recommendations for tube suppliers

Antique electronic supply, been buying from them since 1993, always happy with the tubes they have provided.
 
thanks everyone, is TAD tube amp doctor?

Yup ... excellent tubes. Mostly Shuguang, but under special design and license, and extensively tested at their German facility. Big fan of their KT88str. Heavy lil suckers based on the vaunted British MOV ...

tad-tubes.jpg


PS - their 12AU7 ain't bad, but I've since moved on to a pair of well matched 12BH7's and a Sylvania 6SN7 in the center. Nice combination that brings out the best of my amp.

sylvania-6sn7.jpg
 
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@lostrockets, that tube rating system does a good job of describing the factors they're using to rate a tube. That will give you a possible comparison between them but I didn't see any specifics of what conditions or circuit topologies they're using for the comparison.

Those ratings would not necessarily be valid for use in a specific circuit topology. While they cannot list them in all possible circuit topologies, I'd not likely use the comparison for that reason.

To our OP, I rely on Jim McShane when I need advice for what's the most current reliable tubes. I've done this for better than 10 years and find that his method of tube burn-in and testing to be highly reliable. He keeps up with what tube producers are or are not meeting spec and what tubes have better quality and yield. That's what affects my purchase decision.

Cheers,

David
 
if the metal base ring of the tube falls off as you take a tube out of the box as well as half the cork material under it, but the tube seems to still work.. would you ask for a refund? (this just happened to me)
 
if the metal base ring of the tube falls off as you take a tube out of the box as well as half the cork material under it, but the tube seems to still work.. would you ask for a refund? (this just happened to me)

If it’s an old tube and the tube is still good, that’s just failed glue, Glue it back together.

If it’s a new production tube, I would wonder what that’s about. I would probably reglue as above.

If the tube s no good, we’ll, it’s no good, get a refund.
 
Upscale Audio goes out of their way to test every tube you order. Listening with new Electro Harmonix 6922 gold pins that they matched for my balanced Pro-Ject RS Box Preamp. The noisy tubes get rejected and not sold by them. Just replaced a noisy EH 6922 that came with the preamp.
You can order different grades and also cyro as an option. https://www.upscaleaudio.com/products/electro-harmonix-6922-gold-pin
Agreed. And Kevin has never steered me wrong---if he says a tube is a real good choice for a certain amplifier, do what he says. Who knows more about tube and amplifier/pre amplifier matching than Kevin Deal?

You pay a little more.
 
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