How much do voltage regulator tubes affect performance?


I have an Aric Audio Unlimited all tube preamp that runs a pair of OD3 or OD3a voltage regulator tubes. I'm going vintage Telefunken for the rectifier and output tubes. I can't find if Telefunken even made any voltage regulators. I'm using General Electric vintage ones right now and it sounds good to me. Just wondering if their are "premium" voltage regulator OD3 or Od3a tubes available.  Or if it even matters that much. 

Thanks guys!

128x128blue_collar_audio_guy

I'm using General Electric vintage ones right now and it sounds good to me. Just wondering if their are "premium" voltage regulator OD3 or Od3a tubes available.  Or if it even matters that much. 

It shouldn't make any difference at all unless the tube fires at a different voltage.

Thanks holmz. Appreciate it.

  1. I wouldn’t get it for sonics
  2. But it is always good to have a spare ready
    1. Retire the current one as a spare if the new one sounds better.

You pick, there’s no wrong answer 😎

Amperex does make one I see now. Hmm swear it didn’t show up on my last ebay or Google search. Weird. Time to see what happens lol. 

Thanks holmz. Appreciate it. 

Steakster I've rolled rectifier and output tubes and have two sets of od3 voltage regulator tubes one being Raytheon and the other General Electric. I notice a slight difference between the two I was more wondering if Telefunken or other premium vintage manufacturers like Amperex made them and if that premium brand is far better than what I have. But like you said they are not expensive to start toying around with some which I will probably do. 

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I would not expect much of anything.

I suppose one could, measure the the voltage at the capacitors with the same context playing use the two different tubes. If that was different then that would be insightful.
It could be dangerous to do.

If it was different then I would think that it may still not be audible. But I would think that it would be hard to be audible if the voltage at the caps is steady.