Can you remember grandma's old tube radio with the "magic green thing" in the front which showed the quality of the signal reception?

If you're looking on Ebay for "Magic Eye" than you'll find not only a lot of tubes but also offers of VU meter kits. But as against the most Ebay offers you need not to supply all the voltages (normally 6 V and 250 V), you do not need to build a case, solder adapter wires for the tube's connections, have only a mono display or only one tube type which can be fitted.

Mr. Nixie has taken all these kits, put them in a pot, added a hefty dose of the legendary Mr. Nixie Magic, and finally the Universal Magic Eye VU-Meter was created.

You can fit into this VU-Meter the most commonly available Magic Eye tubes without the need to do any soldering. Even the different filament voltages doesn't matter as they can easily be set with a DIP switch for 4 V / 6 V / 12 V and 19 V.
Built in to the circuitry is an automatic level control, therefore your Magic Eye will always display a signal, regardless of the input level.
Another highlight is the true stereo design of the circuit. By inserting e.g. the EM83 stereo Magic Eye tube, you'll get a real stereo dual display with only one tube, the sames as fitting the EMM801 with the new purple colored tube board.

Also three extra different stereo boards are available for stereo display with two tubes each.

Magic Eye VU-Meter with the TELEFUNKEN EMM801 and the new purple tube board:

See here some examples which tubes can be fitted on the black tube board:
Front: UM85, EM83, 6E1P / Rear: EM84 / EM800

Download here a matrix of all Magic Eye tubes which can be fitted.

You do not need a solder iron to swap the tube's type on the black tube board. A simple Torx screwdriver is enough.

Thanks to different coloured stereo tube boards even two Magic Eye tubes can perform a stereo display:

Blue board: 2 x EM80 / 6E1-P / EM81 or 2 x EM84 / 6E3-P / EM87 / 6E2 / EM800


White board: 2 x UM80 / UM81 or 2 x EAM86


Yellow board: 1 x 6C5 / 1629 or 2 x HM 85 / UM85


Green board: 1 x EM71 or 1 x EAM86

• Compact size 85 x 85 x 37 mm without tube(s).
• Power supply 15 VDC ca. 8 W (SPS is included).
• 2 x 1/8" TRS stereo jacks for audio daisy chaining.
• Automatic level control with more than 40 dB range.
• Instead of a line signal a stereo or mono electret micro can be fitted (on request).
• The black tubeboard can be fitted in four different positions for matching diff. tubes.
• Four different stereo tubeboards for two tubes each.
• Around 95% of the Magic Eye tubes with Noval socket can be fitted.
• Selectable filament voltages: 4.5 / 6.3 / 12 or 19 V