Ray Tubes
Ray Tubes 12AX7 SELECT Vacuum Tube
$119.00 - $579.00
Canadian Shipping Details
We offer free shipping in Canada on most items when an order totals $99 or more before tax. Some exceptions apply; click here for our full shipping policy.
Estimated free shipping transit time:
- Greater Toronto Area: 1-2 business days
- Rest of Ontario: 1-3 business days
- Quebec: 2-3 business days
- Maritimes, Manitoba: 3-4 business days
- Alberta & Saskatchewan: 3-5 business days
- British Columbia: 4-6 business days
- Territories: 6-10 business days
Express options available at checkout. Orders dispatch next business day. Delivery times may be extended for remote areas.
Toronto Store Pickup
Select in-store pickup at checkout and collect your order from our store in Toronto.
Find our entrance on Bay Street, near Charles Street West. We also have a pickup area in the Manulife Centre parking garage. Click here for directions. Before coming to the store, please wait for a confirmation email indicating your order is ready for pickup.
Price Protection, Returns & Exchanges
Buy with confidence, backed by Price Protection: if our advertised price goes down within 30 days of your purchase, contact us and we'll refund the difference.
Most stock items may be returned within 14 days, or exchanged within 30 days. Some exceptions apply; click here for our full return policy.
Description
SELECT 5U4
The SELECT 5U4 is the best 5U4 vacuum tube you’ll ever need. It goes above and beyond the baseline with more involved production and stricter selection, all in pursuit of superior sound. The SELECT Collection brings out the best in all your favourites.
Hand selected and tested, the Ray Tubes SELECT 5U4 is a substantial upgrade from both New Old Stock and other new production tubes. Fewer than 5% of production meets our standards.
The 5U4 is a common full-wave rectifier tube used in power supplies to convert alternating current to direct current. Its twin-diode design uses a shared cathode and two anodes to convert both halves of the AC cycle. Rectifiers like the 5U4 are sometimes overlooked by audiophiles, but like power and signal tubes, they can greatly influence the sound of a tube amplifier.
Sound Characteristics
The SELECT 5U4 helps create a sonic profile that is smooth on top, full through the midrange, and grounded in natural, unforced bass. Its contribution is subtle but essential, enhancing the musicality, depth, and coherence of any tube-based system.
Bass Performance
Characterized by composure and textural integrity, with excellent rhythm stability and natural decay. Bass lines are clean and integrated seamlessly into the soundstage.
Midrange Performance
Imparts a sense of richness and organic flow. Vocals gain body and presence, while the SELECT 5U4’s inherent smoothness allows instruments like piano, guitar, and saxophone to show their warmth and clarity.
Treble Performance
Smooth and refined, reducing the grain and edginess often associated with more aggressive rectifiers. Cymbals, string overtones, and ambient reverberations benefit from increased clarity and air.
The SELECT Collection
SELECT brings out the best in all your favourites. It goes above and beyond the baseline with more involved production and stricter selection, all in pursuit of superior sound.
Above and Beyond
Every tube we sell is carefully produced and tested to make sure it’s good enough for audio applications. At Ray Tubes, that goes without saying. The SELECT Collection is about more than that. It’s not just good enough for audio—it brings out the best in audio, revealing all those hidden details you thought you’d never hear.
Not being content with industry-standard production methods, we’ve tweaked our manufacturing process. We’ve used better materials for improved durability and longevity. Most importantly, we’ve enlisted audio engineers to listen to our tubes and make sure only the very best get the coveted SELECT label.
The SELECT Collection takes the reliability and consistency of the CORE Collection as its starting point, then sets its sights on one goal: superior, more nuanced sound. Simple as that.
Chosen By Audio Engineers
The SELECT Collection is the best of the best. We know — you’ve heard that before, but we mean it literally. We only sell the best tubes in each of our manufacturing batches. (The others never see the light of day.) SELECT tubes? They’re the best of those.
We don’t trust just anyone to make that choice. It’s about more than gain and transconductance and other electrical characteristics. Those are useful guides, but we know they don’t tell the full story. Instead, we rely on something you can’t put a number on: expert opinion.
Our audio engineers have decades of experience and they’re involved in the selection process from start to finish. That includes the crucial final step: listening sessions under real-world conditions.
Our thorough quality control is why we can offer the Ray Tubes One Year Warranty. If you buy a NOS tube that turns out to be a dud, there’s nothing you can do. With the SELECT Collection, you’ll have peace of mind.
Unlock Your Amp’s Full Potential
Testing vacuum tubes in real-life audio equipment shouldn’t be revolutionary, but here we are. We know the Ray Tubes SELECT Collection will sound incredible in your amp because it sounds incredible in our amp.
Have you ever felt like your vacuum tubes are holding your whole system back? You’re not alone. It’s right there in the name—“amp”. Tubes are where the amplification happens. That’s why poor quality tubes hold you back.
The SELECT Collection helps your system reach its peak potential. With a lower noise floor and detailed, nuanced sound, SELECT tubes make good amps sound great and great amps sound sublime.
More Details
The Ray Tubes One Year Warranty
Most vacuum tubes are notoriously fickle. That’s why warranties are rare. But we trust our products and we’re proud to offer our One Year Warranty against manufacturing defects. Click here for details.
Compatible Amps
Click here to explore Ray Tubes' Tube Amp Compatibility List.
Package Contents
- Single vacuum tube
- User handbook featuring burn-in guidelines
- Certificate of authenticity and warranty
Technical Specifications
- Tube Type: 5U4
- Tube Socket: 4-pin
Filament (Heater) Ratings
- Filament Voltage: 5V
- Filament Current: 3A
Maximum Ratings
- Peak Inverse Plate Voltage: 1550 V
- Peak Plate Current: 800 mA
Absolute Maximum Ratings
- Peak Reverse Plate Voltage: 1500 V
- Peak Plate Current: 750 mA
Recommended Operating Conditions With Capacitor Input Filter (for two typical ranges A, B)
- AC RMS Voltage per Plate: A: 300V, B: 450V
- Transformer Winding Resistance*: A: 35Ω, B: 85Ω
- Input Filter Capacitance (Max): A: 40 μF, B: 40 μF
- DC Output Current**: A: 245mA, B: 220mA
- DC Output Voltage**: A: 290V, B: 470V
Recommended Operating Conditions With Choke Input Filter
- AC RMS Voltage per Plate: 550V
- Input Choke Inductance: 10H
- DC Output Current: 225mA
- DC Output Voltage: 440V
*per plate winding resistance of the power transformer
**assumes capacitor input filter configured with stated load
Specs
Dimensions
About Ray Tubes
Warranty
The Ray Tubes One Year Warranty
This warranty covers manufacturing defects for twelve months after purchase. We believe that everyone who buys our tubes deserves at least a year of quality, hassle-free sound, and if our tubes get in the way of your bliss, we'll make it right. Click here for more details.
You May Also Like
Browse these similar products.
Ray Tubes
Ray Tubes 2A3 SELECT Vacuum Tube
$209.00 - $969.00
Ray Tubes
Ray Tubes 300B SELECT Vacuum Tube
$299.00 - $1,299.00
Ray Tubes
Ray Tubes 12AT7 SELECT Vacuum Tube
$119.00 - $579.00
Ray Tubes
Ray Tubes EL84 SELECT Vacuum Tube
$119.00 - $569.00
Personal Attention, Expert Advice
We’re here to answer your questions and help you make the right choice.
Service Department
Our advisers and technicians are standing by to assist after your purchase.
