Tube Depot is selling Western Electric "B Stock" 300b tubes at $199 each with no warranty.

“B-Stock” Western Electric 300Bs are functional but do not meet quality standards" as stated on Tube Depots description.

I find it odd that such a prestigious company would want to fill the streets with compromised tubes even if only directed at hobbyist. It's also a rather curious peak into the possible QC issues they are having. I hope its not a sneak peak into then possibly of them ending this run of tube. Pure speculation of course but why would you want less than perfect quality tubes in the hands of public when everyone has such high expectations of this long coveted product.

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I also saw this, but it isn't anything new. Back during the golden age of tube technology RCA, Sylvania etc. would sell their B stock to so called relabelers who then resell them under different brands. Tandy (aka Radio Shack) was an example and somewhat infamous as I recall for sketchy tube quality among my guitar playing friends back in the day. They were cheap, but you got what you paid for.

The only difference is WE is selling the tubes under their own brand.

Yes, Realistic tubes not Tandy. Got some wires crossed in the brain. I have a Realistic GZ34 that clearly comes from the Mullard Japan factory. It is OK.

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Generally when a power tube fails it just stops working, at least that has been my experience. If it were to short, which is pretty rare, then it might blow a fuse.

I picked up a matched quad of these with the thought that if one or two fail I can still have a matched pair.

Listening over the weekend I have about 25 hours on two of them. Not enough break in time to make any real decisions but right out of the gate I have a few observations.
- the tubes themselves are visually identical to my normal WE 300bs, so beware if you are buying second-hand WE tubes from online sellers.
- they come in a blue and white box (see ad here, no affiliation with listing:https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/650213769-pair-300b-western-electric-tube-ne...).  The only way I can tell to differentiate from the standard A grade WE’s.
- they run slightly hotter than my standard WE 300b (run on the line between yellow and red on Sarah’s VU meters), and therefore also just slightly punchier.
- my initial thought is that they sound darn close to my very expensive WE300bs, and are maybe the perfect blend between the Cryotone’s punchiness and the WE presence and top end sparkle.
Overall, a steal at $200. We’ll see what kind of longevity they have.

Ah, yes there is! There is a small “B” stamped on the base, opposite side from the logo. Thanks for that tip.