Everything you always wanted to know about vacuum tubes and were not at all afraid to ask.
First, a little background about why we don't offer personalized tube advice.
Upscale Audio started out as a vacuum-tube specialty store. Kevin Deal became known as the "Tube Guru", with an amazing collection of new-old-stock tubes from around the world. Back in the day, with Upscale Audio in Kevin's home, you could call and reach the man himself, and chat for ages about what tube worked best for you. Kevin could dispense advice and deal with customers individually if problems arose.
Things are different today. Upscale Audio is now spread across two buildings (and two warehouses) in an industrial park and has remote staff across the country. Not only is Kevin a lot busier, the number of incoming calls/chats/emails is exponentially higher. Even if personalized tube advice is delivered with a caveat, vacuum tubes remain one of audio's most unpredictable commodities.
So, we tend to refer customers to our written information, and this is a developing repository of all of the vacuum-tube knowledge we have amassed at Upscale Audio. We will add more, and gradually develop this into a more coherent source of information. Your feedback is always welcomed.
Basics and Troubleshooting
From crackles and pops to blue flashes to dead channels, this information helps you hunt down problems and also arms you with great basic information about tubes, tube life, and operating tube gear.
Tube Basics and Frequently Asked Questions: A long page on our website covering all of the toob-noob questions and issues that Kevin has run into over the years. Tube Basics and Frequently Asked Questions
Tube-Life Bullshit: The video that can save you thousands of dollars! Kevin gets into the myths propagated by some manufacturers regarding tube-replacement schedules. Tube-Life Bullshit
Basic Troubleshooting: An article about hunting down the source of that hum or dead channel. It's on the PrimaLuna website, but is relevant to any gear. Basic Tube Troubleshooting
Advanced Troubleshooting: Hunting down noise from small-signal tubes, and some PrimaLuna-specific information. Advanced Tube Troubleshooting
Tube Pre or Tube Power Video: Kevin breaks down which is more important, having a tube preamp or a tube power amp. Tube Pre or Tube Power Video
Tube Rolling
Tube rolling is the fancy term for trying different brands and types of vacuum tubes in your tube equipment. Yes, tubes can sound different from one another, but remember they are not always interchangeable. This is a hobby best pursued when armed with lots of information. Most amps sound great with stock tubes, and changes are more about sonic preference.
All About Tube Rolling: A video and article with plenty of information about sourcing tubes, types of tubes, and important PrimaLuna-specific information for the tube roller. Save a lot of money by learning which tubes are worth replacing, and which ones don't really affect the sound. Everything You Need to Know About Tube Rolling
All About Tube Rolling Video: Just the video from the above page with Kevin going into tube rolling in general with lots of PrimaLuna-specific advice. All About Tube Rolling (YouTube)
Video on Picking Tubes: Kevin goes into more detail about choosing both small-signal and power tubes, and why he doesn't give you specific recommendations. Picking Tubes for Your Amp
Upscale's Quality Assurance
At Upscale Audio, we hand-test and grade every single tube we sell. What sets us apart is not just our rigorous testing process, but how many tubes we are willing to reject so that you get only the very quietest and most reliable tubes, whether small-signal or power.
The Grading/Matching Process: We discuss what you get when you choose from our grades, Buffer, Gold, Platinum, and Kevin's Stash. The Tube Grading & Matching Process
About Tube Cryo-Treatment: Should you pick the cryo option? Why? All About Tube Cryo-Treatment
Upscale's Inventory Choice: We consciously don't sell certain brands of tubes, and here's why. Why Upscale Audio Sells Some Tube Brands and Not Others
Upscale's Test Equipment: A rundown of the tube-testing equipment we use to test every single tube we sell. Meet Tubezilla! Upscale Audio's Tube Testing Equipment
Tube Stock and Stories
Kevin's Collection: In this video, Kevin talks about his collection of tubes, and tells the secrets and stories behind some highlights. Kevin's Tube Collection
Warranty and Support
Upscale Audio Tube Warranty: Tube Warranty Information