Buy tubes from Audio Research or not

Taters, you've got the Audio Research VT-100 mkIII right?

ARC wants $720 for 4 matched pairs of 6550C's, but you can get the same quality of tubes with the same level of consistency and reliability from Kevin Deal at Upscale Audio at anywhere from $240-350 depending on which brand you prefer.

Upscale burns in their tubes for 72 hours before testing, compared with ARC's 48 hour burn-in. Upscale offers the same 90 day warranty on tubes that ARC does - and they stand behind it 100%.

On top of that, Upscale supplies clients with individual tube testing measurements. Meaning that if, for some reason, you need to replace just one tube in the future, matching it's precise characteristics is easy.

I know this sounds like an add for Upscale, but I have bought from them before and received top-notch tubes and service. Perfectly packed and two day delivery. You really cannot go wrong with them.

Word of advice, though. Upscale can get very busy at times, so it is best to know what you want before calling. If you need to ask in-depth questions, I found Kevin to be great at calling back later that night to discuss things more.

I went to Upscale Audio website and they say they don't retube ARC vt-100's. That seems very strange to me.

I just talked to Kevin at Upscale Audio. He said they don't retube Vt-100's period. He was also very rude.

Wow, didn't know I was walking into a Deal-a-thon! :o)

I have had good experiences with Kevin as well. Also a gent in Michigan some years back named Ken Bowman of Top Hat fame had good tubes, test equipment and ran an honest shop. Mine was only a cautionary buyer beware tale, not a slight against Kevin or the one or two other worthy tube sources.

The ARC VT100 uses (4) matched pairs of 6550. Here is the link to Upscale Audio's 6550 tubes.

http://www.upscaleaudio.com/view_category.asp?cat=85