Buying Tubes Again; Maddening


Has anyone tried the new production Genalex 'Gold Lion' 12AX7's and 12AT7's? I've been using the pricey Sophia Electric's but they just don't last long enough in my Hovland HP-100 phono-stage to justify the cost (they do sound pretty good though)...
stickman451
Test on why audiophiles, the overwhelming majority of whom are male, are still using tubes.

A. Tubes sound a lot like boobs.

B. Look at all the pretty lights!

C. I wouldn't know what else to do with all the money I spend on them.

D. I really hate myself but I'm not into self mutilation so I'll buy these things instead.

E. All the above.
I would stay with what sounds good unless I wanted even better. How long do they last and how much do you pay for the set? They don't last 500 hours, do they?
While I am a SS user I used tubes when I started; it seems tubes do not last the way they use to; after all the world use to run on tubes and they were not always failing. While some designs do seem to overstress their tubes in an effort to wring the last bit of performance out others use them within what should be consistant with long life. My tube using friends are always complaining about how often they have to replace them so the problem appears to be widespread. Pardon the levity I injected at the beginning of the thread.