Mc 275 IV

[nsgarch]

McIntosh must provide a 'decent' sounding tube that is reliable. They could not possibly spend the time and effort 'tube-rolling' that you and I can. Thus, they provide what they provide. Also, NOS tubes will have limited availability and will not have the McIntosh name on them. Probably 75%+ of new McIntosh tube gear buyers are happy with the stock tubes. The rest of us tube-roll to get the sound we prefer as we know that something better, and sometimes dramatically better, is available.

No one's criticizing McIntosh. The problem for manufacturers today is finding a reliable supply of tubes. Not as easy as it was in the 50's and 60's. Back then, McIntosh used Telefunken, RCA, Sylvania, and for power tubes, Richardson, Tung Sol (6550's), National, and Genalex. All great tubes, all readily available, and not very expensive. A new Gold Lion KT88 only cost around 6 bucks in 1961, so they've gone up about 375%! And that's used! And I bet if anyone did a little research, they'd probably find out that not that many people (as today) wanted ot needed to roll tubes when so many good ones were available.

Things are different today because a reliable supplier can't necessarily provide a reliable tube -- as McIntosh and many of their customers discovered not long ago when the McIntosh OEM KT88 was the Electro Harmonix from New Sensor. The current SED KT88 is providing reliable performance and is a perfectly listenable tube. So they now have that covered.

The little Chinese gain and driver tubes are another story. I don't know who makes them -- probably Shuguang -- they are reliable (don't blow up!) and will sound OK (if you've never owned a tube amp before :yes but replacing them with some Telefunkens (the previous McIntosh OEM tube :thmbsp:!) will reveal just how inadequate the Chinese tubes really are.