Tube vendors.


Hello all taking a break from the kitchen rehab salesmen....
Quick question on Tube suppliers other than The Tube Store and Upscale Audio.
Who are you all getting tubes from and what do you like about them.
BestEarl.
128x128earlflynn
I get mine from The Tube Store. The first I tried, they seem to be pretty quick and reliable. I have ordered at least a half a dozen times.
I deal almost exclusively with Kevin at Upscale Audio, but a lot of people recommend Jim McShane.

http://www.mcshanedesign.net/tubes.htm

Also, Brent Jessee and Andy at Vintage Tube Services.

https://www.audiotubes.com/

http://vintagetubeservices.com/
jim m is very good with testing and supplying modern power tubes - he is not really an active chaser of old rare small signal tubes - he may have some occasionally but he is not like andy baumann or brent jessee who will vigorously chase estate sales and do laborious sorting and testing of old rare tube collectors that have passed or are emptying their stocks due to age

kevin started travelling all over the world chasing good old stock tubes he has quite a stash he is selling down over time

i don’t know as much about the tube store but they also seem to have some old stock tubes as well, and they also seem to have a rigorous test regimen

for good, now increasingly rare small signal tubes and rectifiers i would say andy @ vts, brent jessee and k deal are best, they test and they still have decent supply and variety - of course you will pay through the nose for the rare good stuff, for some tube types the cost is still fairly reasonable
Primarily Brent Jessee, occasionally TCtubes. Used to buy from the TubeDepot as they are only a few miles from me but their NOS tube stock is spotty on availability and their pricing has gone up on them
New production power tubes: Tube Store. Small signal tubes (I only use NOS): Brent or Andy; they are both stellar.
Vintage Tube Services, If your looking for something REAL NOS from a guy that has speakers that are rated at 115db sensitivity who listens closely to every tube for sound quality, from someone who has been buying testing and selling tubes forever, who owns some of the oldest and original tube test equipment as well. If you have the time to wait then get in touch with ANDY and tell him what your looking for. The vintage RCA 5ar4, and 5687's for my Tube powered Modwright SWL 9.0  are very special and make this pre amp a giant killer.

Matt M
Appreciate all the input and I do not appreciate one who PM me, he was a bit of a dick. 
You know who you are.
Brent @ AudioTubes. Great deals on NOS, but some are not so NOS but given the pricing, ridiculously good value.

eBay but ya gots to know what you're doing.
Brent Jessee Recording for NOS signal tubes and TC Tubes, for outputs.                       You already mentioned Kevin/Upscale, with whom I've never been disappointed, either.                                                                                                                                                     Then: there's this ebay seller, in Germany, with whom I've dealt multiple times, in the past, for nine-pin miniatures, though his inventory seems quite depleted, of late:    https://www.ebay.com/str/tubesandradio?_trkparms=folent%3Atubesandradio%7Cfolenttp%3A1&_trksid=p...
For Real NOS tubes Brent Jesse Audio , you can call and or email 
and he knows their sonics well and helps in matching  what sonic 
signature You are after ,30 day return for a exchange and you can buy 2 year warranty  based on the tubes cost ,NOS close matched 
tubes are getting scarce in some brands so not cheap, 
that being said in small tubes great buys are backup organ tubes 
much less Money for the exact same tube as the name brand 
with name printed labels like Hammond ,or other company vs  standard names  like Amperex , RCA, Sylvania,for-example.
Oh man Earl. I got a couple of guesses. :)

I have bought some tubes from various folks and I know you are looking for someone else other than Upscale but Kevin's always test great and last a long time. (I haven't bought any power tubes from him though.)
I have bought several tubes from various vendors, but found Brent Jesse to be the best. He takes his time listening to you (no interruptions) before recommending anything.

BTW, I've heard that the Qualiton XP200 sound really good with KT150s and 170s.
After trying E-Prey, Upscale Audio, Tube Depot, Viva Tubes and some dude on USAM, the only issue ever encountered was with the Tube Depot. One tube, of the pair, was not up to snuff. The Tube Depot rectified the situation in no time flat. 
Regarding TC tubes, a copy/paste from a previous post: "My last octet of NOS GE 6550As came from TC Tubes. When one finally went South(after a couple years), they managed to find one, in their inventory of too-weak-to-sell-NOS, that matched my seven well-worn, and gave it to me. Didn’t even charge me, to test those seven. That’s service!"                                                                                                                                              For honesty's sake: At the same time time, I was ordering a quad of Russian repop, Gold Lion KT-88s, for listening tests.                                                                                                                                    Still: Gotta love those guys!
@eichlerera 
Vintage Tube Services:The Best!
By quite a large margin....

In what ways are they better than others by "quite a large margin"? And better than whom, specifically?

Please give details, as this might be a reason for me to switch suppliers.
i was always getting power tubes (6550c) from TubeDepot.
All sets lasted the same with no issues.

Brent Jessee is always my go-to guy.  If you can describe the type of sound you are looking for and what your budget is, he'll provide recommendations and he also provides an optional warranty and will stand behind it.
In what ways are they better than others by "quite a large margin"? 


He does more thorough testing and has better test equipment than anyone else that I know of.
Giving Viva Tubes a shot and I bought 4 of the KT170 for the Qualiton X200. 
Should be here mid week and they had the best price by a long shot.

Impressions to come.
@invalid Thanks for the clarification. So this person has better testing and equipment than Brent Jessee, Jim McShane and the others mentioned? I've never asked such questions of my vendors to even find out what they did or had -- glad to know there are serious folks making these detailed comparisons and rankings. Super helpful to know there's one vendor way beyond the others. Thank you!

hilde45,

First of all go to Andy’s website and immerse yourself for an hour or two. Take note of his test equipment. That’s a collection by itself!

