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In the Forum: Audio Discussions
In the Thread: About the life-expectancy of the new production tubes.
Post Subject: For the Price of AdmissionPosted by Paul S on: 2/12/2009
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My experience has been that tubes that run quiet and quiet down quickly and "properly" when tapped are almost always quiet with respect to self-noise and/or microphonics in use, apart from low level phono use. And most of my tubes that are noisey when tapped have at least some self noise and/or microphonics in critical use, including phono. But I also find that some noisey tubes otherwise sound good, while just being quiet with respect to microphonics and/or self noise is certainly no guarantee that a tube will otherwise sound good. And I've made plenty of expensive mistakes.
One true thing about tubes is that it pays to keep abreast of the buzz about current production, since the effing things are not only +/- variable in regular production runs, but whole lines seem to change often and drastically.
I have not tried many of the $$$$ NOS DHT power tubes, but I can say I found the vaunted RCA 2A3s and WE 300Bs to be gorgeous but also somewhat microphonic and also "weak" with respect to attack and bass. Meanwhile, some newer tubes can put out considerably more useable range and power than those NOS, albeit this may be because some new DHTs feature "upgraded" internals, where the new 2A3 will be built like a 300B, or the new 45 will be built like a 2A3, or gambits like this.
But I am not a "purist" with respect to parts, including tubes; just give me the those that sound best in my application, or give me those that give 95% what the $$$$ exotics give for a fraction of the cost.
Basically, for the prices being asked these days, those fancy tubes damned well better sound good, and they'd damned well better sound good for a long time, too.
Paul SRerurn to Romy the Cat's Site