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NOS Tubes--Are they worth it? or accurate?

After doing considerable investigation, I question whether it is worth it to undertake the quest of finding NOS tubes. Just looking at the volumes of discussion on audioasylum about Amperex 6922's and how many of them don't sound that good, the fakes out there, the difficulty in confirming how much use the tubes have seen. It just seems like way too much to deal with.

I know many will say, buy from the reputable tube dealers, but at what cost? Is their inflated pricing worth investing into something that has a limited life and can quite probably never be replaced? I think that looking into current production tubes that sound good would make a lot more sense.

The other issue is that many of the amps and preamps we are using them in are were not designed around the sound of these NOS tubes. If you substitute another tube, I think you are drastically altering the sound from the designer's attempt towards his version of reality and accuracy to something that is totally unrelated to this man's intentions and work.

It seems that we then end up with a mish-mash of sonics that are tailored to an individual's preference and may be far, far removed from any accuracy at all.
saxo

Showing 1 response by thorman

thorman
1,262 posts
 
Yah they are worth it if you are willing to accept dissapointment now and then. You may not hit it on the mark the first time,so be patient and use dealers with good feedback or people you trust to deal with.
When designing these peices,manufacturers use tubes that are currently available,due to cost reasons,and sound consistencies.Manufacturers must have to have on hand many replacement sets available to customers,so thats probably why the must use generic tubes.
It is fun to try to squeeze out more performence,but its at a price. Time and Money!
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