diytube.com

I think I found a tube goldmine here!!! Check it out, Good prices, other tube dealers get their tubes here.
http://www.vacuumtubes.net/

For older, expensive tubes, I usually buy used, not NOS. An 01A here goes for $50 - used, typically $10.

dcriner wrote:For older, expensive tubes, I usually buy used, not NOS. An 01A here goes for $50 - used, typically $10.

That's fine if it works for you. If I am building a new amp, I like to use new tubes as well. Why put used parts in a new car?

a cursory survey of the site exhibited ridiculous prices, in my opinion. ebay is your friend.

hilldweller wrote:If I am building a new amp, I like to use new tubes as well.

That's understandable. But what specific NOS tubes are you talking about? If they are some of the ones priced high like on that website, it might be better to build a different circuit. What is your experience with that seller?

N.O.S. military us made 6SL7 & 6SN7. Money is not an issue.
Ordered 3 days ago and tubes arrived today. Matched and balanced. Shipping was only a couple of bucks, USPS priority mail/
A pair of RCA 6SL7WGT black plate and a pair of 6SN7GT Sylvania "chrome dome" short bottle black plate.

hilldweller wrote:N.O.S. military us made 6SL7 & 6SN7. Money is not an issue.
Matched and balanced.

Matching 6SL7s and 6SN7s? How and why? Matching makes sense for audio tubes in push-pull. What does tube "balancing" consist of? Money is not an issue for you? For most of us, it is an issue.

Correct, it is for my Eiclone project. Which is push pull config. They did not charge me extra for the matching! Total cost for all four tubes was $190.00.

hilldweller wrote:

dcriner wrote:For older, expensive tubes, I usually buy used, not NOS. An 01A here goes for $50 - used, typically $10.

That's fine if it works for you. If I am building a new amp, I like to use new tubes as well. Why put used parts in a new car?

Ebay for tubes is a crap shoot, never sure what you are getting unless you know the seller well.

dcriner wrote:

hilldweller wrote:N.O.S. military us made 6SL7 & 6SN7. Money is not an issue.
Matched and balanced.

Matching 6SL7s and 6SN7s? How and why? Matching makes sense for audio tubes in push-pull. What does tube "balancing" consist of? Money is not an issue for you? For most of us, it is an issue.

Where money is not an issue, common sense must be foremost, I could have spent 100 bucks or more a piece for the highly regarded,
ECC.001 ECC35 Mullard "B" code tubes $190.00

6SN7.029 6SN7GT Tung-Sol black glass round plate $150.00

nyazzip wrote:a cursory survey of the site exhibited ridiculous prices, in my opinion. ebay is your friend.

Ebay for tubes is a crap shoot, never sure what you are getting unless you know the seller well. That is unless you have a good tube tester, and even then, it is still a crap shoot.

dcriner wrote:

hilldweller wrote:N.O.S. military us made 6SL7 & 6SN7. Money is not an issue.
Matched and balanced.

Matching 6SL7s and 6SN7s? How and why? Matching makes sense for audio tubes in push-pull. What does tube "balancing" consist of? Money is not an issue for you? For most of us, it is an issue.

It consists of balanced triodes within the tube.