Budget 12AX7

[Enochrome]

Just got a tube amp and have no experience with tubes. Does anyone have an suggestion on a good budget 12AX7? Don't want to get into $50 and up NOS until I put a little more time on it.

[02audionoob]

Sovtek 12AX7LPS. What are you putting them in?

[Enochrome]

They are going in a Jolida 502a.

The 502a already has Sovtek KT88 in the power section. Why the Sovtek 12AX7's their
is not a lot of opinions online about them? What characteristics in a preamp tube would one need to listen for?

[02audionoob]

The Sovtek 12AX7LPS is regarded to be a well-balanced, smooth-sounding budget tube with good detail and relatively low noise. I had a pair in my Pro-Ject Tube Box and was pleased with them. But they're supposedly more susceptible to vibration than some others, so that's why I asked what you were putting them in. These Mullard tubes are supposed to be a good budget 12AX7, too, without the design issue that supposedly causes the susceptibility to microphonics in the Sovtek tube.

http://thetubestore.com/mu12ax7.html

See also their opinion of the Svetlana 12AX7:

http://thetubestore.com/svetlana12ax7.html