Tube question

Well, the tubes I ordred from Andy are not in that lot, but Andy loves them, and Joe of Joe's Tube Lore does as well: The Amperex Bugle Boys, early 60s Should have them Saturday. He also recommended that the 6DJ8s by Amperex of about the same time, were fabulous. I'm going with them, as well. At least I'll have a quality referent. I'll see where, if any, I may roll. Recommendation for break in? 8 hours continuous enough? Thanks again. warren :)

I also am a very big fan of the Amperex Bugle Boy tubes. I like the 12AU7, and am about to test 2 sets of their premium 12AU7, the 7316/E186CC - both the D Getter and Halo (now I forget if it's the large or small halo) Getter versions I've recently acquired.

Their 12AX7 tubes are excellent, but I still prefer the Shuguang.

At some juncture, I'll give the 6DJ8 and a few other Amperex flavors a try. Right now, in my CDP, I'm using a pair of Valvo (I forgot the source) 7308.

One thing to keep in mind regarding Amperex/Bugle Boy is that they are rebadged tubes from other manufacturers. So, often one will have a tube that is actually a Mullard, Philips, etc., and knowing that eliminates the need to buy both to try in comparison.

Again, I realize it isn't always economically feasible, but I cannot stress enough the insight provided by acquiring and auditioning as many tubes as possible. Perhaps a group of people could get together and form a "Tube Exchange" program, sort of like a lending library, that allows people to try a wide variety of flavors, while keeping the cost down for everyone?

Thanks Trelja. All, good points...

warren :)