I’ve spoken with him at length about tubes and not only does he have a grasp on that subject, but he knows circuit design in detail.

I remember when I wanted to tube roll some 5687s in my ModWright Anniversary PreAmp. He started asking me some questions about the output circuit design (most of which I couldn’t answer). He then called Dan Wright directly to find out what he needed to know. He called me back and we had a discussion about the sound characteristics I was looking for. I was looking for some “vividness” without it being etched. I felt if the sound was overemphasized in the upper mids/lower treble, I could compensate downstream. I had the Amperex brand in mind and he completely agreed with me.

He recommended the Amperex 7119, D Getter, Pinched Waist (Late 1950s). They weren’t cheap but when I popped them in place, the sound absolutely glowed. No hiss, no hum, no microphonics, no unwanted sound at all. I’ve had them in place for a few years now with NO problems.

This man has seen it all when it comes to tubes.                                   And he is willing to go the extra mile to make sure the tube is compatible (and optimal) with the circuit it is in.

I also bought two Amperex 6922, 1965 “USN”, White Label, Gold Pins for my ModWright modded Pioneer CD player.

These two components along the MOSFET powered Modwright KWA 100SE are a match made in Heaven!

If you speak directly with Andy Bouwman, you will realize the level of his expertise. He’s my tube guy for life!

I've had a pair of kenrad 6sl7 tubes from Andy in my preamp for over 3 years powered up 24/7, they still sound much better than the stock Russian tubes even after over 3 years.
Andy has to be a good guy, he is from Michigan lol. I was born in the Upper Peninsula, The U.P. Rocks,

I'll take a decent amplifier with the finest tubes any day over the finest amplifier with mediocre tubes."
- Andy Bouwman
Andy will also put you in a Motorola if it saves you $ and tests like the OEM in OEM box….

He spent a few hours researching and testing just the right  vintage Tung Sol 6550 that ( barely ) fits in my REF5se……

my post in no way to disparage other vendors, just happy w Andy.

check out also RAM tubes and the genius that was Roger Modjeski - RIP….
Andy at Vintage Tube Services. Good selection, knows his stuff and reasonable prices. 
@eichlerera Thanks for the detailed explanation about why he’s so good!

Perhaps the fans here for Jim, Brent, Upscale, Viva, and the other tube sellers might want to see that their guy/biz is worth passing over for Andy.

Because if he is as far beyond (in testing knowledge, equipment, expertise in tubes) as you say, then there’s no reason not to switch!
The only reason not to call Andy at vintage tube services would be if you can't wait 2-3 weeks for your tubes.
I have a story about a local company- ****Tube Supply.
They will allow you to buy same day-when open- but they do have a limited pickup window 4-5pm as I recall. I made a couple purchases there then went back for another purchase. The clerk tells me my last invoice is not marked as paid and would I please pay him the $100 he showed as outstanding.

This place is heavily secured. Small glass window you deal thru. Small room. If you need the toilet an escort is provided.  

So I said "Wow that seems hard to believe". I had no recollection
of walking out with something unpaid for. But I often tender cash
rather than a card for reasons some of you will follow.

So I asked if the likely cash payment possibly went into
some employees pocket?  Then I heard about how long everyone
had worked there  and even the camera which monitored their
work area. 

I suggested that if he reviewed that day's video log and could prove
that in fact I had not paid I would then pay it. 

Never heard from them. Keeps me wondering if they are now
"hiring". 

Sold the Tube gear and moved on to Solid State Pass gear
not because of this incident but maybe was a sub conscience
move.


@invalid 
The only reason not to call Andy at vintage tube services would be if you can't wait 2-3 weeks for your tubes.

I can wait 2-3 weeks for someone who is so far beyond all the others mentioned on this thread. For someone with far better equipment, testing, and knowledge -- absolutely. 
the best tube supplier is andy's tubes he is on the internet you should check him out.
Vote for Viva tubes. All new tube set for my MAC 240. Very pleased, quick shipping as well. 
the viva shop in mass is good, they ship quickly, communicate very well (sometimes a problem with andy at vts as he is older and essentially a one man show, as is jim m), viva is also very responsive when issues arise with tubes they sell

that said, i don’t believe viva does extra testing in house or burn in on their tubes, which can be quite important and valuable with some tubes for some amps... for new stock tubes i believe viva relies on the factory testing and matching, which for some makes and tubes may not be so great
I purchase new tubes from The Tube Store and NOS from Uncle Kevvy at Upscale Audio. Extremely satisfied with both dealers and shipping is about the same. 
Vintage Tube Services for me.  Several purchases with reasonable prices and excellent tubes.  
I've dealt with Brett Jesse, Kevin Deal, Andy and Viva tubes on multiple 
occasions and have had great success.  I have also purchased 30 or 40 tubes from a local dealer in PHX that has been very good.  Dave at Arizona tube supply.  Very good.  I would say he seems to have mostly USA NOS tube brands, not so much on the European brands.  Great source.
I've bought many tubes from Brett Jesse and gotten great support.  He tends to focus mostly on obscure NOS (and expensive) tubes.

Recently I've bought quite a bit of tubes from the Tube Depot and have been very impressed with their service, selection, and prices.  The Tube Depot mostly focuses on new production tubes, so the prices are generally pretty attractive.
Would like to add another vote for Vintage Tube Services.  Andy is exceptional.
Andy's tubes good alternative to the others and maybe better in a lot of ways.
I placed an order with Andy at VTS - great to talk to and knowledgeable.  

Said it would be a month until he could ship and that didn't happen... nor did the charge to the card so I went back to Brent Jesse.  Prompt shipping and service.
So I placed an order for KT170 (awesome sounding tubes) with Viva Tubes, prompt confirmation and updates throughout the process had my package in 3 days.