2. amps-preamps
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NOS Tubes - Ecstasy or Agony

I have been running tube amps for many years and have built a number of SETs and other tube amps, kit's mostly.  My main power tubes have been 2A3's and 300bs and I have used mostly new manufacture tubes including JJ's and EML 300b's (great tube btw).  I did use NOS driver tubes and headphone amp tubes.  Never really had a problem.

I just transitioned to a Don Sach's 6sn7 based preamp and McCormack SS power amp.  The preamp is very nice and sounds great with Shugang tubes. Of course, I wanted to try some NOS tubes, went online and did my research.  Now the DS2 is a great preamp, the drawback is it uses 4 6sn7s and so I need to get pairs.  Would  have love to get my hands on the Dehavilland, uses one tube!

First Pair - I ordered some Sylvania's from TC Tubes. Advertised as 50's vintage, ,when I received  them they were marked 60's. Hmmm.  So I tried them and they sounded pretty darn good except after a couple hours one of them developed a high pitched hum, like a florescent bulb. So I sent them back.  

Second Pair - ordered from Brent Jesse - has a good rep online and a really informative website.  Received them and one was dead on arrival, they were also clearly of different construction. So they are going back.

Next will try Andy at Vintage Tubes Services, he also has a solid  reputation so hopefully I can get something that works.

I am curious what experiences others have had. Maybe its COVID, or are these dealers just unreliable, or is just 6sn7's?  Really thought I could just buy some NOS tubes and experiment, I can't even get two to work.

I don't really want to disparage these dealers but I do think all the claims of testing are maybe overblown.
drewh1
mapman's avatar
mapman
21,921 posts
 
How do you or even a seller know a tube labeled NOS has never been used? No telling where they have been. Literally. They are old so they’ve been around...

It’s still old even if never used. Old tubes today may not last as long as when they were new.

Whatever. It’s all semantics...it is what it is. Bravo to the Marketing Guys who came up with the name NOS.

If NOS is what you want, just buy from a reputable source who offers some kind of warranty or guarantee and all is well that ends well. I would not trust that every tube called NOS by any Joe blow out there in fact has never been used or will even last very long. Old is old. Someone reliable needs to certify and back that up. So just be careful, that’s all. Always good advice when dropping $$$s for something especially at a premium price.

Personally, I would avoid new products that require old devices to sound their best, but that’s just me.
lwin's avatar
lwin
569 posts
 
I find it amazing how good some of these NOS tubes sound from the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. There has been many a tube I have purchased that the outside boxes are disintegrating as well as the inner wrappers and you need to clean them up with alcohol because they are filthy but you plug them in and they not only work but some of them are just flat out beautiful sounding. I don’t know too many things that can be stored for 50,60 or 70 years and work just as well as the day they were made.
drewh1 OP
115 posts
 
Mapman - I don't think it is about devices that "require" old devices to sound their best. Mostly there are pretty good modern tubes out there. I think EML makes tubes that rival the supposed NOS stuff. However, there are some really good old stock tubes that provide a sought after sound. To some degree they all act as tone controls varying slightly the tonal balance of the equipment.  

I do agree, I wouldn't want to have to rely on them though.
petg60
1,486 posts
 
NOS is brand new untouched sealed in the box.
I would prefer the term old stock but tested.
After all only a tested tube, new or used, is required to match our needs.

G



daveyf's avatar
daveyf
2,836 posts
 
Some NOS tubes I have seen have clearly been used in some kind of electronics for decades. If you look at the tube pins, they are not only corroded, but also generally not that straight! The only 'New' thing about them will be the new owner who acquires them in the sale! Luckily, it seems that a lot of the better 'NOS' euro tube manufacturer's made tubes with enough quality to last for multiple insertions and hours....Too bad this doesn't seem to be the case with today's manufacturer's. 
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