[R-390] Russian Tubes

[Perry Sandeen]

Yo Bubba Dudes!,
Wrote:  Never install Russian tubes<snipped>
I reasonably suspect that when that statement was made it was at least partially political.
Excellent tube come out of Russia and eastern european countries.  Almost all are for the Audiopool market and have high prices.  Universally criticized are Chinese tubes.  But they are low priced.
There are a number of surplus Russian (usually military) tubes on ebay.  The danger is that sellers will say that the Russian tube is an exact replacement for some tube(s) they list.  This just isn't true.  I don't know if it is deceit or seller ignorance.
The tube in of itself is probably excellent.  Svetlana used to sell some new manufactured Russian designs.  The problem with many Russian surplus tubes are the filament connections so there is no practical way to use them in a R39X receiver.
That said, the 6BA6 is for a lack of a better term *pedestrian*.  There have probably billions and billions of them made and have been used in everything from military radios, consumer electronics and TV's.  That doesn't make it good, it just makes is available.
If you go searching in the Y2KR3 and other publications there are a plethora of better direct plug in lower noise tubes at the same price as the 6BA6 in the USA. In europe or other locations these better tubes may be unobtainium, at least for reasonable prices.
Better tube substitution has caused, to put it mildly, extremely passionate diverse opinions to be stated on this list.  I'm now the Heretic-In-Chief for my position that better substitute tubes can make great proven performance gains.
Probably the most modded R390A was the R390A competition receiver made by Ray Osterwald the editor of ER magazine. A copy on his article is in the Y2KR3 manual.
But I'll go back and re-flog my dead horse statement again.  The OEM resistors and capacitors are old enough to collect Social Security. Until, at least the capacitors, are replaced one will never have a really good receiver no matter if the use the OEM or the better performance tubes.
Regards,
Perrier