[abvolt]

You can buy them off the Woo Audio site for 55. matched pair and yes that's what groovyd was talking about..

 

[Jeffersonian]

  You can buy them off the Woo Audio site for 55. matched pair and yes that's what groovyd was talking about..

Wait, just to make sure I'm reading this correctly, the stock tubes that came with it (Sovtek 6C45, which you can buy another pair of for $55) are the exact same as the "Electro Harmonix 6C45 Gold Plated Pins" that are $100 (besides the pins being gold plated)?  So all the posts saying that they're a huge upgrade are full of it?

 

[abvolt]

I can only say that to my ears the gold harmonix sounded better, others say it made no difference to there ears. It has been many months since I've heard the stock tubes from my WA7d. But I'm going to give my stock tubes a listen and find out all over again.  My gut feeling is groovyd is right about the tubes & my ears are wrong..

 

[drgajet]

So, are the gold pins with a white arc or black pins with a blue arc?

 

[groovyd]

They are identical to the stock tubes, only re-branded and gold plated.  Same production line, same specs, same tolerances, same output.

 

[Jeffersonian]

That's really ****ty if that's true.  That makes me doubt all the audiophile claims.
 
If no one from Woo audio responds to your claim, you pretty much know it's true then.

 

[Jeb Listens]

Hi Jeffersonian,

I have the EH Gold Pins but haven't rolled them in yet. As far as I'm aware, neither Woo nor anyone else claimed that the essential construction of these tubes vs the Sovtek 6C45 were any different. The theory as stated earlier on the thread was that the gold pins could provide better/cleaner (or at least *different*) contact with the tube sockets resulting in an improvement in sound quality.


Whether you believe in all this kind of thing and wish to give it a go will probably come down to a matter of personal preference. The subject of gold vs standard pins has been long debated in the tube world, with many believing it is audiophile nonsense, while there is also a fair weight of anecdotal evidence suggesting lots of people hear a difference.

Given the glowing reviews, I felt it was worth a go so I got a pair to try later on. I thought it was a good idea to get a good handle on the sound of the Sovteks so I would have the best chance of detecting a difference with the EHs.

Regards

Jeb.

 

[money4me247]

  That's really ****ty if that's true.  That makes me doubt all the audiophile claims.
 
If no one from Woo audio responds to your claim, you pretty much know it's true then.

lol. most audiophile claims are indeed silly.
 
a lot of things that people here believe in are simply caused by placebo effect. do a blind test and the differences vanish.
 
if your new here, just be a bit skeptical of all claims & test it yourself. remember that spending more money does not guarantee you better sound.

 

[mikroski]

I think EH Gold Pins has a little bit cleaner and stock tube sound a little bit warmer, just a little. I personally don't think EH tube worth for investment. Doesn't like purchase WA7tp, that make a huge different.

 

[Dogmatrix]

Rolled in some new tubes last night
"Ten " brand 12au7 made by Kobe Kogyo Japan May 1967
Super detail and clarity with very balanced frequency kind of a high end solid state sound , only one session but very promising
Big contrast from the high res bass of the 6680
My M8136/Cv4003 Mullards arrived from the UK too so I have a bit of a waiting list

 

[abvolt]

Sounds fun I've never tried the kobe kogyo brand tubes did you get them for langrex tubes in the uk..

 

[Dogmatrix]

  Sounds fun I've never tried the kobe kogyo brand tubes did you get them for langrex tubes in the uk..

I find hunting down and researching the origins of the tubes almost as much fun as listening to the transformations they bring to the Wa7
This pair came from a contact I have in Russia , for some reason much of the old tube stock in Japan was shipped off to Russia when the wall came down . Consequently the best place to find rare Japanese tubes is Russia . Ten tubes are renowned for very high quality and long life .
After another session with them I would say they are more like what I would expect of a German made tube , more balanced and detailed than anything I have tried so far .

 

[malla1ml]

 
I find hunting down and researching the origins of the tubes almost as much fun as listening to the transformations they bring to the Wa7
This pair came from a contact I have in Russia , for some reason much of the old tube stock in Japan was shipped off to Russia when the wall came down . Consequently the best place to find rare Japanese tubes is Russia . Ten tubes are renowned for very high quality and long life .
After another session with them I would say they are more like what I would expect of a German made tube , more balanced and detailed than anything I have tried so far .

 
Do you have any recommendations for more unique / rare tubes to try out?

 

[abvolt]

 
I find hunting down and researching the origins of the tubes almost as much fun as listening to the transformations they bring to the Wa7
This pair came from a contact I have in Russia , for some reason much of the old tube stock in Japan was shipped off to Russia when the wall came down . Consequently the best place to find rare Japanese tubes is Russia . Ten tubes are renowned for very high quality and long life .
After another session with them I would say they are more like what I would expect of a German made tube , more balanced and detailed than anything I have tried so far .

 
I agree with you searching for the right tube and understanding some of the history behind that tube is half the fun the other half listening to the differences one finds. I appreciate your impressions..

 

[Dogmatrix]

Currently two tubes on my hunt list are 1950's RCA 5814a and CBS Hytron 12au7 . I never really know about the really rare ones until they pop up . It is a matter of scanning auction sights and keeping contacts open looking for unusual things .