[rb2013]

Wh were your US-made Amperex 6922 manufactured? I have 1961 and 1964, and they do not sound the same. The 1964's have a slightly leaner and drier mid range.

PS: I have some 1975 Voskhods coming, although I do not know if they are grey or silver.

One other note these are the slightly better 7308 USN-CEPs. He had both and charged $185 for 7308s and still has a pair of the 6922 USN-CEP 1964s for sale at $165. I wanted to throw the best I could find at the Russkies to see what would shake out. In my long experience with 6922s, I've always found the longer life 7308 a better sounding version.

 

[gibosi]

These were 1965s. I can relate to differences in years. With the Voskhods it can pretty dramatic. I'd like to hear your take on the different year USNs. Also note the different construction on the 1970's Voskhods, whether the getter post (that holds the inverted saucer getter) is a seperate wire or a plate that is part of the shield. That was noted in the review, they do sound different. And to add to the confusion the Reflektor factory made a version with the single wire getter post that sound the same as their Voskhod brothers. All the Reflektors I heard, including the 1975s, with the standard dimpled dual getter posts are just mediocre.

 
Both of my US-Amperex 6922s, 1961 and 1964, sound very similar, as one would expect. However, the 61s are just a bit warmer and more forward, reminding me of my 1967 OGs, whereas, the 64s are a bit leaner and drier, with a tad bit more bass punch. Given my ears and gear, I personally prefer the sound of the 61s, but of course, I can easily see that others might prefer the 64s. Both are excellent tubes.
 
And I was surprised to read about the different Voskhod getter posts in your review above, as in your July post, you differentiated the 75s only by shield color. So there are three different 1975 Voskhods! Anyway, I managed to purchase three of these, two from one vendor and a third from another, but won't know what I have until they get here.

 

[rb2013]

Both of my US-Amperex 6922s, 1961 and 1964, sound very similar, as one would expect. However, the 61s are just a bit warmer and more forward, reminding me of my 1967 OGs, whereas, the 64s are a bit leaner and drier, with a tad bit more bass punch. Given my ears and gear, I personally prefer the sound of the 61s, but of course, I can easily see that others might prefer the 64s. Both are excellent tubes.

And I was surprised to read about the different Voskhod getter posts in your review above, as in your July post, you differentiated the 75s only by shield color. So there are three different 1975 Voskhods! Anyway, I managed to purchase three of these, two from one vendor and a third from another, but won't know what I have until they get here.

Yes after I wrote that I kept buying more lots from all over the former Soviet Union - from Siberia to Moldova. Then came across a few really rare ones. After another extensive tube rolling period I found out how good these wire post 75s were and the real shocker the very same tube labeled Reflektor! Very different from the hundred other Reflektors I had! I was more then pleasantly suprised. But these darn Russian dealers, just wouldn't say what they were selling. So I bought their random lots. There are plenty of the standard dual dimpled plate post '75s around -but these single wire guys were very rare. Of course a third of the tubes these guys sell fail testing, or have horrendously mis matched sections - not much fun to deal with. The 'jetparts' guy on ebay was the best - but he's out of the good ones.

I have some really wierd versions also, that have very strange plate construction. Like a 1970 Voskhod with a star fin plate pattern from the center. Never could find a match for a complete pair. The earliest I have in my collection. - a 1958 Voskhod. Really strange. Very short plates, a long wire post, and an almost flat saucer getter. Good luck ever finding a match for that one.

 

[Alexnova]

Voskhod 6n23p 1975 silver shield wire getter post...do you have a link where I can buy these?

Just wondering if those would be good with the HE-500.

 

[rb2013]

Voskhod 6n23p 1975 silver shield wire getter post...do you have a link where I can buy these?

Just wondering if those would be good with the HE-500.

I had the HE500s for a while and they sounded really good with the Voskhods. Unfortunately there is no place I know of where you can buy a specific version of these tubes.

 

[Delete]

Can you guys/gals recommend a few good sites to purchase tubes at please? I'm sure there are a bunch posted in this thread but it takes forever to cruse this thread on a phone.
Thanks in advance

 

[dgriffter]

This guy is highly regarded here and I have personally purchased 4 pairs from him - good prices and great tubes with customer service to boot. I have also bought some 63 BBs from http://www.nostubestore.com/ - very nice tubes and again, very good communication.
 
The rest I have bought from random EBayers, with generally good experiences - however, study photos (construction and etched date codes) and beware of those with only one or two photos - there are often unmatched pairs sold as if they were the same. Ask sellers for confirmation of your doubts and generally their response will speak volumes. 
 
Tubeworld, tubemuseum and upscale audio are others I have heard about, but cannot personally vouch for them, having never bought from them.

 

[ThurstonX]

Can you guys/gals recommend a few good sites to purchase tubes at please? I'm sure there are a bunch posted in this thread but it takes forever to cruse this thread on a phone.
Thanks in advance

 
I've bought from Upscale Audio, Cryoset and Mercedes Man (see link in dgriffter's post).  I had excellent experiences with all.  Mercedes Man was very helpful when I was looking for some 1961 BBs.  The pair I wanted was gone, but he told me about a batch he was testing that day, and accepted my bid for them.  Ron at Cryoset was very gracious with an exchange of an unopened pair (they were shrink-wrapped) for an upgrade.  I haven't dealt directly with Kevin at Upscale, but you've got to love his comments!
 
