Rectifier Tubes


Hi all, can anyone tell me why I hear so much of a change in my amplifier's sound (Coincident Frankensteins; 6em7 driver tube, 300b output tube) when I change the rectifier tube? 

I just got the following message from a tube vendor:

"Further, rectifier tubes (5U4) don't pass or amplify any sort of signal so our policy of no returns for tone especially applies to rectifiers. Changing a rectifier tube shouldn't change the tone of your amplifier at all, not even a little bit. This is why many high end amplifiers have solid state rectifiers. "

They actually did authorize a return (I was returning because the tubes were distorting, not because of tone), so I'm not gathering ammo for a fight.  I'd just like to understand why my experience is so different from this (presumably highly knowledgeable) individual's beliefs.

Thanks.
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Showing 2 responses by schubert

In some tube pre-amps I've owned the rectifier was THE most important
tube for sound .
Of course we all respect EE grads, one of hardest majors in any university .But , just because it was so hard they sometimes cling to things that have been proven wrong by neurology which has made huge bounds and leaps
in last decade .Perhaps the greatest of any science  in that length of time in history .