Paladin79
Previously MOT: Cables For Less
All of the tubes used were NOS or testing as new. I use the term equivalents because we included single triode tubes, Loktals, etc.Well, I got to be lucky on some things!
In case of tube rolling, I did not have access to your variety of tubes for sure, perhaps that's why I didn't hear anything.
On signal tubes, if they are not faulty and within average spec. of the group test, I do not hear any differences, unless one happens to be more microphonic, and I listen at loud volumes, very close to the tube - then yes, it can show changes.
On power tubes, I hear differences, but small differences, each is actually unique but a tiny amount, not enough for me to tell blind.
On resistors, almost never can I tell. Again, unless it picks up RF due to its type and location.
On capacitors, I hear a lot more of differences, but it has to be in direct signal path - coupling, feedback or power supply. On coupling capacitors, my choice has been vintage paper in oil types, specially the cheap Russian ones (K40Y IIRC).
I need to declare, I am not really a tube guy, I meddle for fun, My OTLs sound pretty good to me, but I am always scared a glitch might blow up my speakers! But i put up with them, because they sound extra clean.
Thanx for listening.
Getting back to cables I could hear slight differences in headphone cables after using a cable cooker.
You as an engineer will appreciate this. In order to win a rather large bet, friends handed me a bucket of parts and bet me I could not make a decent sounding SET amp. The power tubes were WW 2 vintage pentodes used on transmitters by Russians and Germans.
I won the bet and then upgraded to 1942 German tubes used on submarines.