I don't know if this was said, it looks like the originals have the logo from top to bottom & the copies are written from right to left. Please correct me if I'm wrong. 

This is the email I received from Viva tubes this morning;

Hi Dan, they are indeed legitimate. We import them directly from China. Thank you for your order. We hope you like them.

On 5/26/2022 2:44 PM, Dan Mar wrote:

I called earlier, with no response. I’d like to know if these tubes are legitimate, or are they copies? Dan M.

From: VIVA TUBES
Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2022 9:49 AM
To: dnocca@hotmail.com
Subject: Your VIVA TUBES Order Has Been Updated (#21504)

@bugredmachine  Good for you! Tell me; do they have the same sound signature as the ones you sent me?

I didn’t think that was an option.

I ordered a set of 4 from Linlai of China, & they told me they’re on lock down. They sent me an email yesterday stating that they would be coming from G/F. When I went to their web site (G/F) they stated they were out of stock, so that's why I ordered from Linlai themselves. I'm assuming they shipped to Canada before the lock down. your guess is as good as mine.... 

@jayctoy  They're not going to answer the phone, email is a lil slow, but they will get back to you.  I returned the 2 sets on Fri. & went w/ Grant Fidelity. Delivery is mid June for me.

@jayctoy I been buying from Viva for years, that's why I went & purchased the 6sn7 from them. The tubes they sent me, did not look, or have the same sound signature like the one's from Grant Fidelity or China. ''First hand experience''. Viva received them today & refunded my monies in full. I'm sure I'll be dealing with them again, unless I'm on their BLACK LIST....

Yes Sir. They came from Viva.

@rocray,  amptata_audio’s tubes & are they the same exact tubes? Just curious.

Thank you Sir. 😁

@rocray go back 8 threads.

I don’t understand why they would make a different tube for the world. Never heard of such a thing. 

@rocray I don’t see the 6ns7 on their site.

 Never mind1:(

@rocray What W/E 6sn7? LOL

Back in stock!

I received an email from the Postal Office stating; my tubes will be here on Fri.

Great news Ray. I plan to connect the Don Sachs to my Pioneer for 24 hr break in, with spiritic changes to My Prima Luna. I should have made a deal with @bugredmachine for his tubes.   

@lowrider57

I’m awaiting mine that I ordered from China, but the kick is, they’re coming from Grant Fidelity. I did order the Global Elite, so we’ll see what I get when they arrive on Fri.

@lowrider57 ;

Yes. I ordered my 4 GLOBAL tubes from LINLAI’s web site & if you recall they said, NO outbound shipping from China, due to the virus, so they sent my order to an oversea distributer. ’’Grant Fidelity’’ Now being that I didn’t make a deal with @bugredmachine for to keep those tubes. I don’t have a set to compare, but I did hear a change in sound in my system. I’m going to post picture’s when they come today. After the initial evaluation, I’m going to hook up my Don Sachs to my Pioneer 1280 to burn in for 24/4. That should bring them up to 100 hrs.

Dan

Tubes came today, they are Global.

https://postimg.cc/gallery/WDbXLG3

Their @ the 22hr mark & the tubes are coming to life.

I now have 102 hrs. on my Global-E. They opened up nicely, but still a little dark for my Cadenza Black which only has 80 hrs. on it. I think I need a few more hrs. on that cart. My AT 150 MLX sings as it always will. I noticed that I don't have to crank it up as much to hear what I was used to with the Shuang's. & Psvane combo which maybe have 800 hrs. on them. Tomorrow I'll do some rolling & see what that'll sound like. Their defiantly worth the $!  

@lowrider57 , do you have stock in G/F?

When did you find them? I closed their web page over the weekend & never seen those. ( NICE)

I did some rolling the past few days & I have to say; The Global & the Shuguang Treasure Cv181T sounded better then the 4 Global in my Don Sachs.

@lowrider57 

Ya, now I'll have to put those on my list. Like I said; the combo sounds better so I'm going to order a set Shuguang T first because they're going to be scarce soon.

@swingfingers,

 scroll down & find my recent post. 

