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Ray Tubes
Ray Tubes 12AU7 SELECT Vacuum Tube
Note: Updated December 24, 2024 - New orders will ship by January 8, 2025.
A New Dimension of Sound
The SELECT Collection not only maintains the exceptional manufacturing quality of the CORE Collection but makes a significant leap in sound quality. Engineered for audiophiles who want an immersive auditory experience, this tier far surpasses what “factory vacuum tubes” can offer.
Make Your Good Amp Great
The SELECT Collection significantly upgrades the performance of your vacuum tube amplifier, even starter models. These vacuum tubes are engineered to enhance the hidden capabilities of your amp, transforming its output into something far beyond its original sound profile. With each vacuum tube rigorously selected by our audio engineers, the SELECT Collection ensures a profound enhancement in clarity, texture, and detail. Every note resonates with more realism, every harmony carries more emotionality, and every rhythm pulses with tighter low-end precision.
The SELECT Vacuum Tube Difference
Despite originating from the same batches as Ray Tubes’ CORE Collection, SELECT vacuum tubes are distinguished not by automated manufacturing differences but by the expert judgment of a professional. Their engineers assess each vacuum tube individually for its sound profile, dynamics, microphonics, gain, conductance, noise, and overall performance. This human touch ensures that only vacuum tubes that meet a superior level of sonic excellence are chosen. This meticulous, engineer-led selection is what makes the SELECT Collection exceptionally reliable and capable of delivering next-level sound quality.
Gold Pins: Excellence in Every Detail
Gold pins not only add a touch of elegance but also serve a significant purpose. Gold's superior conductivity enhances signal transmission for crystal-clear sound, while its resistance to oxidation ensures long-term performance and durability. These qualities, combined with the secure contact gold provides within the socket, mean your vacuum tubes aren't just top-notch—they're built to last.
Silk-Screen Printed Logos
Even the logos deserve a special mention. Silk-screen-printed onto the tubes, they demonstrate Ray Tubes’ commitment to superior craftsmanship down to the smallest detail. This time-honored printing technique yields results that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also durable, ensuring the design work remains vibrant and intact over time.
Superior Sound, Secured
An exceptional 12-month warranty—a rarity in the world of vacuum tubes, especially NOS vacuum tubes—reflects Ray Tubes’ confidence in their vacuum tubes’ performance and durability. This warranty is your safeguard against any manufacturing defects, making sure that your investment is protected.
Product highlights
- Hand-selected and tested
- Gold pins for corrosion resistance and excellent conduction
- A substantial upgrade from standard NOS tubes
- Low noise and microphonics
- Matched pair (2 tubes) or single tube (1 tube)
- Only 4% of the tubes commissioned for production meet our standards for gain and conductance matching
- 12-month warranty against manufacturing defects
Specs
- Tube type: 12AU7/ECC82/6189/CV4003
- Socket: 9-pin
Compatible Amps
Explore Ray Tubes' Tube Amp Compatibility List
What’s included
- Pair of matched Ray Vacuum Tubes OR Single Ray Vacuum Tube
- Manual booklet
Help Shape Our Vacuum Tube Legacy
With the launch of our Ray Vacuum Tubes, we embark on an exciting mission to create a comprehensive lineup of tubes that cater to the discerning audiophile. We view this as a collaborative journey with the audiophile community and value your feedback and support to shape our future tube lineup. Let us know what other tubes you'd like us to create.
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Featured reviews
"They add an overall veil of comfy." -Zeos Pantera
"Resolving...clear-sounding...you can hear more music and less noise...tight...smooth....warm....I do believe these are worth it if you want to improve the sound of your amplifier." -SoundNews
"A brilliant, brilliant new production tube. I don't have anything negative to say. I can't find any cons or negative with the Apos Ray tubes." -Passion for Sound
"In one word: coherent...compared to stock tubes they're more clear. They have a more well-defined and solid bass response. The real differences lie in the upper mid-range and treble response. The fidelity of the upper mid-range is actually quite significantly better than that of the stock tubes....the sound-staging width is a lot more substantial." -Joshua Valour
"These proved to be so good, so resolving, yet never harsh, never annoying...instead they combine really smooth and natural sounds with higher-resolving, really open, really spacious sounds that we expect from great tubes." -iiWi Reviews
"If any really high-end tube device users out there are wondering 'Are those Ray tubes any good?' Yes. Yes they are. They are really good." -Wave Theory