OMG after an nervous wait they have arrived. An original sleave of same date 1965 Telefunken ECC802S still in there sealed boxes. I have dreamed of installing a NOS 802S pair in the critical preamp stage of my system for years. Haha the hard part is choosing which 2 to open & test    First 2 x tubes perfectly matched - whoohoo...

Great score... you're a lucky man beeman :-)

Audionut - Artisan Audio At Its Best
www.audionut.net

Ive had my Absolare Signature integrated amp for several years now and it pushes the TADs along very nicely. 200w does the job well. I purchased it sort of directly through a friend in Austraya. He is besties with the owner of Absolare and is his valve guru. He has a very impressive collection of valves dating back decades. Alot are matched sets,extremely rare,new and expensive!!...my two relieved me of nearly $600!!

My amp is a hybrid.S/s and valves. He suggested if I was looking for a "decent" upgrade I should look to upgrading the valves. OK.. Im in. He selected 2 new (nos) for me and sent them for a plane ride. The flavour as I tap this out eludes me BUT they arent a pair!  He said after exhaustive testing it was decided the sound was better by not having them running as a pair...
They arrived a few days later safely cosseted in an iphone box.
Wow... what a difference!!!...wow wow wow... ok thats a load of rubbish!! If I said I noticed an improvement,shift in sound my nose would start to grow.
So I guess if I break them off their pearch somehow at least I have a spare set.

Would have to admit that my recent experiences with expensive NOS valves would mirror yours Andrew. I bought a couple of Ram tube works selected 7308 (RCA IIRC), for my pre amp, and whilst there was a difference it wasnt earth shattering, certainly not on the change of cart or interconnect amount of change. I also bought a couple of NOS GE 12AY7 with much the same result. Not worth the effort or expense imho. However as I have mucking about with valve kit for over 30 years now and I remember that the results were very different with gear I have had in the past I wonder if it is not that the quality of the commonly available valves has improved to lessen the gains by using NOS tubes ? (I normally use JJ or EH tubes, gold pins if I can get them...)

I guess one of the main differences with a valve like the Telefunken ECC802s is everything about the tube is improved over a standard 12AU7. The structure the quality control the materials the matching tolerances are all well above anything that can be achieved today. They were made for critical application & as such made to quality levels just not needed with modern tubes. I have listened to almost all the variants & the improvement I have heard in my system is not subtle. That does not say that there are not people in the market selling tubes that do not live up to the hyperbole surrounding them.

My "new" glowy glass tubes came from my friends selected personal collection if you can have such a thing. Born in 1965 or 64 from memory. Inhave to say I dont think he was overly joyed that I didnt think there was an improvement..lol
Maybe I should have just said WOW and left it at that...

Wow, those Telefunkens look gorgeous.

I saw a pair of Telefunkens that might go in my QUAD power amp clones but just couldn't do it! I sort-of think QUADs were made for Mullards and the whole tube-rolling scenario felt a little scary!

Singer/songwriter at: www.dominicblaazer.net
180g album, "The Lights of Te Atatu" released 2018

What type of valves are you running in your quad clones Dom ? IIRC the originals were EF86s and KT66 ?

I have always been a Mullard guy. The Tele's replaced Mullard 186 & in my experience the 186 are the best ECC82 Mullard variant. Recently tested Mullard M8136 & a couple of others & the 186 were clearly better. I have always found Telefunken ECC282 too bright. Just like the Mullard 186 has all the lovely warmth that Mullard are known for they also have detail. The Telefunken 802S has all the detail Tele are known for but with a natural open presentation (Fekin perfect)

Ive a fair selection of Telefunkens and Mullards tucked away in my spare valves box. Back in the day when I used to run 12 AX7 it was always the US RCAs I was looking for.