Buy tubes from Audio Research or not

Kurt/Taters...i have checked with Leonard at ARC and he said the use of tubes (non-ARC supplied) will not void the warranty (assuming that Taters unit is still under warranty) which it is probably not since the VT-100mkIII was discontinued in 2006 and typical ARC warranty is 3 yrs. But anyway, just thought I'd let you know that use of non-ARC tubes does not void their warranty.

Taters...i think you end up paying 2x what you can pay from a decent tube supplier if you purchase from ARC. What amp do you need to retube?

Tater...if you are not familiar with tube biasing then sending it to ARC to do the retube is the easiest (but most costly) approach but you will be guaranteed a good result. Alternatively, if you can find an audio technician or a dealer with an onsite tech who is willing to do the work for a nominal fee than you can save some money. The most cost effective is to order 6550s from The Tube Store or similar outfit and do the tube replacement yourself and it seems from 77jovian's remarks, ARC will walk you through the process anyway. So I think it is a matter of what you are comfortable with and how important the cost issue is to you. Good luck and let us know how you make out.

Samhar...I just saw you are using the Hickok 539b from your System thread. Is the manual sufficient to walk through a complete newbie like myself on how to use the unit and what to look for when testing/measuring tubes? Thx

Samhar...I believe Taters has the VT100MkIII which is easier to bias than Mk I and II (see Davemitchell's comment above).

Taters...I agree with Samhar that you should be a bit more careful that this tech guy is going to put in appropriate tubes. There is nothing wrong with getting him to do it as long as you know he is getting 2 sets of matched quads or a matched octet of 6550s. I would also agree that yo want to make sure the 6922 input/driver tubes (especially the driver tubes) are up to spec. So I would tell the Tech guy that you want to be present when he retubes your amp so you can learn how to check and maintain it going forward. And if he says ok, then you want to make sure that he tests the tubes in front of you and explains toyou that the tubes are testing well and that he then shows you how to check bias measurements and to adjust bias after retubing the unit. If he is ok with that, you then can personally verify that things are being done to spec and you are learning how to do it for yourself going forward. My 2c worth

Samhar...what tube tester do you use in your set up? Are there any current suppliers of tube testing equipment or does one have to buy an old used unit?