Vacuum Tube Supplier

[VSAT88]

Who are you guys buying your tubes from? I was using Jim McShane but.... "3/10/24 News - When my remaining current production Russian tube stock is gone, I will no longer be carrying Russian made tubes. I will continue to sell down my NOS stock and other tubes, but once my tube stock is gone - that's it! I will be exiting the tube business once my current inventory is gone. I turned 73 years old this year - and between the impact of the Covid pandemic and the Ukraine war, I don't have the energy to support the tube business in its current state of affairs. " Cant blame him a lick. I only have one tube amp I am playing with right now and I have several sets of tubes for it. EL34's but would like possibly buy another set to keep in the collection to roll. Besides, these new tubes shit the bed often.

 

[J!m]

If you want the Soveteks, I’m sure there is US stock around. All of craigslist search may find them too.

 

[marcok]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1550017403...0NpR+351Za4phLTFZIP/2nVZcA==|tkp:BFBM5MX-rcFk
This could be a solution ! I use for my Dynaco VTA ST 70 JJ tubes , but I don't know if you like them .
Ciao
Marco

 

[J!m]

New Sensor is the US distributor of Sovtec (I used to be a tube seller back in the guitar making days) so those are Sovtec-made tubes. They may have changed the plates or something, but maybe not... I'd want to do a side-by-side personally.

 

[mr_rye89]

My ST70 is long gone but I put new production Mullard EL34s in it and those were Ruskie New Sensor tubes. My homebrew WE91A Amp needs a new set of 300Bs, it's running vintage 2014 PS Vanes (Chinee), but I'm considering JJ as well.

 

[mr_rye89]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/155001740353?_skw=el+34+reissued&itmmeta=01J85DZMBDFPXEE9Q0TACQNRS6&hash=item2416d2dc41:g:OlwAAOSwgitdtbxA&itmprp=enc:AQAJAAAA8HoV3kP08IDx+KZ9MfhVJKnL+47VZ1gCZHevId1Zfi02vBZm+kbFsJkwWuBt2EKr1SvzqImuL/OfZLzzYV9E+z+6s6fAQARGGQYKimGhEyCXrXU9pwotQvrWGpeVMO7uVS5MRJfQ2rZUzhxgPUFbLq5Zdg+Mf9/R4gmCm/xWRHkbu1nJzUS9xbwu9jYK+n8zPBL2pPYzJhbDc7PdTOzYY4njfV/JjqPaz4vNL8Gstz71x8iC2LOGM9rUPKzqMl4qdVwshkCwFkBC+S4kvyYx5QNeBq06+1+tGZT/rnce0NpR+351Za4phLTFZIP/2nVZcA==|tkp:BFBM5MX-rcFk
This could be a solution ! I use for my Dynaco VTA ST 70 JJ tubes , but I don't know if you like them .
Ciao
Marco

Yep I used those same ones. It's what the ST70 guys recommend.

 

[VSAT88]

Far as I can tell all of these are made in the same factory. Hard for me to believe they are much different from one another.

 

[marcok]

http://www.tubes4hifi.com/tubes.htm
Take a look here.
Ciao
Marco

 

[Mohawk]

These guys are local to me.
I have used them in the past, they seem to know thier stuff....

https://www.thetubestore.com/

 

[WOPL Sniffer]

These guys are local to me.
I have used them in the past, they seem to know thier stuff....

https://www.thetubestore.com/

I use them also. Great service

 

[marcok]

Now a million dollar question :
What brand of tubes do you prefer ?
I use JJ as recommended by VTA guys . ( together Tungsol )
Can you hear the difference ?
Ciao
Marco

 

[krellmk]

Nope

 

[WOPL Sniffer]

I used JJ brand 12AY7 (6072) tubes on the tube Pre I built a couple months ago. It was for a customer and he plans on buying some higher priced tubes for it so we didn't buy the matched units but they are good tubes. When you start adding Gain and Balance Matching for the 8 tubes it has in it and it adds up quick.

It, in my opinion had too much gain in the phono section. The 4 tubes for the Phono section would benefit with a bit of lower gain as it has a small amount of noise (overdriven??) but if you switch it to the other inputs (CD, Aux 1,2) it was dead silent and NOT OBNOXIOUS. Maybe I'll have a guru look at the schematic and see if there is another way to drop the Phono Gain some. Half the phono section is on the left side (2 tubes for left channel, 2 tubes for the right). Anybody see anything that pops out at them for helping drop the gain? The CD/AUX1/AUX2 go through their own relay to the output section and it is perfect, the Phono is amplified through the left side of the skizmo and then routed to the output section. It's TOO BRIGHT. Would getting 4 tubes matched at a lower gain help the Phono. You can't turn it up past the 9 o'clock position as it is crazy loud.

 

[J!m]

I think tubes are a poor choice for a phono pre in general. They have their own self-noise and the gain is high...

I'd say re-design with one less gain stage (tube) but I think that will invert polarity, so you'd have to deal with that, but the net gain (should) be lower noise and less gain.

From my ignorant perspective anyway.

Or handle the phono section as a balanced line. Which makes more sense in general, but also helps null the tube noise as well. (When tubes ruled the earth, much equipment was balanced)

 

[marcok]

I do agree with Jim ; tubes are not good for a phono amp .
Anyway my question was related to the brands ( EL 34 for instance )
Ciao
Marco

 

[mr_rye89]

Yeah I'd drop that stage right before the cathode follower on the phono stage. Or get one of Wyn's preamps and build that. EZ to change the gain on those

 

[J!m]

And it’s not a space heater.