Need help from tubes guys/gals please

Midnite Mick

I had ordered 8 matched tubes from Parts Connexion. The Ip numbers of the tubes that I received are as follows: 34, 35, 35, 35, 42, 42, 43, 44. I don't know what these numbers mean but is it acceptable to have the low 4 on one monoblock and the high 4 on the other? Is this still considered matched? Will there be noticeable differences?

Thanks,
Mike

dorokusai

Matched means matched, not roughly in the same ballpark.

Dennis Gardner

Thats not 8 matched.......its 2 sets of quads. Someone got lazy.

Midnite Mick

I contacted them and their response was that it doesn't matter because they were separate monoblocks. They also stated that matched isn't identical but within a certain tolerance.

Mike

Dennis Gardner

I call BS.........if it doesn't matter, then 2 35s and 2 44s would be matched enough in a stereo amp according to their logic. Why match them at all if it doesn't matter.

dorokusai

I wouldn't buy tubes from them, again, if I were you.

You can bias a tube inline with the rest, and you should do so anyways, but when you PAY for a matched octet....you should get a matched octet.

Midnite Mick

I don't know enough really to know what the industry standard is nor was acceptable practice, etc. However one thing that I thought was also wrong was that they sold these as matched pairs...therefore I need 4 matched pairs. They kept the matched pair tube price and then charged me a charge for matching 8 tubes, that don't even match. Seems like a double matching price to me. I wouldn't care so much about the charge as it is fairly insignificant, if they would ACTUALLY MATCH.

Mike

halo

dorokusai wrote:

I wouldn't buy tubes from them, again, if I were you.

You can bias a tube inline with the rest, and you should do so anyways, but when you PAY for a matched octet....you should get a matched octet.

Agreed. Even if you didn't pay to have a matched set but they said / agreed to send you a matched set they effed up big time. Get a refund and shop elsewhere. Link

dorokusai

Sonically, I'd be suprised if you heard a difference...I mean that loosely, but the fact that you paid for a service or rating is paramount.

You should deal with tube lackeys like www.tubedepot.com or www.thetubestore.com from now on. You could also post a CP request so the tube mongers here could hook you up.

Midnite Mick

I actually did feel bad ordering these tubes from Parts Connexion as I enquired about these particular tubes, some others, as well as asked some advice from the Tube Store. I have purchased tubes from the Tube Store before (they were identically matched) and was ready to pull the trigger on these when I stumbled across another inexpensive tweak to try. Parts Connexion sold the tweak product so I happened to get the tubes from them so that it was all in one order.

THAT'S KARMA BABY!

Mike

PS: Oh yeah I forgot, one of the tubes is of a totally different type.

dorokusai

Mick - I bet they sound stellar in the end, its just the salesmanship of it that sucks. Enjoy, let us know how they sound.

reeltrouble1

well I guess if you got a deal price wise, but agree with the others, not matched to us, but matched to them. Thanks for the heads up though and putting the word out. Also agree you should enjoy the tubes, if it just bugs you to know end, well, like you know, tube depot etc., or ask Russman, guy has a friggen tube fairy somewhere puts them under his pillow.

RT1

Midnite Mick

I don't think he just has a tube fairy.....I think he has a whole audio ferry. What does one put under their pillow to get all those toys so that one can basically give them away?

Mike

SCompRacer

Midnite Mick wrote:

PS: Oh yeah I forgot, one of the tubes is of a totally different type.

If you ordered a McAlister tube amp, you might get four different brands of tubes. He didn't beleive in matching either due to the individual bias adjustments. I can't say he was wrong as his amp sounded pretty good. Paul at Tube Audio Design matched all tubes closely with spares for my TAD-1000 mono blocks and the two TAD-60 tube amps I owned, and they had bias adjustments.

You pay, you should get.

Midnite Mick

I don't mean a different brand but a different type. My amps don't even use this type. I was supposed to get 8 JJ E34L's...I got 7 and 1 JJ 7591 S. :rolleyes:

Mike

dorokusai

That's just being lazy and its completely unacceptable. It all boils down to what you actually ordered, period. Unless they have a substitution disclaimer on the website, I would return them.

Midnite Mick

dorokusai wrote:

That's just being lazy and its completely unacceptable. It all boils down to what you actually ordered, period. Unless they have a substitution disclaimer on the website, I would return them.

Unfortunately they only give store credit on refunds so I am stuck with them. They haven't gotten back to me yet regarding the one different tube so I hope they will take care of me in that regard.

Opera Audio just emailed me and the amps are self-biasing apparently. Ahhh, nice and simple...that's perfect for me.

Thanks,
Mike

WilliamM2

I am assuming you purchased with a credit card? If you did not get what you ordered, you get your money back.

The store credit policy may be okay for buyers remorse, but you did not get what you ordered.