Where do you guys buy tubes?


Where is the place that you guys TURST to buy your tubes?

Thank you,
Eddy
eddy1

Showing 3 responses by ghosthouse

Upscale Audio, mostly.  Also, The Tube Store and, recently, VacuumTubes.Net (a division of Radio Electric Supply).  Have also bought NOS from the TubeMonger and Chris at PartsConnexion.  Good luck.  What type are you looking to get?



Eddie - Should be easy for you to get some decent, matched current production 6550s.  For current production, I'd probably go with Kevin Deal at Upscale or Jim McShane.  

just fyi - Kevin MIGHT have an issue with selling to you if he knows it's for ARC gear.  Seems like I saw something or other about that on his site at one point.  I don't recall what his problem with ARC was.  It might have had something to do with biasing ARC gear.   Check out his site.  

Jim McShane enjoys a very good reputation and while I've yet to buy from him, I would if the need arose.  He is very good with email replies but is just coming back from an illness so might be a little slow due to back log.  You might consider contacting him to see what he has to say.

If you want to follow the safest course, why not buy them from ARC? Supposedly they are extremely rigorous with their tube screening procedures.   They will charge a premium over what you can pay elsewhere.  Assuming they aren't asking 5 or 10x more and since you only need two tubes, spending the extra $ for the "peace of mind" might be best.   

Good luck.
Question for Atmasphere:  Do you think JJ has resolved quality problems?  I had some KT88s from them a while back.  They sounded great but did not last.  Failed in a damaging way to the JoLida integrated I was running at the time.  I'd be pleased to hear they've resolved those issues, though I do note some of the suppliers above (Jim McShane & Kevin Deal) still do not carry any JJ product.  Just curious on your read of that situation.  Thanks.