Buy tubes from Audio Research or not

As long as you know what you want for tubes,buy from independent tube supplier,,.Why pay the extra $$ for ARC tubes..

ARC like some other equipment makers purchases lots of tubes for their equipment. They will tell you that the tubes they use and sell are only the finest and have been tested for everything under the sun, then they will charge you 3 times as much as if you purchase from an independent tube dealer. Let me recommend Kevin Deal of Upscale Audio to you. He is very knowledgable about tubes and has a fine reputation. He also prides himself on selling only high quality tubes. He also sells audio equipment. Go to his web site:
http://www.upscaleaudio.com/view_category.asp?cat=38

Yes. The manufacturer will be aware of whether or not the tubes need to be matched and they test for certain tolerances. They generally source hand picked and tested supply whereas an independent is just that-- the quality, credibility and intent to insure top quality can vary wildly depending on who you deal with.

ARC has their reputation and products to protect and service. If you are into tube rolling and esoteric hard to find tube types then roll the dice and see what comes up. If you want to insure consistent tube quality and reliable performance then I would stick with the manufacturer selected and tested lot. They may be a little more expensive because they are tested and matched more thoroughly than most NOS. I used to re-tube my CAT pre-amps through different independents and learned a lesson or two.

I think Samuel makes a very valid statement, but their are some things that I would like to point out. First, their are independent tube sellers such as Upscale Audio, that perform the same tests as ARC and others. Second, you have to consider the cost of retubing. I have a CJ amp that requires 12 6550's, 4 6CG7's and 2 5751 tubes. CJ wants $700 for the tube package, and that's insane! I guess if I only needed a few tubes, I might consider purchasing from the equipment maker. The third premise is that ARC will only warranty their tubes for 90 days, same as a great many Independent tube dealers. I purchased my tube set from reliable and trustworthy tubesellers for less than half of what it cost to buy from CJ. The tubes are now over 2 years old with approximately 2500 hours on them and I have had to replace 2 6550's just last month.

I would also like to recommend Kevin Deal at Upscale Audio. I have bought MANY tubes from him over the years and he has never steered me wrong. He has one of the most elaborate tube testing systems around. Well worth a call or e-mail to him.