Buy tubes from Audio Research or not

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.

Funny, I've bought from him a few times and have had nothing but great service.

The first time I called, I wasn't clear on what I wanted. Kevin was short because they were too busy at the time for the questions I had. Some may take that as rude, I didn't. He said he'd give me a call later in the day when, and if, things slowed down.

At 7:30pm that night, my phone rang - it was Kevin. We had a great conversation , he gave me great advice on tubes, 2 days later the 60's Mullard CV378 rectifiers showed up professionally boxed against damage and worked fabulously ever since.

How does he stay in business?

Simple, there are a lot of us who have had great service from Upscale and know they stand behind their products. If they say a tube is from a particular decade and manufacturer, you don't have to worry about getting a fake or fluke. And for some of us, that means a lot.

If Upscale is not to your liking, try The Tube Man, I've gotten pretty good service from him, too. And he sells 6550C's

"And now.....Back to our regular programming"

Fair enough, Taters, hope you find another dealer to get tubes affordable. I'm sure the VT-100 is a great amp, but yowsa that's stiff bill to just replace the output tubes.

How long do they last?

Hey, if you buy what he's shoveling....enjoy it. I don't buy it, and have talked with others who are immune to his BS as well.

Well, there's certainly no shortage of arrogance and self-importance in your neck of the woods, is there?