insearchof, The most important characteristic of a tube is noise. There is a lot of variability between tubes even of the same manufacturer. Noisier tubes decrease dynamic range and can interfere with quiet passages.
RAM Labs tests their tubes individually and rates them as standard, low noise and super low noise. They are priced accordingly. I use their SLN tubes in my ARC phono amp and they are an easy 10 dB quieter than the tubes that came with the unit. http://www.tubeaudiostore.com/
RAM Labs tests their tubes individually and rates them as standard, low noise and super low noise. They are priced accordingly. I use their SLN tubes in my ARC phono amp and they are an easy 10 dB quieter than the tubes that came with the unit. http://www.tubeaudiostore.com/