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In the Forum: Audio Discussions
In the Thread: Initial thoughts about new/old Lamm ML2s
Post Subject: Skinny pins and cheap-o socketsPosted by Paul S on: 1/13/2007
Have you tried these with skinny-pinned versions of your tubes?  I just bought a bunch of 6N6Ps that have pins so freaking skinny that the sockets on the ML2s won't connect with them.  These 6N6Ps have the "up arrow" printed on them, so next time I will avoid that version of the tube, if I can.

I was thinking:  Maybe crappy Russian tubes need crappy Russian sockets; but then I remember you making fun of the Russian "two-point" "built-in short" sockets.

Years ago I used needle nosed pliers to try to tighten some socket pin clamps.  I was pretty careful, but I wound up breaking the first one I tried.  I was amazed that they would use such crappy metal for connecting to tube pins, and I started looking around in the amp.  Then it got funny as I realized that for all the time I spent making things OCC copper, "six nines" silver, "direct gold sputtered", etc., I was just connecting the exotica to the corroded steel IEC socket and double-plated "Tiffany" sockets , ad nauseum, on the amp, not to mention whatever terrible, pitted metal the Russians use for tube pins.

Anyone know if there is a good reason (other than, "it's cheaper") why such apparently-crappy metal is used for tube socket clamps?  If you tell me it's actually good stuff I'll be happy to believe you so I can quit thinking about it.  At least I'll forget about it once I find sockets that will hold the skinny-pinned tubes, too  (or maybe I'll go on a tear and root out all the cheap parts from my gear...).

Got a link to those sockets (I'm afraid you may have blown the "Best In The World" connection for all of us...)?

Best regards,
Paul S

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