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What’s your understanding of ‘NOS’?

JTC

PFM Villager...
I’ve been ferreting around, looking for a good matched pair of 12AT7 or equivalents (and maybe a similarly good matched pair of 12AX7s for a different amp position). I then realised that maybe I needed to better understand a bit of the ‘NOS’ nomenclature.

In my head, I was thinking NOS stood for ‘New Old Stock’, i.e. something old but unused, such as might be discovered at the back of a dusty storeroom and then sold on as ‘new but dusty’. But on asking around, a lot of sellers treat the NOS label as ‘measures within a certain % of a new valve’, and make no guarantees for the usage history of the item.

Of course, this isn’t just about valves - it could be anything. If it’s sold as new, it bloody ought to be new, no? But maybe, just maybe, I’m kidding myself....??? Anyone care to put me out of my misery? :)
 
I would expect the 'New' in New Old Stock to mean new, as in not used in any way.
Some sellers are just twisting the definition to suit themselves.. a salesman being economical with the truth..well I never..;)
 
Yep, as far as I’m concerned, NOS aka new old stock, refers to an item that was manufactured some time ago (and generally no longer in production, at least to the exact spec), but totally unused. I’ve seen people try and pass old HIFI off as NOS, when it’s clearly been used... putting a 40 year old item in a box 25 years ago and mothballing it doesn’t make it NOS. People who try and pull this stunt are known as DAHs (dishonest arse holes).
 
I agree, if something is sold as New Old Stock, it should not have be used, except for maybe the purpose of checking that it still works.

At the beginning of the lockdown, my webcam expired and while searching for a replacement I noticed a huge number of 'NOS' webcams. In many cases they appeared to me to actually be reconditioned and at ridiculously inflated prices.
I eventually found a genuine new cam, albeit 50% above the normal price, but I was desperate by then.
 
Yes, agreed, new, but I'd say that - pick a number - a very few hours use on something with many 100s and more of expected life, is fine, and totally beyond proof one way or the other anyway. Indeed, proof of anything is totally impossible in 99.9% of cases, although I have bought quite a few 40-50-60 year-old valves still with the shrink-wrap cellophane in place. For very many valves, measurements also mean precisely nothing.
 
At the beginning of the lockdown, my webcam expired and while searching for a replacement I noticed a huge number of 'NOS' webcams. In many cases they appeared to me to actually be reconditioned and at ridiculously inflated prices.
I eventually found a genuine new cam, albeit 50% above the normal price, but I was desperate by then.
Reconditioned is fine.. but it's not NOS and should not be sold as such.

About trying to find a reasonably price webcam for the home office last spring.. I assure you you were not alone :)
 
This is problematic when restoring an old car... NOS should be - New, unused stock.

It often on arrival turns out to be old, internally knackered items cleaned to within an inch of its’ life with brake cleaner.. Not good and goes back.
 
I looked at this and was really very wrong I thought NOS was None Over Sampling :rolleyes:
 
I looked at this and was really very wrong I thought NOS was None Over Sampling :rolleyes:

Having read a few threads where NOS DACs are talked about I initially wondered what's all the fuss about new old stock DACs, then the penny dropped.......
 
Yes, as all the above NOS means NEW OLD STOCK and should be a new unused item preferably in unopened original packaging.

Can New Old Stock apply to a private seller as well I wonder or is it a trade term meaning it has never been sold.
 
I’ve been ferreting around, looking for a good matched pair of 12AT7 or equivalents (and maybe a similarly good matched pair of 12AX7s for a different amp position). I then realised that maybe I needed to better understand a bit of the ‘NOS’ nomenclature.

In my head, I was thinking NOS stood for ‘New Old Stock’, i.e. something old but unused, such as might be discovered at the back of a dusty storeroom and then sold on as ‘new but dusty’. But on asking around, a lot of sellers treat the NOS label as ‘measures within a certain % of a new valve’, and make no guarantees for the usage history of the item.

Of course, this isn’t just about valves - it could be anything. If it’s sold as new, it bloody ought to be new, no? But maybe, just maybe, I’m kidding myself....??? Anyone care to put me out of my misery? :)

I have stock of Mullard mil spec 12AT7/ECC81, UK military designation CV4024 if that's any good to you. £10 each.

Yes New Old Stock means exactly that... not used but new other than maybe checking they are still good etc.
 
Can New Old Stock apply to a private seller as well I wonder or is it a trade term meaning it has never been sold.
If I found an unused valve that I had bought 40 years ago, I would feel comfortable calling it NOS
 
NOS is used like OFC, especially from Chinese ebay sellers. Often just a selling ploy, meaning nothing. OFC is often actually brass! And OFC is just old.
 
I've purchased valves that have been described as "believed to be NOS" but I just assume they are used to avoid disappointment. If something isn't sealed then I don't see how it can be guaranteed as new. I purchased a cartridge from a dealer a few years ago that was sold as new but the box was opened as apparently someone borrowed the screws. Sounded like rubbish when I set it up and I was blamed for not setting it up correctly and got told no returns. A few days later the manager contacted me to apologise as they found out they lent this cartridge plus another one to a customer who returned the other minus its cantilever. Had a similar thing with a posh light fitting for my house that arrived in what looked like a used state - shop tells me they always open everything and check its not damaged before sending to the customer.... how nice of them.

If its not sealed it should not be sold as new in my opinion.
 
If its not sealed it should not be sold as new in my opinion.

You don't have to go back far and you'll find that more than plenty of things were not sealed as new. In which case, they'd never be able to be called NOS. In the case of valves, purely from memory of the man fixing the telly in the 60's, I suspect that card tubes were not sealed or wrapped in the majority of cases, exactly as were and are lamps of any description, and loads of valves are now offered NOS from bulk packs, so no original packaging bar a large cardboard box.

You pays yer money and you takes yer choice.

I am more than glad that my venture into valves was in preamps and started 2-3 years ago, and is highly unlikely to go further. Old valves, of any and all descriptions, if commonly used in audio kit are inescapably becoming scarcer and prices are continuing to soar.
 
You don't have to go back far and you'll find that more than plenty of things were not sealed as new. In which case, they'd never be able to be called NOS. In the case of valves, purely from memory of the man fixing the telly in the 60's, I suspect that card tubes were not sealed or wrapped in the majority of cases, exactly as were and are lamps of any description, and loads of valves are now offered NOS from bulk packs, so no original packaging bar a large cardboard box.

You pays yer money and you takes yer choice.

I am more than glad that my venture into valves was in preamps and started 2-3 years ago, and is highly unlikely to go further. Old valves, of any and all descriptions, if commonly used in audio kit are inescapably becoming scarcer and prices are continuing to soar.

Very good point well made :) I guess its difficult to know if anything "old stock" is really new but if it looks as new and performs as new I guess it doesn't really matter. Challenging in some cases of course!
 


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