Buy tubes from Audio Research or not

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.

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.