Genalex KT-88 Gold Lion?

Someone that I was talking to seems to think that the reason why some dealers could charge $170 or less for a Quad of Gold Lion KT-88, and others about $220 and more, is because the cheaper ones are not the platinum matched tubes right from the factory. Could this be true?

I would think the product is essentially the same. It is possible that there are counterfeit or substandard Gold Lions but the time and effort needed to set up that production for the modest payback you would receive seems out of balance. Like most items, each seller prices his stuff based on the perceived value they add or provide, and the buyer makes a decision on whether that perceived value is worth the extra $$. I have purchased matched, coddled and well bred Gold Lions at a premium, and I have purchased regular old Gold Lions without a pedigree for a bit less, both performed well. I believe they call it....capitalism!

music wrote:Someone that I was talking to seems to think that the reason why some dealers could charge $170 or less for a Quad of Gold Lion KT-88, and others about $220 and more, is because the cheaper ones are not the platinum matched tubes right from the factory. Could this be true?

The "factory matching" - regardless of the name they give it is not very good. And it's not done at the factory in any case. It is done by the US distributor.

I am aware of a number of cases where the "platinum factory matching" was off far enough that damage either to the tubes or the amp (or both) has occurred. In fact I have personally observed a good number of "factory matched" quads with as much as 15 ma. - 20 ma. difference in cathode current in tube quads that were presented as "matched". With 450 plate volts a 15 ma. mismatch would mean that tube would have to dissipate roughly 6 watts more heat than another tube in the same quad. In some situations that 6-7 watts could push the tube beyond its dissipation limits - or at least shorten its life.

As well, the "factory platinum matched" tubes are NOT matched for cathode current - even though the majority of audio amps use a resistor in the tube cathode circuit to allow current measurement using a voltmeter and Ohm's Law to convert the reading to current. But the tube cathode carries both plate current AND screen current - which means that the "factory platinum matched" tubes come with a built in error since they only match by plate current. That ignores differences in screen current!

The reasons above are why I do my own matching and why it costs a bit more for tubes from me or other vendors who do their own screening and matching. It's quite time consuming and requires investment in test gear that can be costly.