Brent Jessee has a good reputation, not to mention a ton of great info.
 
And I had a good experience buying a pair of E188CC La Radiotechnique RTCs from the classifieds here.
 
I took the approach of doing a ton of reading, settling on a pair, then going after them.
 
HTH.

 

[gibosi]

  The rest I have bought from random EBayers, with generally good experiences - however, study photos (construction and etched date codes) and beware of those with only one or two photos - there are often unmatched pairs sold as if they were the same. Ask sellers for confirmation of your doubts and generally their response will speak volumes. 

 
I have purchased over 400 tubes from various random eBayers, and out of all of these, have had no more than a couple sour experiences. But dgriffter is absolutely right. It is quite common for vendors to have two tubes that appear to be the same and yet, manufactured at different times and even in different factories. Study the pictures carefully and ask lots of questions to ensure that you actually get what you expect.

 

[Delete]

Awesome! Thank you all for the replies. I think it's enough to get me started.
Do you trust the eBay vendors with matched pairs if that's how they advertise them? I guess I will email them to make sure they are matched but you never really know until you fire them up. I'll try and stick to the recommended vendor/s

 

[gibosi]

Awesome! Thank you all for the replies. I think it's enough to get me started.
Do you trust the eBay vendors with matched pairs if that's how they advertise them? I guess I will email them to make sure they are matched but you never really know until you fire them up. I'll try and stick to the recommended vendor/s

 
No. Often, when vendors advertise tubes as "matched" pairs, all they have done is make a couple measurements, and if the two tubes measure about the same, they are labeled "matched". However, one could be an A-frame Amperex made in Holland and the other a halo-getter Amperex made in Gt Britain. Certainly not what I would call "matched." So you need to look at the pictures very carefully to ensure the construction is the same. And you want to be sure they were made in the same factory at about the same time.
 
As the most sought after tubes were made by Philips and its subsidiaries, such as Mullard, Amperex, Valvo, Siemens, etc., I suggest you ask the vendor for the Philips tube codes which were etched into the glass during the manufacturing process. These etched codes are quite durable, and even if all the paint has been rubbed off, this code specifies the factory and date of manufacture.
 
Brent Jessee has an excellent page to help you get a handle on these codes:
 
http://www.audiotubes.com/mullcode.htm
 
Cheers

 

[mhamel]

   
No. Often, when vendors advertise tubes as "matched" pairs, all they have done is make a couple measurements, and if the two tubes measure about the same, they are labeled "matched". However, one could be an A-frame Amperex made in Holland and the other a halo-getter Amperex made in Gt Britain. Certainly not what I would call "matched." So you need to look at the pictures very carefully to ensure the construction is the same. And you want to be sure they were made in the same factory at about the same time.
 
As the most sought after tubes were made by Philips and its subsidiaries, such as Mullard, Amperex, Valvo, Siemens, etc., I suggest you ask the vendor for the Philips tube codes which were etched into the glass during the manufacturing process. These etched codes are quite durable, and even if all the paint has been rubbed off, this code specifies the factory and date of manufacture.
 
Brent Jessee has an excellent page to help you get a handle on these codes:
 
http://www.audiotubes.com/mullcode.htm
 
Cheers

 
^^ Yes.   I've also seen tubes listed as "matched by sound" - without any actual measurements.   Or vague numbers that don't really reference what was measured or how.
 
Brent Jesse's site has a ton of great info, and learning to read the factory etch codes, characteristics of the internal construction of various factories and/or years, shape/characteristics of the envelope/pins - all go a long way in making sure you're getting the tube that's advertised.   Those things all tell more about a tube than the brand label.
 
Another example, there's someone on eBay selling "1959" Amperex 6DJ8s with dimple disc getters.    They're not 1959 tubes.  The 6DJ8s in 1959 had large halo getters.  The dimple discs / single post GAC revision 6DJ8s were from 1969.
 
There are lots of good eBay sellers, too, but it pays to do your homework. 

 

[Delete]

I figured as much. eBay is always sketchy especially if you're going in blind without references. Doing the homework is the best bet. I appreciate the help in pointing me in the right direction.

 

[gibosi]

  Brent Jesse's site has a ton of great info, and learning to read the factory etch codes, characteristics of the internal construction of various factories and/or years, shape/characteristics of the envelope/pins - all go a long way in making sure you're getting the tube that's advertised.   Those things all tell more about a tube than the brand label.

 
I am quite skeptical regarding the lettering and graphics painted on vacuum tubes. I recently saw a nice pair of Amperex 7308 with "Made in Holland" printing. However, the tube code reveals that they were actually made in the US!  (VR5 *31 on one tube and VR5 *3H on the other. The asterisk very clearly indicates these tubes were manufactured in the US Amperex factory in New York. If manufactured in Heerlen, Holland, instead of the asterisk there would be triangle.) So Amperex "lied"???  Of course, US-made Amperex are in no way inferior to Holland-made Amperex, but still... 
 
And I have a pair of Siemens EH90 (FM detector tubes) with "Made in Germany" printing, but the tube code reveals that they were actually made in Mullard's Blackburn factory! I have no idea why Amperex and Siemens "lied", but what I have learned is never believe what is painted on the tube unless verified by the tube codes.... Cheers

 

[NinjaHamster]

It gets far worse than that. How many "Amperexes" are not even Amperexes, regardless of what is painted on the tube.  There are lots of fakes out there.