[Ronja] Vacuum tube in Ronja preamplifier

[Karel Kulhavy]

Hello

Someone suggested that vacuum tubes have very low noise and suggested PCC88/ECC88. It has
1.4pF input capacitance which is better than the best transistor (BF908, 2.4pF) and 12.5mS
forward transfer admittance. BF908 has 36-43-50 mS but is impossible to get. BF988 which is
#1 has 21-24- mS and BF960 which is also a common replacement has 13mS.

Now if the dominant noise in the transistor is not generated by the forward transfer
admittance, but rather by the real part of the input admittance, then the vacuum tube has
a great chance to be actually better than a transistor.

Does anyone have PCC/ECC88 at home or knows where to buy it easily? Experience
with vacuum tubes?  What do you think about it? Isn't there some other noise
source in vacuum tubes that isn't present in transistors that would kill the
hopes?

It would be definitely great apart from increased resistance to lightning we could start
claiming that digital music transmitted through Ronja has a better, warmer, fuzzier, more
natural sound.

CL<