Paladin79
Previously MOT: Cables For Less
I do not know how the change of political leadership influences the quality of soldering; another reason that I have not mentined elswhere is that in the mid-1950ties the Soviets finally started manufacturing miniatiure tubes (noval) (they failed miserably in achieving functional quality of their own models in the late 30ties), so that their interest in the octals (and btw loctals which the Soviets adopted in 1946 - I still have to see one, as well as loctals produced by Philips and Mullard!) must have decreased in the second half of the 1950ties.
I am building some amps using 6sn7's and 6as7G's, in doing some research I can recall one engineer saying he preferred octals to miniatures because of the larger cathodes and anodes. They provide more airiness and presence in his opinion. That may well be my problem when trying to use 12At7's and such, I just prefer the octals. The amps will also run 6sl7's so a local group of friends and I may do some blind testing with those down the road as well.