Telefunken VF14 Valve New Old Stock - Sealed Box

Telefunken VF14 Valve

The Telefunken VF14 is a classic valve that's been discontinued since the 1950s, this legendary valve was widely known for its use in the U47 microphone. Used for its 60v filament allowing a single voltage to suffice without a filament supply. This valve also features connector pins designed to be a "lock-fit" to the valve socket. Sealed in their original box.

The VF14 valve was an unfortunate choice for the active device in the impedance converter because only about twenty-seven thousand of these valves were ever made before production was halted 1954. The maths speaks for itself. We know that Neumann produced about 6000 U47s and about 800 U48 microphones. That’s about 7000 examples and, given the two to one rejection ratio, that means their valve consumption was about 21,000 of the 27,000 or so available VF14 valves.

This left only about 2000 suitable valves (6000 x ⅓) for the rest of all time. Not even enough units to allow for re-tubing the microphones once in their lifetime! In fact, even by the late nineteen-fifties, Neumann could not get hold of reliable quantities of the VF14 for production, maintenance and repair and the situation was so serious that, by 1960, Berliner Rundfunk refused further to invest in Neumann equipment unless the company demonstrated that it had a solution to keeping their substantial investment in U47s in service.

*These are original Telefunken VF14 valves in sealed boxes. Manufacturing ceased in 1958 for this valve. As these are in sealed boxes, they are untested, but are unable to accept returns or refunds on this item.

Specifications

• Gain @ 1kHz: 0 dB
• Self Noise, measured 30Hz-20kHz: 0 dB
• Lower -2 dB point, ref' to 0dB @ 1kHz: 42 Hz
• Upper -2 dB point, ref' to 0dB @ 1kHz: 37 kHz