[satwilson]

That's sad. 40% is huge! I would say around 10% is ok. His calculation uses the higher section readout as the divisor - this minimizes the percentage difference. If 20% + diff are regularly shipped as 'Gold', I'd pay more for 'Platinum'. I thought my experience was the norm.

His story about how he aquired this massive stash of NIB tubes - something like flying to Europe to close a deal worth 'hundreds of thousands of dollars'. That would imply he bought 10s of thousands of these! He even shows an open case. This allows one to assume he has a deep stock to ship from, and can send better selected tubes.

Tube dealers! I guess it's not just the Russians.

BTW One difference between the CCa and the E88CC is the select tolerances.

Totally agree with your comments. My post was as much a sympathy for PinkLed and his bent pins, smudged label, as my disappointment with the "Gold" standard. That being said, my "Gold" grade tubes sound fantastic. On a more upbeat note, my "Platinum" pair I just received a couple days ago measured: T1-17400, T2-17000=2.35%, the second tube: T1-17000, T2-16500=3.03%. I agree, "Platinum" is the way to go with these! Overall the value and fantastic sound of these tubes outweigh some slight disappointments. 

 

[TeskR]

   
+1 & +1.
 
I was really impressed by Tubemonger's customer service.  I also really like my "32" labeled Tesla E88CCs.  Fantastic bass, and no slouch in other areas.  Great for the price.  Hmmmm, time to roll those in, I think.
 
Just noticed that that pair are ECC88s.  I paid around $65 for the E88CCs on eBay, so it might pay to look around.

 
Just bought some of the OGs I linked on ebay as well as some socket savers from Tubemonger. Will give them a crack but no doubt be buying a few more pairs in the coming months

 

[ThurstonX]

 
Just bought some of the OGs I linked on ebay as well as some socket savers from Tubemonger. Will give them a crack but no doubt be buying a few more pairs in the coming months

 
Enjoy the trip down the rabbit hole 

 
FWIW, I bought a pair of Amperex D Getter Bugle Boys from an Aussie eBay seller, so there's a chance you could buy locally... or at least on the same continent.

 

[TeskR]

Yeah I will have to keep an eye out for local sellers.

Next stop a new DAC

 

[rb2013]

Totally agree with your comments. My post was as much a sympathy for PinkLed and his bent pins, smudged label, as my disappointment with the "Gold" standard. That being said, my "Gold" grade tubes sound fantastic. On a more upbeat note, my "Platinum" pair I just received a couple days ago measured: T1-17400, T2-17000=2.35%, the second tube: T1-17000, T2-16500=3.03%. I agree, "Platinum" is the way to go with these! Overall the value and fantastic sound of these tubes outweigh some slight disappointments. 

+1. That's good to know on the Platinum. Someone could buy mine for sale at a 29% discount, then get a matching tube from upscale.

They are wondeful tubes, I just like the HGs better.

Now time to forget all this tube dealer drama, and just listen to some glorious music!

 

[PinkLed]

Ive been looking into desktop speakers (active) and was looking into using the Lyr as a preamp. If anyone was wondering, the Lyr does indeed feed power through the tubes in its preamp function. Just an FYI, I thought it was interesting. Really a great piece of equipment the Lyr is.    

 

[rb2013]

Totally agree with your comments. My post was as much a sympathy for PinkLed and his bent pins, smudged label, as my disappointment with the "Gold" standard. That being said, my "Gold" grade tubes sound fantastic. On a more upbeat note, my "Platinum" pair I just received a couple days ago measured: T1-17400, T2-17000=2.35%, the second tube: T1-17000, T2-16500=3.03%. I agree, "Platinum" is the way to go with these! Overall the value and fantastic sound of these tubes outweigh some slight disappointments. 

Wow those Platinum are tight! Definitely worth the extra dollars. They are wonderful tubes and well worth $260 pr. But I still don't get the bent pins, maybe they pulled them out of the tester a little to carelessly? I doubt they would have come from the factory that way, same for the smudged print. ???

 

[rb2013]

Ive been looking into desktop speakers (active) and was looking into using the Lyr as a preamp. If anyone was wondering, the Lyr does indeed feed power through the tubes in its preamp function. Just an FYI, I thought it was interesting. Really a great piece of equipment the Lyr is.    

+1

 

[satwilson]

Wow those Platinum are tight! Definitely worth the extra dollars. They are wonderful tubes and well worth $260 pr. But I still don't get the bent pins, maybe they pulled them out of the tester a little to carelessly? I doubt they would have come from the factory that way, same for the smudged print. ???

Yeah, we have all bent pins pulling tubes, smudged prints ditto. But yes, given  the provenance of these tubes, Upscale needs to do a better job, just attention to details. My new 'Platinum's" are approaching 50hrs, no regrets at this point, slightly brighter than my Gold, but could soften as burn in continues. Your comments RE CCA's was interesting. Do they have a "triode balance" spec, or do they just test better. Can't imagine they test better than my "Platinum"??? BTW the triode balance of the Platinum seems to throw a more holographic image, awesome tubes.

