On Dec 14, 5:15*pm, Ian Bell wrote:

When you say 'bench testing' do you men testing the bench against molten
glass?

Haven't reached that much heat yet - These tubes tend to slag inside
when they fail.

I was given two Chinese 5AR4s as throw-ins with an amp I purchased -
so I keep them for testing 5AR4-based equipment. Right where I can
keep an eye on them and I do not put any good tubes at risk. I am
slowly moving over to SS 5AR4s. The cost for a good slow-start-
mimicking SS 5AR4 is about what I can pay for a NIB/NOS US-made glass
unit so far ($25 or so), but the insane prices I am seeing on eBay has
me re-thinking putting glass units in equipment that has no particular
need for authenticity. And the dozen or so such units I have in my
stock may make a nice retirement nest egg.

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA