Finally worked through my Singlepower (Mikhail) closet of anxiety

[guzziguy]

I just discovered my latest Mikhail "gotcha". At his last public appearance, the June 2008 NorCal meet, I bought a NOS 6385 tube from Mikhail for what turned out to be about 50% more than the going price at the time. Later I wrote that off as more bad dealings with Mikhail. Today, I stuck it on the Jackson 648A tube tester I recently bought. Both sections test at ~30%. So he got me twice, once for the exorbitant price and once for a bad tube at that price.

I'm posting this to warn you to test all tubes that you might have bought from Mikhail. There is a good chance that some/many of them are bad.

The good news is that now that my Extreme has been made reliable (and better sounding) and finding out about this tube, I've worked through all possible things that can go wrong with Mikhail. I'll never buy another thing from him so it's now a great day and I can move on to better things.

[swt61]

I think I understand how you feel, and that's probably the best way to look at it. Onward and upward.

[boomana]

He sent me quite a few "guilt tubes," which I didn't pay for, but were sent along with my amp after two lengthy repairs, and only one set still works.

[mrarroyo]

Ken, glad you have your amp back and specially that it is sounding better! Mine returned today from "our mutual friend" and I am enjoying the heck out of it. Although Mikhail took advantage of many his amps (when working right) sound great. A pity that so many people have suffered because of his poor ethics and worse business practices.

[zippy2001]

Ken, that sucks about the tube, but I am happy for you that your amp is in working order. )

[penger]

Congrats on washing your hands of the mess that is SP.

[dreamwhisper]

I bought a singlepower tube secondhand from someone who bought it from singlepower and had never used it and it sure doesn't sound 100%.

I feel yah there.

I've never bought anything directly from them, but man does Singlepower's web have a reach.

[Augsburger]

Cathartic yes?

[guzziguy]

Yes. The truth is that once it became clear exactly what Mikhail was and wasn't, I found it quite easy to write him off. I also expected the worst though. Even though it was working, I wanted somebody knowledgeable to look at my Extreme. The results of that did not surprise me. Then I decided I had better check the very expensive tube he sold me. Oops, not surprised again.

It could have been worse. I do have the attenuator and BGs that I paid too much for. Lots of people didn't get their overpriced enhancements. Now there's nothing left that he could have cheated me on. Mostly I just wanted to warn people that Mikhail had issues with things other than his amps.

[purk]

Yes. The truth is that once it became clear exactly what Mikhail was and wasn't, I found it quite easy to write him off. I also expected the worst though. Even though it was working, I wanted somebody knowledgeable to look at my Extreme. The results of that did not surprise me. Then I decided I had better check the very expensive tube he sold me. Oops, not surprised again.

It could have been worse. I do have the attenuator and BGs that I paid too much for. Lots of people didn't get their overpriced enhancements. Now there's nothing left that he could have cheated me on. Mostly I just wanted to warn people that Mikhail had issues with things other than his amps.

Sorry to hear about your problem with the tube. Has anyone know the where about of him? I used to be able to reach him on the phone when others can't but no longer can. I also got my SDS checked out and it continues to work fine and sound great (knock on wood).

[penger]

Haven't heard from him since June... Filed a report with the government's internet fraud division but haven't heard anything since.

[kevin gilmore]

Here is the real gotcha with untested input tubes on extremes.

The input tube is directly coupled to the output tube. Plate to grid.

So if the emission on the input tube is 30% low, then the plate voltage

is 30% high, and the resulting cathode voltage on the output tube

is 30% high. And then guess what, the cathode load resistors which

are just barely rated for power at normal voltages suddenly see much

more power. Which is why on some of the amps pictured over there, the

cathode resistors are also burning their way thru the circuit board.

Owning a SP without also owning a tube tester is a bad idea.

I think it is well known by now that more than half of mikhails monster

tube collection is bad tubes, and the other half is stupid stuff he

will never sell.

[kevin gilmore]

I'm going to add a bit more to this.

6385,2c51,396a... All of these tubes are 9 pin with an internal shield.

Problem shows up when you take a 9 pin tube and try to stick it into

an 8 pin hole. Just measured one of mikhail's adapters, and the shield

goes nowhere. Which means that it picks up noise. Lots of noise.

One solution would be to wire that 9th wire to one of the filament

wires. But now you have to hard wire the filament circuit to ground,

and that is not good either.

Bottom line, more mikhail stupidity.

It would be better to take the shield wire out directly and add a banana

jack to connect it to which is wired to chassis ground.

[hirsch]

I think it is well known by now that more than half of mikhails monster

tube collection is bad tubes, and the other half is stupid stuff he

will never sell.

Much that is "well known" can also be false. Mikhail's problem with tubes was that he was too lazy to test them before sending. However, you're seriously underestimating what he has, which is too bad since the value in those tubes represents the best chance for people to recoup money from him when they catch up to him. They also represent a way to find him, since there's a lot of them, and they need to be stored and sold.

