Reliable source Psvane CV181-T MKII

cleeds, thank you for the clarification

Actually, I'd recommend Linlai Elite if they make that particular tube. Linlai has replaced Psvane there, at least you know backed by good warranty purchasing from them.

Since Grant Fidelity dropped Psvane, hard to find reliable source. Never tried Viva as I've found their prices excessive. If they have good warranty service could be ok source. I've found Woo Audio a good source here in US, not sure they have that tube as they generally only sell the tube types used in their headphone amps.

One thing to keep in mind, you do not want Chinese stock to pick from, this means no Chinese sellers. Quality US sellers should have contacts at Chinese tube manufacturers to ensure they get best tubes off production line. China stock not good, don't care about reliability for their domestic market. I know this from experience, I'll never buy tubes from China dealer again.

There is no "Russian tube ban," although some corners of the media have used the Russia crisis for clickbait.

Here’s the news direct from New Sensor. I also have first-hand knowledge that ARC is receiving all the tubes it needs from New Sensor, which owns Sovtek and EH.

Sovtek tube ban

​ Russia imposed a ban on the export of *all* tubes.  It is news to me US companies are still making tubes.  The last I read, the only exemptions are health care manufactures, health care companies and drug makers.  Russia specifically banned the export of vacuum tubes.  Electro-Harmonix, which distributed Soviet tubes announced earlier this year that they could no longer supply Soviet tubes due to the ban 

https://www.guitarworld.com/news/electro-harmonix-russia-tube-exports-ban

​

Definately not on a smear campaign.  PSVANE is brought up in the HAM radio community often when it comes to replacement amplifier tubes and I picked up my info from there.  If I was inaccurate as you are pointing out, I will retract that.  There is still an issue with the quality of PSVANE tubes in HAM radio and there are not a lot of alternatives to choose from.  The prices are also unrealistic.

@r042wal 

Me thinks you are confused.

Yes, factory burned down.

Yes, Psvane was formed by ex employees 

Psvane was formed in 2011, and not as a result of the factory burning down.

Details matter, because you wouldn’t want people to think you were engaging in some kind of smear campaign, and just sloppily throwing info out there.

Shuguang Electric Company experienced a fire in August 2019 and burned to the ground. They made HAM radio amplifier tubes under an assortment of names like RF Parts, Taylor, Machlett. Their quality was typical Chinesium compared with other countries like Russia for example.

China never issued a permit to rebuild the factory so a group of ex-employees left and started PSVANE. Once again, poor quality and failure rates higher than acceptable.

Russia no longer exports tubes in retaliation for the sanctions so PSVANE has capitalized on this demand.

strange thing with HiFi Part store is i cant find the the current psvane tube series --art series. IIRC the T mk II is a coupla years outta production. 

i never heard of golden voice tubes-anyone here heard of them, used em, especially the 12A_7 tubes?

Have you called Tube Depot?

Sorry, but I lost all trust of Viva Tubes when they began to gouge their customers the very day the sanctions were declared. They were the 1st to do so and they are among the highest prices of any from the starting day of the sanctions. I won't buy from them if they are available anywhere else which they are IE Amazon & HiFi Part store