Just a general question - can anyone tell me if there really is a difference in a given tube with gold pins vs the same tube with standard pins?  I am primarily interested in a reduction of the noise floor, but am curious as to other improvements.  I am looking at 12ax7 tubes.

Thanks in advance.

bill

Gold would be used for it's conductive properties. Maybe less corrosion.
Don

Back in 2002 I tried the EI gold pin tubes in our amps and found that the diameter of the pins was larger.  This made me think the gold plating was an addition to the standard pin plating - or more of an afterthought if you will.  I could be wrong.  Bottom line is, once you inserted one into a 9 pin socket, the socket adjusted to the fatter pins and never gripped stock tubes tightly again after that.  This whole thing could have been a fluke, but after 2002 I gave up on them.

Steve

Thankyou both for your additional posts.  I remember you (Steve) telling someone in a post quite a while back who was having socket problems that gold pins could have been the culprit (another reason that I have stayed away from them so far).  I guess that until I read or hear that there is a distinct difference in gold pins, that I will stay with the status quo.

Thanks.

bill