REFLEKTOR/SOVTEK 6H30-DR TUBES MATCHED QUAD NOS 1985

I have adjusted the price downward 25%.  I'm now listing these incredible tubes $100/tube less than I paid for them 10 years ago.  

Rated 9/10 due to box age.

This matched quad are genuine original 6H30DR tubes I have owned and stored lovingly for 10 years.

When I bought my 6H30R (2) octets 10 years ago from the same seller in the Ukraine I bought all my other Russian tubes from, I told myself I would never sell any of them.  10 years later, I realize I will no longer have a need for the backup octet I purchased (two full matched octets) at the time.  

As my currently being used octet set will easily last me another 10 years or longer and I am now long retired and getting older (10,000 hour lifespan at 32 average hours per month equals 26 years estimated lifespan.  My set in my ARC 40th Anniversary Reference preamplifier has about 3,500 hours on it since I installed them.  I am about 35% into their life and they are as quiet, dynamic and superb as the day I installed them!).  

As a note:  The DR tube was manufactured with gold wired grids.  The Pi is not.  There is both a lifespan and sonic difference between those structures.

DR tube lifespan: 10,000 hours
Pi tube lifespan: 4,000 hours

If you have an ARC preamplifier or amplifier that uses the 6H30 tube and you did not have access to the 6H30DR original military version, you need to get them now, while you can.  There is no comparison between the 6H30DR and the current production 6H30Pi.  They are apples to oranges.  

I was incredibly lucky to find the seller when I did 10 years ago.  They had a full box of DR’s they recently obtained from Russia in stock that was going fast.  I requested two full octets at the time and hoped for the best.  They were able to accommodate me, luckily, albeit at a higher cost.  I have been in sonic bliss ever since.  

I have attached several photos of this quad of 6H30DR’s (I am listing my second quad, shortly).  If you have a 40th Anniversary Reference or REF 10 preamp, you will need all 8 tubes.  If so, please contact me, ASAP, before I list the second quad, and you lose out.

The photos are titled to show what they each are describing to determine the difference between the DR and Pi versions easily, once you know what to look for.  There are tons of fakes in the marketplace, but they cannot be faked other than the boxes (easily faked) and the screen printing on the tubes (easily faked).  Do not be drawn in just with the box and screen printing only and be faked into buying a nicely altered 6H30Pi.

The visual differences are in one of my attached pictures as a writeup I discovered on the web.  

In addition here are the three obvious internal structure differences that cannot be faked:

1. The getter on the DR is MUCH larger than the Pi and the flashing on the DR tube will either completely cover the getter, or almost totally cover it.  The Pi is shorter up the sidewall exposing the far smaller getter, always.

2. The plate “wings” on the DR are dark smooth gray without obvious flaws the same color as the side plates are.  The Pi plate “wings” are shiny with metal flaws and striations in them as well as many scratches on the plate wings.  

3. Under the bottom mica of the Pi current production tube there are always alpha and/or numeric pencil writing marks easily visible.  The DR does NOT have these writings under the bottom mica and are clean.

All of my 6H30DR tubes are genuine and closely matched within 10% both triode to triode and tube to tube on gain.  The triode balance between sides can be off as much as 50% in current production.  All four tubes are 1985 same date code production.

Further, according to Upscale Audio, anything within 10% balance and tube match is considered the best of the best, or “ARC Select”, as they call it.

I am selling my quads at the same price I paid for them 10 years ago to get the best of the best DR’s matched within 10%.  They were not cheap, but worth every doggoned penny I paid for them.  To get more than an a quad matched cost me extra.  It makes sense

I have seen a few 6H30DR’s listed here and there with really stupid insane pricing. All of any quantity I have seen lately are from the Southeast Asia countries, not here in the USA where I am.  Therefore, one must be very careful confirming they are original genuine DR’s!

Please make sure to view ALL of the listed pictures and their captions so you can clearly see the difference between the two tube designs.

The 6H30Pi in the pictures is the EH version with Gold Pins. 
The 6H30DR in the pictures has the Metal Pins.

Any questions, please contact me at any time.

It is my hope someone will obtain these and enjoy the sonic bliss they provide as this is a last chance situation, I am pretty certain.

Thank you for viewing my ad.