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Do military/industrial tubes sound better than regular ones ?

Or they are usually just more rugged and longer lasting? I am particularly interested in 12AX7 and 12AU7 RCA blackplates from early and late 50s.

They are often double the price, but that would not be my main concern in this case because even regular ones should last for a very long time.

In other words, I would like to have best sounding RCA blackplates in my VAC Avatar SE, and longer lasting would be a bonus.

inna
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,944 posts
 

@inna Some do and some don't. Something to keep in mind- all tubes, regardless of the source, should be vetted prior to use in high performance tube equipment! This means they should test good and also auditioned for noise, crackling and microphonics. Even then you'll find military tubes that don't seem to sound as good as consumer counterparts.

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inna OP
7,354 posts
 

trivema, no I have no intention to buy too many, just two or three sets of each type that I need. Did you compare those Raytheon 12AX7 black plates to RCA blackplates ?

Ralph, I see. This makes it complicated, doesn’t it ? You just have to try, no general answer really.

westcoastaudiophile
351 posts
 

@inna "Do military/industrial tubes sound better than regular ones ?” 

they don’t! typ. MIL and Industry standards have higher shock-vibe, temperatures spec to comply! 

inna OP
7,354 posts
 

If they tolerate vibrations better , they should  theoretically sound better, all other things being equal.  

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