Yes, you got it! I would love to hear your feedback on them!
Thank you, the order has just placed! I’ll keep you informed and maybe I can share a comparison sheet with as usual my personal parameter numbers.
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Nice!
I now have three pairs of Telefunken “Mazda” 12au7 NOS. The NOS tubes should be “brand new”, but I found some may be slightly used but tested well. Because one pair took one hundred hours to break in, and one pair only took one hour. I guess the only way to find out if these old tubes are never used is to play them. They all have the same sonic signatures, but they sound a bit different from pair to pair also. So, you do not know what you will get when buying NOS. Mine all sounded better than any other tubes I have in my system so these are worth it.
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Still waiting for my tubes, I suppose 1 week more is needed.
I’m curious to test them even if tube rolling into the M1200s chassis is a real PITA. I’ll keep you informed.
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Luca, once you burn in the Mazda tubes (hope you like them), try this setting to your P20 setting: MW Strength 4 and Auto Phase 0. Let me know if you like it better than Sine.
Since your system is similar to mine (with the biggest exception: Analog vs. digital), that I could make this suggestion. In the past I liked Sine a little better, but MW 4/ Tone 0 sounds quite a bit better now. The focus, clearness, and separation are the major improvements. Let me know if this makes any difference to yours.
Hi Donald,
thank you once more, I recently had hard work days (an expensive hobby like this requires to care my job more and more intensely, sometimes), so haven’t yet had the opportunity to install the Telefunken/Mazda tubes which already arrived 2 days ago.
‘Unfortunately” since Sunday morning I’ll be away a week with my wife for vacations to Sardinia island (an intensive period of hard work requires to care my wife’s expensive needs and desires, included SPA sunbathing and romantic dinners in a paradisiac place on the beach) and I will not be able again to roll my new tubes for a while.
And the new short XLR Dragon cable is coming next week, too. Why most important shipments are sometimes so coincidentally unorganized? It’s the typical adverse audiophile destiny!
You are right anyhow, I’m using SineWave and Auto Tune “0” so before the holidays take off I will give to Multi/4 level a try on P20. And also after the tube will be rolled of course.
Edit: all AQ noise stopper caps are still away from my system, thank you for your advise, I find this choice would be definitive!
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Go on nice vacation with loved ones are always worthwhile. I enjoy the music more after vacation, and that goes with after arduous work too.
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If there is one place the caps might work, it is the caps on RCA inputs at the same location at your XLR inputs (for example, at pre input 3 that has both XLR and RCA inputs). Anywhere else they hurt more than help, but I am really not 100% sure about this either.
{Edit: Okay, this did not pass my daughter’s “reality” test. In fact, she heard better without caps on here}
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Hi Donald, MW/4 on P20 in my actual system doesn’t work as good as SineWave setting. An exaggeration on bass with unnatural forced resonance is compromising the sound.
Still have Gold Lion on M1200s and stock fuse into the P20.
Maybe with the NOS telefunken/mazda tubes on board this setting will provide better results, following your advise I’ll give it a try again with the new tubes in use.
After a few days on the beach (the only wave I hear will be the mediterranean one, since tomorrow!)
Best wishes and thank you again.
That was not a surprise since I liked Sine before too. With the Mazda tubes, plus a few tuning rings on cables, the Multi 4 suddenly sounded better. I changed back to Sine a few times and had to go back to Multi 4 again.
Also, the Italian AC from wall is different from my California AC too. Hah!
Have a great weekend!
On July I will be there in California (not to taste your AC current!).
Thank you, I’ll keep you informed about my P20 settings as soon as I come back home next week.
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Landed 3 hours ago, home again, and just rolled Telefunken/Mazda tubes into the M1200s. Now I’m listening to Colorado Neil Young album.
Separation of guitars and expanded soundstage is immediately audible even a punchy bass. Still warm as Gold Lion but more open and neutral. First impression is these tubes have a more realistic and natural image. More time is needed of course.
Just a little bit of hiss from left speaker I hope after a few hours will reduce.
Thank you Donald, a beautiful new sound to discover now.
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If not, try and re-seat the valve after letting things cool down
Best,
-JP
Thank you John, hope they settle down by themselves. I’m too lazy and rolling tubes with M1200s is a challenge for me. I really hope soon Darren will design a new ampli PerfectWave chassis, able to let me access the tubes in the same way of the BHK Pre.
Separation of instruments are really impressive with these NOS Telefunken/Mazda tubes, also nuances and details are pretty much clear compared to Gold Lion (I love so much).
I gave a chance to MultiWave 4 setting on P20, mmh still prefer Sine Wave, voices are so present, vivid, palpable… alive. Maybe electric guitars may sound a little bit edged but not harsh, I feel distortion effects as I was in the studio recording, simply fantastic!
Let’s proceed with some other vinyl, while at the moment I can recommend these tubes for sure.
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Luca, I am glad that you enjoy these tubes, and hopefully the hiss will go away soon. Mine are as silent as the GL tubes. These oldies sometime need a good cleaning of the pins too. They should sound even better by tomorrow.
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I really have to thank you Donald, still listening to music after 7 or more hours and I’m totally lost in a relaxed mood.
The sound is growing better song by song, hiss seems to be much decreased and I’ve already forgotten it. I think GNs are more silent but the difference is not a problem at all.
After a few records I definitely like them more than the Gold Lions. Clarity, detail, spaciousness are undoubtedly their points of strength but the ice on the cake of these tubes IMO is the separation of instruments, you can clearly hear their exact location on the stage respect right/left side and surprisingly on depth side layers by layers. It was enough when I switched from vinyl to CDs. Wow!
Here the improvement in SQ is even better, in the way they sound “analog” and natural. They are warm, really warm but also very detailed and neutral. Trebles and mids shine with a pleasant result, alive, natural, realistic. Basses are simply deeper, they go down and down without distortion, perfectly balanced, less rounded than GL but incredibly more engaging and present.
I agree, the combo GN (BHK Pre) and Telefunken/Mazda (M1200s) is the perfect sinergie I was looking for, probably the best I ever heard. And there is time for more improvements I suppose as they are growing yet.
Thank you again, your advise has been so precious. I encourage every M1200s owner to give these tubes a try paired with GNs in BHK Pre.
Tomorrow I will order a second pair for spare, it’s better to anticipate events nowadays.
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I could not describe these tubes better. Thanks for the write-up. These M1200 are something else with Mazda. You are ready for the M-1 fuse evaluation 
soon.
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Ah ah ah, for sure! And I can’t imagine how the digital rig will benefit from the new XLR Dragon cable coming next week too. All that said by a vinyl guy! Am I changing favorite media? Nah!
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You almost make me wish I had my old analog gear to hear these improvements. Nah, but I am happy to hear that you “start” liking digital now. Maybe when you get the M-1 and AQ Dragon, you will convert. Enjoy the rest of your night. I just started to put my first CD on. It has been a busy day so far.
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