SAVE YOUR SANITY. GO SOLID STATE! The above is the reason I only use SS or Hybrid where the tube choice isn't so critical.
NOS vs New Production Tube Sanity Check
I have been running NOS tubes in my AtmaSphere MA1 amps for a while now after rolling various tubes to get a blend that seemed optimal. I got to wondering tonight how they would compare to the TungSol ReIssue and Electro Harmonix I had been running, having gotten used to the sound and running them in for a number of months . I substituted 3 TS Reissues into the middle 3 positions (the gain stage) and EH into the end positions (driver and CCS), and took a listen to 2 discs that I have been listening to a lot lately - John Lee Hooker Mr. Lucky and Ravel Orchestral Works on the Decca label, Montreal Symphony, Charles Dutoit conducting (a real blockbuster of a CD). I then swapped the NOS back in - RCA gray glass in CCS, Sylvania tall bottle bottom getter parallel plates and JAN Phillips WGTA (appear to be 70s vintage)in gain stage, and GE drivers. My overall impression is that the EH/TS RI are very good sounding, considering their price and the general assumption that NOS are better. Compared to the NOS, they seem to compress the sound a bit, and accentuate the bloom of notes, while blunting transient attack, The EH/TS RI arae not quite as resolving as the NOS, yet they do project a greater sense of power. I think they are stronger in the bass, because the transition from full range speaker to subwoofer is more seamless with the EH/TS (this was just a couple hour test, and I did not compare with the subs off).
Musically, the NOS are more exciting to listen due to their greater speed, especially on music with a lot of fast percussive transients. Tonally, the NOS seemed a bit more natural also. But they tend to sound a bit thin compared to the EH/TS, which sound a bit richer throughout the whole frequency range. Overall, I prefer the sound of the NOS in my system (with this music), but can see where the fuller sound and stronger bass of the new tubes might be beneficial for a thin sounding system, and the slight compression might be beneficial if your speakers or amps can't handle transients well.
Musically, the NOS are more exciting to listen due to their greater speed, especially on music with a lot of fast percussive transients. Tonally, the NOS seemed a bit more natural also. But they tend to sound a bit thin compared to the EH/TS, which sound a bit richer throughout the whole frequency range. Overall, I prefer the sound of the NOS in my system (with this music), but can see where the fuller sound and stronger bass of the new tubes might be beneficial for a thin sounding system, and the slight compression might be beneficial if your speakers or amps can't handle transients well.