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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

Showing 1 response by tomcy6

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tomcy6
2,542 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.
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