Do you buy your tubes from ARC

[taters]

I personally don't because I feel they are to expensive. I have a dealer that buys tubes on the open market and has them matched. He then Installs them sets the bias and let's them burn in for 24 hours. I have had 3 retubes in 12 years and not one tube has failed yet. If I had bought these from ARC I would be out about 1800.00.

[Barry1]

I buy 6H30 tubes from ARC for my Ref 40 Anniversary, but not the power supply 6550s. ARC no longer sells the SED 6550 Winged Cs that originally came with the Ref 40. They are no longer made although still available from some tube suppliers. After extensive auditioning, I found I liked the SED Cs better than the 6550WEs ARC now provides. So, I bought 12 pairs of SED Cs from Upscale Audio that were burned in for 72 hours and matched (Yes, I plan on being buried with this preamp!). I had already installed and measured tube cathode currents for a few replacement SED Cs and found the readings were identical to the ARC originals. While the replacements are not matched at the same voltages as ARC's testing procedures, I can't really hear any difference. They sound great. They are just a touch warmer and more natural sounding to me than the WEs. Depending on the characteristics of your system however, you might like the WEs better.

[CKKeung]

Originally Posted by Barry1

I buy 6H30 tubes from ARC for my Ref 40 Anniversary, but not the power supply 6550s. ARC no longer sells the SED 6550 Winged Cs that originally came with the Ref 40. They are no longer made although still available from some tube suppliers. After extensive auditioning, I found I liked the SED Cs better than the 6550WEs ARC now provides. So, I bought 12 pairs of SED Cs from Upscale Audio that were burned in for 72 hours and matched (Yes, I plan on being buried with this preamp!). I had already installed and measured tube cathode currents for a few replacement SED Cs and found the readings were identical to the ARC originals. While the replacements are not matched at the same voltages as ARC's testing procedures, I can't really hear any difference. They sound great. They are just a touch warmer and more natural sounding to me than the WEs. Depending on the characteristics of your system however, you might like the WEs better.

I also use SED 6550 Winged Cs for my ARC40 preamp but they have been cryo-treated & matched by Pearl CryoValves.
Russian NOS 6h30DR is too expensive so I use cryo-treated Electro-Harmonix 6H30 from Cryoset.com.

[Maxflo]

For My Ref5 and CD REF8 i exchange 6h30 to DR version - 4pics for $200 and now it is better: "more sound in the sound".

[RoninAudio]

Originally Posted by Maxflo

For My Ref5 and CD REF8 i exchange 6h30 to DR version - 4pics for $200 and now it is better: "more sound in the sound".

Where do you get vintage tubes at that price? Upscale-audio where I normally purchase tubes from, sells the vintage 6h30-DR for $189ea.

I find the ARC tubes to be about twice the market price. I prefer Upscale-Audio.

[Maxflo]

I bought from ebay: tanerunlusoy - version from 1988. He has more vintage versions from 1979 as well. After testing with first quad i was not sure if it is good source for tubes but it was ok. I bought quad and thinking about exchanging 6h30 in my Ref150

[Puma Cat]

I usually buy my tubes from the online tube vendors e.g. Upscale, Tube Depot, etc. Also sometimes from ebay.

[RoninAudio]

Originally Posted by Maxflo

I bought from ebay: tanerunlusoy - version from 1988. He has more vintage versions from 1979 as well. After testing with first quad i was not sure if it is good source for tubes but it was ok. I bought quad and thinking about exchanging 6h30 in my Ref150

Cool thanks; I ordered a pair of the 1988 version for my pre-amp.

[MPS]

I bought full retube set with few spares for my amp. 20 pcs of TungSol 6550 in matched quartets + 10 pcs of unmatched Sovtek 6H30Pi, all for less than 900€ (I check and match all tubes prior installing to amp). Had I ordered tubes from ARC the price would have been three to four times more - pretty much same what I paid for the whole amplifier, lol!

BTW some info about different 6H30 versions:
Recognizing 6H30 - 6N30 tubes - ACA

[RoninAudio]

Recognizing 6H30 - 6N30 tubes - ACA

I have read this many times. I'm not quite sure about the validity of the smooth flap statement. I have some 6h30-EB from 2000 that have the smooth flaps as described on the NOS tubes. In fact they exhibit all the described characteristics of the NOS tube. Who knows, pay your money and take your chances.