The CBS Black Plate 12AU7A Vacuum Tube is very close to
RCA & Westinghouse. Very warm and enveloping with a good
amount of details. It’s definitely more detailed than
Ken-Rad’s version, but falls short of Tung-Sol Black
Plates. A great tube nonetheless. How does it compare to
its 5814 brother? It is very different. It doesn’t have
the dynamics of 5814 and it’s much more bass heavy, making
it slower. Great tube for vocal jazz though and most
likely vinyl would sound superb with the tube!!!
The CBS Black Plate 12AU7A Vacuum Tube is a
miniature type used as a phase inverter or push-pull
amplifier in AC/DC radio equipment and as a
multivibrator or oscillator in industrial control
devices. It is also used as a combined vertical
oscillator and vertical-deflection amplifier, and as a
horizontal-deflection oscillator in TV receivers.
The 12AU7A tube is a main stay in many Guitar amplifiers,
home organs and sterio systems.
These tubes are also used in headphone preamplifiers.
It requires a miniature 9-contact socket.
Electrical Data:
Heater Voltage ................. 6.3/12.6 V
Heater Current ................. 0.3/0.15 A
Preferred Substitutes .............. 12AT7, ECC82
Substitutes .................. 12AZ7 12BH7