Tube Demo Program?

Early B.
Early B. Posts: 7,900
edited February 2005 in 2 Channel Audio
I'm sure this has probably been suggested or attempted before, but is there any interest in starting a tube rolling program?

I'm interested in getting opinions on NOS vs. New. We can work with only a handful of the most popular tubes. To make it interesting, every participant could use a set of EH tubes as a baseline for comparison. Tubes can be donated and you only pay for shipping.

Ideas? Comments? Suggestions?
HT/2-channel Rig: Sony 50” LCD TV; Toshiba HD-A2 DVD player; Emotiva LMC-1 pre/pro; Rogue Audio M-120 monoblocks (modded); Placette RVC; Emotiva LPA-1 amp; Bada HD-22 tube CDP (modded); VMPS Tower II SE (fronts); DIY Clearwave Dynamic 4CC (center); Wharfedale Opus Tri-Surrounds (rear); and VMPS 215 sub

"God grooves with tubes."
Post edited by Early B. on
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Comments

  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited February 2005
    Only concern I'd have would be their "shock-sensitive" nature. While I haven't run into this yet after multiple on-line buys, it is a concern, e.g., The Tube Store prefers air shiping due to reduced handling...

    That said, once I have my 2 ch room set up, I'd be interested...
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited February 2005
    Nice idea, but not interested personally.

    There are too many tubes available cheaply to bother with a tube exchange IMO. Locally? Sure, that should be a given. If an individual is too lazy and cheap to pick up a pair of NOS JAN Philips, for example, for $7.00/each, then why do they even bother with audio. They should just go back to their Sony boombox, pop in their favorite cassette, and press play.

    I am not about to mail a pair/quad of $200-400 tubes to a bunch of people, just to see if they like them. I don't care if they like them, what do I have to do with what they hear ultimately? And how interesting is pair of $50 tubes? Could be AWESOME, but, if they are $50, why aren't you buying them yourself in the first place.

    It's the same with the Cable Swap Program. I am not trying to change peoples' minds, just give them an opportunity to make their own decision. If they say they were great or suck, fantastic, good for them.

    Tubes are not as durable as interconnects. Specifically when you introduce unknown gear, and unknown variables. Where does liability begin? "Oh man, got the Amperex, and one of them browned out....uh, you have another one you can send me?"
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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