The Growing Challenge of Buying NOS/NIB Tubes

 The best tubes that I ever bought were from a guy that if i met him in person, we would be in a fist fight, and I would be winning. Don't need the long pauses and sighs during a phone conversation. Thing is, this guy knows his stuff better than anyone that I have met in the past. The tubes are freakin great.

So maybe it's like back in the old days when a drug deal was made in the alley and not in a commercial shop.

The person who tests my Tubes is a owner of a two generation Valve collection and knows so much about tubes and how they can influence a device.

Occasionally a selection of Late 50's to early 60's era matched tubes are put in a line up for demonstration purposes on devices that are brought along and used in the resident system.

It is not exactly tube rolling, but more of a unobtanium experience to be encountered by those invited.

Some Pairs of Tubes are hardly seen as pairs for sale and to buy them as singles would be quite a expensive purchase when they do appear in the market place.

What usually happens a stock tube is swapped out for a Tube that has a reputation and the lesson of why the reputation is in place, is soon learnt.

The usual thoughts are that not much more is to be achieved, but then it happens, a Tube is put into service that has a rarity, and all heads start looking around to see if the reaction is reciprocated, the inquiry is usually made as to how difficult to source these types, and this is from a Cold Tube.

Then it happens, without anybody knowing, the Hens Teeth of Tubes is put into service, and the absolute magic happens, it is something like the system has been exchanged for a whole new set up, costing much more.

As the Tube owner usually states, all that being achievable from a simple swap of a Tube, not much need to be Hi Tech and very achievable for a novice as well.

I agree with this, Tubes are able to make substantial changes to a systems SQ.

To achieve the exchange there is not a high level of knowledge required.

There is a knowledge that comes through experiencing Valves from many era's and having the best samples of these Valves in ones possession is not a common happening.

Finding owners of such collections is not easy and finding an owner who is willing to share in their experiences through demonstrating the Valves is even rarer.

As the owner has unusual devices made available to have their Valves used on, it broadens their own experiences of where the Valve can offer the best interface. 

I have been extremely grateful for my invites and the learning that has been achieved.

@rspyder 

If a vendor said that to me I would tell him to take his tubes and shove them far up his ass and put all his emails in my SPAM folder.

There are other tube vendors out there, such as Brent Jesse ( have bought many tubes from him and he was great to deal with), RAM Tubes, TC Tubes, Upscale Audio, etc. Good luck.