These are just as good as high end vintage sockets. The female spring contacts are very tight. While this makes insertion and removal somewhat difficult with new sockets, it's better than risking a bad connection down the road. I use high temp. automotive silicone designed for spark plug boots squished into the female parts to ease this issue and prevent corrosion. Even with lube, the sockets can be mounted upside down without the tube ever coming out. Seasoned amp designers and re-builders will not have problems inserting and removing--it takes a little finesse.