Think two 53-foot semis loaded top to bottom with tubes representing the remaining stock of an electronics warehouse after the death of the owner. Hundreds of boxes of mini-tubes. There could be as many five to ten million tubes in total. One tube dealer told me that he thought that the purchase made Mikhail one of the largest tube suppliers in the US in one deal.

Those tubes should have given Mikhail a competitive edge over just about everyone else building tube amps, as he got them for almost nothing, giving him a lower parts cost than anyone who had to go out and buy tubes for their products. Stupidity doesn't even begin to describe it.

[kevin gilmore]

Here is what i mean by stupid, on ebay today under mikhail's supra_buyer account

4cx350 mikhail said he had a couple hundred of these.

Absolutely wonderful tubes if you are building a ham radio transmitter.

Completely useless for audio. In fact these days, just about completely

useless for any reason because cheap solid state has finally replaced items

like this. Now maybe a direct drive electrostatic amp for speakers...

With a plate voltage of 5 killovolts. Can you just imagine a mikhail built

amplifier with a power supply like this. A neon sign transformer comes

to mind

m599a magnetron

I'm not sure how many he has of these, but without the magnet assembly

the thing is also completely useless. And in fact as a X band magnetron

it would have only one use, and that would be lighting up a commercial

satellite. Which would get you in hot water with the FCC real fast.

Lots of mid size and large western electric tubes. Most are DHT's. Wonderful

tubes with absolutely no use whatsoever. The sockets that would go with

them are unobtainable, and probably cost more than the tubes are worth.

Now 5687's, mikhail probably has 10 thousand of them. Too bad the only

manufacturer making amplifiers that use 5687's is ray samuels.

The good stuff like gold lion kt88's and mullard el34 and el84's are long gone.

Having 2 full size semi's filled with useless tubes seems more of a hastle than

a profit center.

The competitive edge that mikhail had disappeared as soon as he started using

those horrible (but hey they were cheap) sockets.

Does anyone think that mikhail selling a few hundred dollars of tubes each month

is going to allow him to pay back $50k or more?

Does anyone think that mikhail will ever fix or even send back all the customer

units he is sitting on?

Mikhail was in fact sitting on a GOLD mine. He could have put decent transformers

in the units. He could have put in decent tube sockets. He could have charged

for all of it. He could have, and should have by now been rolling in money.

Mikhail for all his faults had some really good ideas. The implementation of those

ideas was a disaster.

And as far as number of tubes, Kevin Deal is probably sitting on 10 semi's worth of tubes.

(upscale audio)

Edited November 17, 2009 by kevin gilmore

[Dusty Chalk]

ModWright must like 5687's -- I think my ModWright -modded Pioneer takes 5687's. From a quick google, there's also a lot of DIY projects that take 5687's.

I mean, there's no argument that he has a lot of crap. But considering the sheer scale of the operation, I suspect there's still some gems in there, too. KG, you seem to be fixated on power tubes -- there are other tubes out there, y'know.

Not that it matters -- I don't think anyone would want to deal with him at this point. Is he really still selling on eBay? oyVay.

[justin]

what do you think it costs to store all those tubes? 2k a month?

[luvdunhill]

And as far as number of tubes, Kevin Deal is probably sitting on 10 semi's worth of tubes.

(upscale audio)

.. and at least brings back another semi a year from Europe I'd wager

[kevin gilmore]

what do you think it costs to store all those tubes? 2k a month?

My guess is that the barn on his property is likely filled to the very top with

tubes. So likely its not costing him much. Last time i checked, that property had

still not been sold.

Now mikhail if he was smart he would insure whats in the barn for some obscene

amount, and then arrange for it to get hit by lightning and burn to the ground.

[mulveling]

what do you think it costs to store all those tubes? 2k a month?

Nah, maybe just $50 at Jones' Big Ass Truck Rental and Storage

[hirsch]

Modwright makes preamps that use 5687 tubes.

Don't bother Kevin with facts. He's on a roll. I won't even mention the 20,000 or so 6044's. Manley Labs uses them, but what would they know about audio?

[luvdunhill]

the 20,000 or so 6044's.

did you actually see them? did you actually test them? Just trying to figure out if that was another lie and/or another shitty product by Mikhail.

[kevin gilmore]

i'm thinking that hirsch means 7044's

no such thing as a 6044. Unless that's a mikhail private label

[luvdunhill]

i'm thinking that hirsch means 7044's

no such thing as a 6044. Unless that's a mikhail private label

That was my ace-in-the-hole when Hirsch replied back and said he had indeed seen them and got all pissy and defensive..

[hirsch]

i'm thinking that hirsch means 7044's

no such thing as a 6044. Unless that's a mikhail private label

You're right, my typo.

That was my ace-in-the-hole when Hirsch replied back and said he had indeed seen them and got all pissy and defensive..

If that's what you consider an ace-in-the-hole, I really want to play poker with you.

I originally found the tubes, and put Mikhail in touch with the seller. I also helped pack the trucks. So yes, I've seen them, handled them, and personally packed the 7044's, but don't feel particularly pissy and defensive about it. Wish I had kept a bunch of them for myself, though.