Byans I'm afraid that's the price of admission and knowledge. Learn a little spend a little
How do you test different tubes?
I hear people recommending different brand of tubes for amps, preamps, etc. My question is how are people doing this? Are there dealers who loan tubes like other gear? I would hate to have to purchase different sets of tubes, try them, find the one I like best, and then trying to sell the set I don't like.