I just checked Linlai's website that I purchased the Global's, & there is no 6SN7 for sale on their site. G/F has them with the black vertical lettering. Everyone else has them with the gold horizontal lettering. FWIW

@lowrider57 

I spun 8 hrs. today, Jazz & Rock. The combo of the Lin. G & the Shuguang T are a better match then the 4 Global in my system. Now just to bring you up to speed. I have a 1210 GAE w/an SME309 & a Credenza Black on it. My other table is a 1200 MKll w/the GAE tonearm on it, with the AT 150 mlx. Now the Black has 85 hrs. on it & is coming to life, & the AT has 200 hrs. on it. Both decks have their own signature (respectfully) Cartridge wise. I can honestly say they opened up nicely. The base is tight, voices are pronounced w/o any harshness (male & female) & the symbols & bells blended nicely. Played some YES albums, to hear how low the Organ would go & it was spot on. Maybe over the weekend I'll roll my KR & Sylvania JAN & see what I get from there. The Linlai are in the buffer sockets & that's where they'll stay.

@rocray 

I'm going to roll NOS tomorrow, be on the look out....

Yes

Alright, I’ve rolled for 2hours this morning.

Linlai with the following: NOS K/R, NOS Sylvania, NOS Tong Sol, Shuguang & Psvane Treasures. To my taste the Ken Rads sounded the best of the combos. I’m not going to keep the Linlai’s. So if anyone is interested, I have 4 for sale. 2 w/ 113hrs. & 2 w/ 100 hrs. PM me, & I get them out on Monday!

@xcool

The tubes from Viva also had the ringed base as the ones from Grant Fidelity. The lettering was different & the sound from the Viva’s were not as refined (open) & were base shy.

@pinwa NOS tubes are exactly the same with many Sylvania and GE tubes etc. etc. selling under many brand names for exactly the same tube. But the idea that tubes that are internally identical but have different lettering are functionally different seems ludicrous.

REALLY?

I understand what he wrote, but WHY do the tubes sound different?

Your welcome.

@bigtwin 

I'm waiting for Western Electric to come into play. eg 6sn7

Maybe the amount of gases??????

@ram18 

I have a few sets of K/R & Sylvania JAN's, in my system the Sylvania's are more clear sounding, so I mix both sets to my likening. You can't wrong with the Black glass! Even Tung Sol pre 50's are no slouch, if you can find them.

😁

@ram18 

 That's them!

Have you tried - Postimage

Just to refresh my evaluations. The bottom line is: I had the 2 different tubes at the same time. There is a difference between the Global & the non Global in my system. Why don't members just try for themselves @ the cost of return shipping. This would stop all the inane posturing that's being discussed about these tubes. This weekend I changed Carts on my GAE from Hana ml (240) hrs. to my Cadenza Black (83) hrs. on an SME 309.

With the Globe's, my system has NEVER sounded so good. I have K/R, Sylvania JAN & Tong Sols, tried every combo & with the 4 Global in my Don Sach's their staying.

@xcool , I ordered from LinLai in China & they sent my order to G/F.

Yes I purchased the top of the line, "ULN" so there was no 2nd guessing.

@lowrider57, 😁

Get your money back & buy from Grant Fidelity.

NOTE- No affiliation. 

@arcfan That's for you to decide, if you order from them, you'll get the real deal.

@jtcf you wrote; I'm using just the one tube for the input on the Aric Audio Transcend PP.It's possible I might like them better by placing them on either side of the input tube and going back to the GE on the input.

Maybe you will benefit by tube rolling. Let us know. 

@rocray, maybe that was me you were referring too (Globels). I now have about 200 + hrs. on them & I'm not even thinking of rolling them yet. I just purchased an EMT 948 last month & have been waiting for the cart. to be built 5 weeks now. &&^(*%%) ! I'm kind of discouraged on playing that system. So the tubes have been silenced.  

@borisj , Where did you get the tubes?

I just went on the G/F site & there's a $50.00 increase from last year.😥

$12.50 apiece.

VVVVVVVVVVV