Need Tubes

thefile, I have the same preamp. I have found that you can get well matched tubes with balanced triodes from Tube Depot (tubedepot.com) and they will save you 40% over the ones from ARC. Get the Electro-Harmonix over the Sovtek. You will appreciate the improved dynamics. Make sure you put 2 tube dampers on each tube and you'll be rockin' in no time.

I think that the same factory makes both EH and Sovtek tubes. I cant understand why you would put tube dampers on power tubes as these tube types are rarely microphonic. 

I agree with the Tube Depot, great site, good prices, quality products.   They have good, high temperature tube dampers on site, too.   They are low cost and it never hurts to squish microphonics in voltage gain stages, even tiny ones.

Upscale Audio or Viva, I have had nothing but good experiences with both.

audition_audio, the 6H30Pi is not a power tube; it's in the preamp. Microphonics in the gain stage of a preamp should definitely be addressed, as the signal reaches the amplifier, the "ringing" gets amplified as well.

+1 for Tube Depot. They are great guys. I say get some JJ gold pins over the EH and your good to go without spend much money. I have a LS25mki and its a very good pre.

@mktracy  "JJ gold pins" JJ doesn't make a 6h30p tube. Now the EH have gold pins. 

Any desire to move to the 'DR' over the 'Pi'?

Have had great luck with tubestore.com Matched tubes available

Have had great luck with tubestore.com Matched tubes available

Years of buying mostly (6550C and KT88) Sovtek, EH, etc etc my favorite is JJ. Great price, great sound, great reliability. 

Always bought from tubestore.com but the worst sounding and least reliable (2 out of 5 blown inside 2 months!) were their Tubestore brand name tubes. They replaced them under warranty but when it gets to the point you are worried to have your amp on unless you are there to keep an eye on it.... never again.

for arc ls25 mk 2 .... it runs russian 6h30p’s only, can’t roll tubes

mk 1 was still 6dj8/6922, this was the model changeover to the russian 'supertube' or so they called it

just buy from arc if cost is not a factor

or order from jim mcshane, upscale audio or thetubestore in canada to save some $, all these excellent tube vendors properly test tubes themselves before shipping, you will get good ones

I bought mine on ebay from seller wpc1896.

Brent Jesse has an excellent reputation, I certainly have had great experiences and saved money.

https://www.audiotubes.com/

I tried some Sylvania’s, didn’t like their sound. They had me break them in 60 hours (simply on, no source needed), listen, still not happy, returned, got less costly GE’s, love their sound, got a full refund for the cost difference, no restocking fee, I just paid for mailing.

I don't care for current production tubes. For me NOS is the only way to go. I get mine from Vintage tube services /Andy Bowman or Brent Jesse Recording / Brent Jesse.
Good luck

Try Upscale Audio. They only sell tubes that have a record for being reliable. Many tubes are not. Got a matched set of 12 EH EL34's for less than $20 a piece. Tubes are fully tested and burned in for 72 hours. Performance (SQ) matched exactly with Kevin Deal's explanation of what to expect.

J.Chip

@artemus_5 sorry I didn't see mkII. I still recommend Tube Depot as a good seller. I have dealt with Kevin Deal at Upscale Audio but he was very rude and very expensive for what he offers. I was dealing with another tube dealer (Darcell Tubes) in El Monte, Cali who had great deals and was reselling to Kevin who upped the price greatly.

i agree kevin deal/upscale has gotten more corporate and greedy and unaccessible compared to years past

well he is getting older, maybe thinking about retirement, probably want to bank it for a few years, hard to blame him

Kevin has a big business to run, there is no way to Kevin has the same amount of time like he had 20 years ago. I still get great service from Upscale.

P.S. You also get a 72 hour burn-in (for power tubes) and grading for no additional cost.

My experience with JJ tubes (except a rectifier that works fine) is that they're mediocre at best. A pair of JJ KT77s was so bad in my Dennis Had SEP amp that it put me off 77s altogether until I finally tried a pair of vastly superior new Gold Lions...JJ 6SN7GTBs were also pretty lame, but cheap enough I bought some out of curiosity anyway...they will sadly languish in my tube drawer as NOS GEs soldier on. Regarding the JJ GZ34S, it came with my Had amp originally but I prefer a 274B as it's larger and just looks cool.

@russ69

yes i think we more or less agree on kevin / upscale

it is what it is... (like the orange man says) LOL

site: thetubestore or tubedepot  for new tubes.  Vintage tube services for NOS.

Andy at vintage tube and RAM get all my tube business, both have off the charts test gear and grading.