“ Chinese NOS “ ? That’s a new one to me, but I don’t get out much. A tube tester is a must have. Not owning one, I utilize a neighbor that’s in the local radio club. As far as NOS , I prefer them for input, and rectifier positions. In regards to power tubes I have NOS, Current Production, and 1 set of higher quality Chinese. I find new production Gold Lion and Tungsol nice. But to your original statement, with power tubes being a wear item, putting in fresh tubes is almost always a realization of how worn your current ones are. The only tube failure I’ve had that actually caused damage was a brand new Gold Lion KT-77 that failed and damaged my amp.
DON:T WAIT! Replace Those Old Power Tubes!
For several years I've cobbled together the required quad of 6L6GC power tubes for my Raven Audio Integrated amp. I say 'cobbled' because out of two sets I culled four which would perform what I perceived as reasonably decent sounding. Being on the last best four I feared one more failing tube would put me out of the music. So, I ordered another quad from Raven Dave (Thomson). At first I thought to just saved them for an emergency but on a whim I decided to just put all the Chinese New Old Stock (NOS) in place. APPARENTLY, and obviously, my smorgasbord set in place previously had various quirks including but not limited to: hum, occasional buzzing, and a bloated`slow tone. My wife immediately stated: I don't hear anything in the background. Indeed there isn't anything but dead silence. NOS tubes are always a "Russian roulette" deal but their unique and amazing "real-ness" is worth the gamble. (IMO) So if you have been waiting until you absolutely have to, DON'T WAIT any longer. The improvement is profound. These tubes are as old as I am! Only difference is I've not been in a box traveling around the world for over 60 years!
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- 18 posts total
- 18 posts total