Gold pin tubes: What's the difference

[Jeremiah]

Some tube brands, eg Electro-Harmonix have "gold pin" versions as well as standard versions of some of their tubes. Just wondering if the gold pins make a noticeable difference and if it's worth the extra money.

[FuseG4]

Re: Gold pin tubes: What's the difference

I've asked the same question before and I seem to remember 2 answers:

gold pins are meant more for hi-fi audio equipment, and and difference they might make is too small in a guitar amp to justify any difference in price

gold pins are to prevent corrosion on the pins (but when's the last time you've owned a new production 12ax7 long enough to see the pins get corroded??)

so if it's either or both of those answers, then no it's not worth the money.

edit: the only thing I've read that would make me consider the "gold pins" upcharge is that tube makers are rumored to test and select their best performing tubes to get the gold plating. Is this correct? It does make sense, but that's no guarantee.

[FuseG4]

Re: Gold pin tubes: What's the difference

I also look at it this way: many of the gold pin versions approach or exceed $20. At that point we're getting into used Old Stock tube prices. I've had some great used old stock tubes at less than $20 each.

[Powdered Toast Man]

Re: Gold pin tubes: What's the difference

I believe this explains it:

[JeffB]

Re: Gold pin tubes: What's the difference

It is my understanding gold is a better conductor.

[zzmoore]

Re: Gold pin tubes: What's the difference

Other than the gold color, and the fact that somebody is praying on your desire to believe that there MUST be some magic in the gold pins that makes it a better tube.?
Nothing

[SlyFoxx]

Re: Gold pin tubes: What's the difference

It is my understanding gold is a better conductor.

Actually silver conducts best followed by copper then gold.

[Mr 9finger]

Re: Gold pin tubes: What's the difference

Unless Fuse is right about the selection of the best tubes, it's all just snake oil. Here's why. Your signal chain is only as good as your weakest link in the chain. Now if every connection in your amp had gold connections, all your cabling had gold connection, all the connections in your stomp boxes had gold connections, you'd hear a difference because it's a better conductor than tin.

It's just not feasible to do even at an R&D level. I'll explain why again. You can pick 2 of the exact same amps up right off the production line and they're going to be a little bit different from each other. Not enough for someone to say, "Oh, well that don't sound like a such and such amp.", but enough but it would be enough throw any kind of testing off. If they were going to do such a thing, they would have to pick which amps sound the best to them, then measure every component in the amp for an exact reading, and then only use those numbers to build on. Which is fine and dandy, but I can buy 10 of the best 470k resistors on the market and not 1 of them read exactly 470k on a meter. Now multiply that buy thousands of dollars because someone now either has to sort those components at the factory, or they have to pay the manufacturer to do it. By the time you add in all that added expense, no one would ever buy those amps. And were still talking about your standard components. That's not even putting the gold plating into the mix. Basically, I just wasted a lot of space to tell you that you'll never be able to tell the difference in a scientific format if gold plating will make a difference.

Here's another way to look at it and know it's all hocus pocus. Make no mistake, they are using gold plating. If all these cables, tubes, whatever, had solid gold connectors, they would cost well out of the average guitar players price range. Going back to your signal is only as good as your weakest link, the current or signal has still got to pass through that gold plating to another core of lesser materials. Basically you just killed any advantages of having that plating on there.

Some people will bring up oxidation, which is also false. Gold and Silver are more prone to oxidation than tin and sometimes even copper.

I

[briggleman]

Re: Gold pin tubes: What's the difference

...............................Some people will bring up oxidation, which is also false. Gold and Silver are more prone to oxidation than tin and sometimes even copper.

It was always my understanding that Gold was used due to it being an inert metal, it does not react with oxygen, therefore does not oxidize. Gold friction connections (such as in tube pins and stereo RCA jacks) will not deteriorate as fast as other types due to oxidation. That is the purpose behind it. Printed circuit boards signals paths are coated with nickel/gold to prevent oxidation. Big market for old circuit boards to melt down and get the gold. Too much work for me!

Now, in a practical sense, I do not think you will hear a difference, however, the use of gold coating is trying to eliminate bad or deteriorating friction type connections.

[Toe-Knee]

Re: Gold pin tubes: What's the difference

As has already been said in general it makes virtually no difference.

Also someone mentioned valve selection. This is true in some cases. The JJ ECC83s gold pins are FAR quieter than the standard ECC83s and generally run optimally for a longer period.

Is that worth 3x the price as you pay over here? Nope not when you can get premium selected standard ecc83s for £3 more than a standard one.

[Van Noord]

Re: Gold pin tubes: What's the difference

Also remember that the pins are only gold plated.
So, it wears off. Like my $24 EH tube. Good tube, but not because of the gold.

[Mr 9finger]

Re: Gold pin tubes: What's the difference

It was always my understanding that Gold was used due to it being an inert metal, it does not react with oxygen, therefore does not oxidize. Gold friction connections (such as in tube pins and stereo RCA jacks) will not deteriorate as fast as other types due to oxidation. That is the purpose behind it. Printed circuit boards signals paths are coated with nickel/gold to prevent oxidation. Big market for old circuit boards to melt down and get the gold. Too much work for me!

Now, in a practical sense, I do not think you will hear a difference, however, the use of gold coating is trying to eliminate bad or deteriorating friction type connections.

Oxidation is a poor word choice on my part. Lack of a better word I suppose. Gold will tarnish like any other metal unless it's pure gold. It may not corrode like copper or silver, but....there are still effects from air, dirt, other chemicals etc...Very rarely doe anyone use pure gold because of the cost involved, so they use some sort of mix like you said. The gold in the mixture doesn't necessarily break down, but the other metal(s) involved do. All that yapping aside, the gold does slow down the process. Dirt isn't the only reason why your wedding bands turn a dull color It's also why phosphate based cleaners work so well on gold.

My use to work for a jeweler and I worked there part time in the summers. That's the only reason I know a little bit about this stuff.

[misterwhizzy]

Re: Gold pin tubes: What's the difference

Let's not forget that the best electrical components in amplifiers are usually within only 1% of the stated values. I think the difference in conduction between gold pin tubes and generic is much less than that. Of course, that doesn't mean the selection process can't be better with the gold-pin tubes, but that's not a function of the manufacturing material.

[crusty philtrum]

Re: Gold pin tubes: What's the difference

I remember reading somewhere that gold contacts (relating to plugs and sockets used in audio) were pointless unless the 'other half' was also gold, i.e. if you have interconnect cables with gold plugs, the gold factor is wasted unless the recieving socket is also gold.

In other words, gold pins on valves would only be of some help if plugged into sockets with gold-plated connectors. If this were true, then one would have to look at how often the valve was removed and re-inserted into a socket, because the gold plating would wear away after a few tube swaps.

[Grindspine]

Re: Gold pin tubes: What's the difference

To simplify:

Silver and copper are better conductors than nickel or gold, but they oxidize (corrode) easily.

Nickel is often used on connections since it is a decent conductor that is less susceptable to corrosion.

Gold is a better conductor than nickel, but also offers resistance to corrosion.

Are the gold pin tubes worth it? That is subjective.