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Questions about tubes and gear that glows. FAQ

can we put this to bed?

Michael, I don't want to belabor an already over-discussed point. I'm sure you have much broader experience with various kinds of tubes than I ever will -- but I do have a lot of experience testing and comparing various KT-88's just to hear their differences, simply because I have an amp designed around them. Because the NOS Genelex KT-88's cost five to ten times the current offerings, I long resisted the urging of many highly qualified friends and service people to try a quad. When I finally did, I understood why the originals have the reputation they do. As for any sonic differences between the blues and the reds, I hear none between two reasonably matched specimens.

Steve O provides us a lovely description of Statistical Sampling. Thanks Steve, but so what? It doesn't change the fact that those "test sheets" included with the red tubes are really just packaging 'fluff', like the 'factory-sealed' plastic bags. They didn't bother putting the blue (domestic) tubes in 'factory-sealed' bags. Their British customers probably would have thought it pretentious ;-) If one actually wanted factory-matched tubes (blue OR red) back in the day, they came in wrapped sets, marked "Factory Matched" and contained individually tested and matched tubes. So much for the (useless) packaged "test reports"!

Michael, would you like to loan me a quad of TS 6550 BP's? I'll cover all shipping and insurance of your choice. Now that I could get in to! I'd love to compare their sound with my beloved GEC's ;-)


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