Groove Tubes GT-ECC83

Easy.

I'm using a TSL100, stock 1960A, 1960 LP Classic and a 2003 Standard. I play all types of music from Jazz to Metal, and am in a metal band right now.

I bought two tubes to replace the stock V1 in my TSL: the GT-ECC83 and the GT-12AX7C (see others' reviews on the 12AX7C). I compared these two tubes with each other, the stock Marshall branded tube, a Mesa Russian-2 branded tube, and an EH 12AX7 (I'm using stock EH power tubes by the way). The stock Marshall tube was bright, thin and harsh. The Mesa tube sounded balanced but sterile and the EH wasn't much different to my ears. The two Groove Tubes models in review here, sounded quite similar, but I felt that the GT-ECC83 was a bit nicer; it sounded clearer, tighter, a nice broad midrange, and more balanced in the bass range than the 12AX7C. The 12AX7C sounded great, but a little dark, less "alive" than the ECC83, and some of the bass notes jumped out, dominating the overall balance a bit too much. If the ECC83 is a "10" then the 12AX7C is a "9" max.

These are the best sounding preamp tubes I've found for my TSL yet.

Tons of gain. I talked to the people at Groove Tubes and this is the highest gain preamp tube they have apparently. Its got great bass, mids, and highs. Everything I could want out of a preamp tube.

Haven't quit on me yet and I've had them for a couple years.

I have to say these were my first love. These were the first tubes I tried when I came into the wonderful world of tubes. I tried other types just to see what I was missing, but I ended up coming back to the ECC83.