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Here I go, shooting myself in the foot

Whether new issue or "new old stock" (NOS), one can spend a great deal of money on tubes. In the case of NOSs, some of us might recall, as wee little shavers, the TV repair man coming over to fix the family TV and charging a couple of bucks for the same tube that's now being sold for hundreds. In the beginning of my tube life, I considered NOS tubes to be trinkets for the big money audio elite. Now, upgrading to the best tubes available, while trying to minimize paying a rarity premium, is standard procedure for me. They have proved to be among the very best bang-for-the-buck improvements that I have come across in audio.
BTW, I figure I'm shooting myself in the foot if I persuade someone to plunge into the NOS market and drive up prices.
phaelon
elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
Don't we ALL wish we would have bought up some tubes when they were dirt cheap?
I can imagine a closet full of piles and piles of Western Electric 300B's 6DJ8 12au7 12ax7 88's 6sn7gt and on and on.. all sorts of Telefunken, Mullard.. all gold pins.. geez i am salivating...
I would be WAY more into tube equipment if I just had piles of replacement tubes!!!
phaelon OP
1,038 posts
 
Elizabeth, the impact that my current tube compliment has had on my ability to connect with the music, in contrast to the supplied tubes, is so profound that it's almost depressing to consider the possibility of not being able to replace them with something comparable.

I recently met an electrician who told me that he has cases of tubes that were left by is father. He was shocked when I told him they might have value. We can only hope that there are others like him.
tomcy6's avatar
tomcy6
1,368 posts
 
I agree Phaelon. I'm not very sensitive to tweaks but swapping out the stock tubes can make a real improvement in sound quality.

Elizabeth, when you consider what we spend on our gear, I think it's a worthwhile investment to get the best out of it with good tubes. Good NOS tubes can be found here and on Ebay for reasonable prices if you are patient and careful. There are a lot of sellers who seem to have very generous tube testers when it comes to testing tube strength though.

It may be worth paying the higher prices of established tube dealers in the long run. They can help you decide what tubes might work best for you and offer good tubes that are cheaper than the more prestigous brands.

Genelex may drive the prices of NOS tubes down. They did with the NOS KT88s and I think they are making good 12ax7s now.
mapman's avatar
mapman
15,679 posts
 
"charging a couple of bucks for the same tube that's now being sold for hundreds"

I used to sell tubes in Radio Shack and Lafayette Radio, mid to late 70s.

Most sold in $4-$20 range as I recall.

Big Bucks today....

People need to realize that tube gear has an associated maintenance cost to keep things operating well these days and be willing to deal with that before getting into modern hi end tube gear.
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