211 valves: please share your experiences

[spiritofmusic]

I will say Amperex 211s glow nice. There's something very different about the Amperex filament material that glows much more warmly than the bright white of GEs or RCAs.

I think there's a big clue there. Apart from the really nice supports used in Amperex 211s, I'm guessing what they used for filament wire makes a big difference. Talk to Thomas about filament wire he knows it's important. Had that conversation with him many years ago.

And, yeah, I know. You're all jealous cos of that blue regulator glow. Hey, maybe one day you'll have blue tubes too

Though maybe it's more of a purple haze. You decide... you massive hippy you.
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Justin, you remember the 70s TV advertising campaign with the tagline "come home to a real fire"?
Maybe they were taking about Amperex tubes?

 

[spiritofmusic]

It's quite a big deal to shell out £3.5k to Mayer for his Elrog 211s (or another £2k on top of that for his Molyb 242s), when there's no trial and no return possible if I simply don't like them.
I mean, how many of us are buying a component for this price where you'll never hear it first, and no refund other than for a fault is possible?
If the decision making was somewhat simpler and more consistent or objective, but it seems every amp using big tubes both has its design based around the pet favourite of the designer, and different big tubes have a whole series of variables which control how good...or bad...they sound in any particular amp.
A "better" tube could mean a "worse" outcome.
And serious money flushed away.