 

[PinkLed]

  Totally agree with your comments. My post was as much a sympathy for PinkLed and his bent pins, smudged label, as my disappointment with the "Gold" standard. That being said, my "Gold" grade tubes sound fantastic. On a more upbeat note, my "Platinum" pair I just received a couple days ago measured: T1-17400, T2-17000=2.35%, the second tube: T1-17000, T2-16500=3.03%. I agree, "Platinum" is the way to go with these! Overall the value and fantastic sound of these tubes outweigh some slight disappointments. 

Those are some great tests. I received the following for those interested in these tubes and want to see more results; Tube1 (T1=13500 T2=14000), Tube2 (T1=13500 T2=14200), Tube3 (T1=14000 T2=13300), Tube4 (T1=14200 T2=13600), Tube5 (T1=13500 T2=14900), Tube6 (13500 T2= 14200) (worst being Tube5 @ 4.70% I believe)
 

 

I think the bent pin (top image, top most pin) was due to improperly pulling it out of the socket, Its more straight after being in the socket saver. I've also realized that although the pins are gold, it seems as if when NIB there is some sort of outer gold shell that simply gets worn away once placed into a socket a few times (happened to the pins of the two tubes I tried first). The lower image is how the the 5 other tubes pins came, just about perfect. 
 

 

[rb2013]

Yeah, we have all bent pins pulling tubes, smudged prints ditto. But yes, given  the provenance of these tubes, Upscale needs to do a better job, just attention to details. My new 'Platinum's" are approaching 50hrs, no regrets at this point, slightly brighter than my Gold, but could soften as burn in continues. Your comments RE CCA's was interesting. Do they have a "triode balance" spec, or do they just test better. Can't imagine they test better than my "Platinum"??? BTW the triode balance of the Platinum seems to throw a more holographic image, awesome tubes.

I believe the CCa had lower noise as well as tight triode section balance. But, you're right I can't see them being any tighter. Your comment about the greater holographic nature of the image on the Platinums is what I also experience with the 6n23p's. It's a point I've tried to make here for a long time, and a gripe I've had with the Russian dealers. You don't know what these are capable of until you've heard a date, construction, and output matched pr.

 

[rb2013]

Those are some great tests. I received the following for those interested in these tubes and want to see more results; Tube1 (T1=13500 T2=14000), Tube2 (T1=13500 T2=14200), Tube3 (T1=14000 T2=13300), Tube4 (T1=14200 T2=13600), Tube5 (T1=13500 T2=14900), Tube6 (13500 T2= 14200) (worst being Tube5 @ 4.70% I believe)

I think the bent pin (top image, top most pin) was due to improperly pulling it out of the socket, Its more straight after being in the socket saver. I've also realized that although the pins are gold, it seems as if when NIB there is some sort of outer gold shell that simply gets worn away once placed into a socket a few times (happened to the pins of the two tubes I tried...

Well those are very tight - nothing to worry about there - did you order gold or plat? I wouldn't worry about the slightly bent pin either, unless it's cracked, it shouldn't effect the sound. As for the wearing on the pins, I thought someone at Upscale said these were not plated, but solid gold. Since the reason to use gold is it does tarnish, it looks darker on wear spot. Is that just the photo? By my thinking if they're solid gold there should be no dark spots, no matter how many times you insert them.

 

[PinkLed]

Well those are very tight - nothing to worry about there - did you order gold or plat? I wouldn't worry about the slightly bent pin either, unless it's cracked, it shouldn't effect the sound. As for the wearing on the pins, I thought someone at Upscale said these were not plated, but solid gold. Since the reason to use gold is it does tarnish, it looks darker on wear spot. Is that just the photo? By my thinking if they're solid gold there should be no dark spots, no matter how many times you insert them.

I ordered them plat. Since they claim plat should be under 10%, Id say Upscale hold true to their standards in that respect.
 
It is very possible the pins are simply gold plated. It is definitely not tarnished, what you see on the top pin is what the two I put into my Lyr looked like after I rolled them out. It still looks gold-ish but that could just be the an illusion due the the rest of the gold reflecting around it. I cant find much online as to what is the typical material used in radio tube pin manufacturing. Perhaps they are nickle or something else and simply gold plated, that would be my guess. I feel as if gold would be too soft to make a solid pin out of it anyway. 
 
If you look into the transition area were the pins enter into the glass, the pins are a reddish color, signifying to me that the core of the pin is copper. Then up some ways when the pin actually protruded into the inner of the tube, It appears to be silver in color, possibly nickle plated. My guess is the pins have a copper core, nickle plated, and then gold plated at the termination. This could be why the outer gold plate came off so easily due to the dissimilar metals. What do you all think? 

 

[nykobing]

"Are you able to take a picture of the pins that shows what you mean?  Tele E88CC pins do not have gold plating... they’re gold pins…"
 
Uhm gold pins wouldn't even go into the socket without bending, he knows they are gold plated. He is either full of **** or a moron.

 

[PinkLed]

  "Are you able to take a picture of the pins that shows what you mean?  Tele E88CC pins do not have gold plating... they’re gold pins…"
 
Uhm gold pins wouldn't even go into the socket without bending, he knows they are gold plated. He is either full of **** or a moron.

Exactly. Besides, Copper and Silver have a higher conductivity then gold anyway due to them having a more loosely held valence electron in their outer shell. Silver being the most conductive and copper being the most cost effective. Golds main purpose and why its plated on many electronics is its corrosive resistance.