Home › Forums › Help/Technical Questions › Audible advantage in gold-pin tubes?

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  • July 3, 2009 at 5:02 am #78524
    Omicron_9
    Member

    Greetings.

    Regarding the gold-pin tubes: is there any advantage sonically? Has anyone A-B’ed the gold pin version and a non-gold pin version of the same tube type? If so, what were your findings?

    TIA,
    -0.9

    July 3, 2009 at 5:40 am #98815
    freshchops
    Member
    Quote:
    Greetings.

    Regarding the gold-pin tubes: is there any advantage sonically? Has anyone A-B’ed the gold pin version and a non-gold pin version of the same tube type? If so, what were your findings?

    TIA,
    -0.9

    Welcome, I can’t say for sure because I haven’t A/B’ed them myself. All assurances of noticeable improvements with the Gold-Pin’s to me have come from dealers, and venders that’s questionable.
    My instincts would tell me that if you’ve got a little extra cash, it would be worth it to try gold-pins. I have noticed improved tone in other gold-plated connectors (cables / adapters).

    This is only my opinion, but If for nothing else, I’d recommend the gold-pins for their potential to be less subject to oxidation…. obviously a better pay-off over a longer life of the tubes….. if they can resist oxidation more than uncoated.

    July 3, 2009 at 9:00 am #98819
    devnulljp
    Participant

    Sounds like Monster cables blind em with marketing BS to me. Marketdroids have stretched the meaning of “gold” anyway to mean ‘kinda gold coloured’ so what you often get is plated with some gold-coloured stuff, which may or may not have any actual gold in it, that’s not going to make the slightest difference. Can’t say in this specific case, but I’d never trust what a sales rep tells you, especially if it sounds a bit like it involves magic ;-)
    But there are people who swear they have cables that are somehow directional, so who knows…try it, do a double blind test on yourself and see if it makes a difference to you that’s worth the extra cost?

    July 3, 2009 at 4:15 pm #98830
    Omicron_9
    Member

    Thanks. I figured the only real advantage was the oxidation issue, but didn’t know if the interior tube components were different in any way. My experience tells me that if the only physical and electronic diff is just the tube pins, that this won’t impact the sonics. Cute way for them to scoop up some additional $, I suppose.

    Thanks and regards,
    -0.9

    July 3, 2009 at 11:59 pm #98853
    Ned Flanders
    Moderator

    I A/B’d sovtek 12AX7 and EHX gold pins 12AX7’s and I chose to keep the sovteks.

    July 6, 2009 at 11:26 pm #98957
    Omicron_9
    Member
    Quote:
    I A/B’d sovtek 12AX7 and EHX gold pins 12AX7’s and I chose to keep the sovteks.

    Hi Ned,

    Do you know which version of Sovtek’s 12AX7? I have heard good things about the 12AX7LPS.

    Just curious.

    TIA,
    -0.9

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