[jimbones]

OK so I think I have selected a tube for my LS100 preamp. The Black Treasure CV181 TII. I was looking on ebay and of course many of the sellers are from Asia. Question, Has anyone have experience purchasing from a seller in Asia that could be recommended. I see that many of them have good feedback but i figured it couldn't hurt to ask. Thanks.

[mick wolfe]

Try Rachel at Grant Fidelity.( Canada) I think Black Treasure is listed on her site, not sure if that particular tube is though.

[JackD]

Did you check with thetubestore.com, they sell Black Treasure tubes.

[JakeJ]

IIRC, Grant Fidelity puts all the tubes they sell through a pretty thorough test so their tubes are typically better reliability and quality.

I have not purchased any of the BT's from any source so take my advise with a grain of salt.

[jimbones]

Yep. I see that both tube store and grant sell these. However I was considering getting direct from Asia.  Some of these guys seemed to have sold a lot of tubes.also when you read the info at the grant site it is not very welcoming to me at least. I don't get the feeling Grant Fidelity would be supportive on warranty/returns. 

[Longandstraight]

I was just coming over here for this exact question. I am in email contact with Linda at the CHANGSHA J&W ELECTRONICS CORPORATION LIMITED in China.  40% less. Dealer mark-up here?  Has anybody ever dealt with these folks. ?
Thanks,
Russ

[gsm18439]

I have found Grant Fidelity to be very reliable.

[RPM123]

+1 

[jimbones]

I was just coming over here for this exact question. I am in email contact with Linda at the CHANGSHA J&W ELECTRONICS CORPORATION LIMITED in China.  40% less. Dealer mark-up here?  Has anybody ever dealt with these folks. ?
Thanks,
Russ

Yes that is considerably cheaper. Most of these dealers have good reviews. Most have a return policy of 14 days. I guess it's a gamble but I was hoping to "speak" with someone that actually did business with one of these dealers.

[Thirsty]

I've had good luck with both Grant Fidelity and Parts Connexion, and also the Tube Store.

Several years ago I bought a matched pair of Psvane 6l6GC from one of those Asian sellers, these were to go into a guitar amp. They were so mismatched they were completely unusable. I contacted the seller and he explained they were matched for voltage but not current draw, WTF? He told me no problem, send them back for a complete refund, so I sent them back, he claims he never got them, no refund. From then on out I will only do business with reputable sellers.

[arthurs]

I have found Grant Fidelity to be very reliable.

I have purchased multiple sets of tubes from Rachel over the years, always a first rate experience.   

[audioengr]

HiFi-China on ebay is a good one to buy from.

[mick wolfe]

I've had good luck with both Grant Fidelity and Parts Connexion, and also the Tube Store.

Several years ago I bought a matched pair of Psvane 6l6GC from one of those Asian sellers, these were to go into a guitar amp. They were so mismatched they were completely unusable. I contacted the seller and he explained they were matched for voltage but not current draw, WTF? He told me no problem, send them back for a complete refund, so I sent them back, he claims he never got them, no refund. From then on out I will only do business with reputable sellers.

Yep...have heard similar stories before. On the other hand, I've used Grant Fidelity on several occasions without issue.  Had no issues whatsoever returning a defective TubeDac 11 a few years back.  I don't mind paying extra for a little peace of mind.

[jimbones]

HiFi-China on ebay is a good one to buy from.

Bingo. Thats answers the question  thanks much.

[Longandstraight]

I was just coming over here for this exact question. I am in email contact with Linda at the CHANGSHA J&W ELECTRONICS CORPORATION LIMITED in China.  40% less. Dealer mark-up here?  Has anybody ever dealt with these folks. ?
Thanks,
Russ

Just took delivery of the Black Treasures MK II. Right from the Psvane factory. 1 year warranty . Matched pair 160.00 delivered. They are a great sounding tube. Definite bump from the Sophias