched sets. A touch out and they hiss or worse.
Nice stach.
They can add up, I have two chester drawers full of tubes to circulate through my 1 phono, two pre and 3 power tube amps, not counting the PSA stuff.
“Chester drawers”…love it! I’ve never heard that one before.
Chester Drawers was a very successful men’s haberdasher, specializing in pants. 
Did you try the Siemens CCA’s?
It’s very common usages for an upright dresser here in the mountains of Upper East TN, I guess many regions of the world has their own name and sayings for things. 
I ordered a new set of platinum matched & cryoed Genalex Gold Lion 12au7’s from Upscale Audio and I have to say they’re as good as any tube I’ve tried. I’ve tried numerous NOS tubes; Telefunken 7dj8, many 6dj8, many 6922 & 7308, & Russian equivalents and the new Gold Lions are the equal of any of them. They are definitely better than the stock Psvane tubes that came with the BHK. (I’ve not tried CCA’s but I"m just not going to spend that much for tubes.) They have excellent tonal saturation and detail resolution.
The Ccas are worth the investment.
