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.

inna02-06-2025 10:02pm

westcoastaudiophile Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 361 posts 02-11-2025 at 09:06pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete "they should theoretically sound better” only with tangible sound feedback btw spkrs and tubes, otherwise there shouldn't be big difference, other than aging/storage/etc conditions spec.
atmasphere Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 11,957 posts 02-12-2025 at 08:34pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete Ralph, I see. This makes it complicated, doesn’t it ? You just have to try, no general answer really. @inna Exactly.
inna OP Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 7,355 posts 02-14-2025 at 12:40am Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete I just finished burning in new 12AU7 RCA black plates from early 50s to compare them to the RCA black plates from late 50s that I had installed. Both sets are matched. Earlier RCAs do sound better ! They have a slightly higher resolution, more depth and charm. Fascinating.