Overpriced Tube Amps

This is America (except for those of you who are not in America LOL). Free enterprise + PT Barnum = high prices whenever possible.

By and large (yes there are a FEW exceptions) availability of used/old/commodity items drives price. Thus diamonds (which are actually anything but rare) are pricey because the cartels weave an elaborate web of deception to convince the general public that they are rare.

The tube amps you refer to have been touted as both rare and superior when in fact they are probably neither. It is all in the perception. If Lautrec had made thousands of paintings how much do you think each would fetch?

No have to shop around for the tubes at those prices.
Ive gotten amperex orange globes at 17.00 each from echoaudio.com Rca Back plate 12au7 for 2.50 each ( killer ) from a private suplier. tunsgram 12ax7 upscale audio for 25.00 a pair, telefunkin 12au7's from curbed console stereo (free) Mullard 12at7's free from a deal,RFT 12au7 germany at 12.00 each,prima 6922 equivlent for 15.00 each RCA cleartops for 2.50each Some microphnic and many others.I did spend 70.00 a pair for a NOS Matched pair of Sylvania 5751 gold brand Black plate USAF in original boxes. Ive never seen another pair of those yet.Equipment that pisses me off VTL, audio research, ect. have had classic 30 60 Vt200, vtl 300, hurricanes, Zeus, v12cary rogue 120 mag, 120 regular, Melos mat400 monos,10 different tube preamps,25 solid stae amps ranging to 12,000 a pair.and am going strong ;)

These posts have been a tour de force for you, Marty! Thanks for the belly laughs!!!

By the way, anyone remember George Wendt doing the Meister Brau commercials? Kind of like what Marty just put out there, only the company was actually serious. Still, when old Nahhhmy is your pitchman, you can get away with a lot.

I think the original poster is right, but is position is not acceptable in these pages. I think he is wrong though on the actual prices for decent tubes. Dealing with power tubes (namely 6550s)local dealers do want something like a $100 CAD/tube while reputable dealers such as thetubestore.com will sell you matched pairs for around $56.00 USD. These days the CAD is worth about 0.86 USD.

So basically what you have is roughly $100. each vs. $32. each in CAD.

I don't think that three times the price is warranted.

I know audiophiles like to pay wasy more to get a rush, but my stingy nature prevents it in my case.

In 1968 you could be a nice Cadillac for about $5000. Nobody bats an eye at $50,000 for a nice Cadillac now.

A Marantz, 7C, 9 and 10 cost you a cool $1600, another $700 for the Dayton-Wright ESLs, $200 for a turntable with arm and cartridge and $200 for a decent tape machine (unless you got a pro model in which case it was $1500!). Total with cheap tape deck: $2700.00

Inflation has devalued the American dollar well over 10-1 in the last 40 years. If you had to buy the same stereo today: $27,000. That's with no performance increase over 1968! $200 30 watt/channel recievers were available in the US in 1968 and were that way until 1988- we grew up thinking audio is the one thing that is cheap. Good audio is not and never was.

In 1970 a 6550 retailed for $15.00! Enjoy the cheap prices we have on tubes today- it will not last forever. It should be no surprise that an NOS tube could cost $100 or $150. Think of the American labor that goes into making an American-made output transformer and see if you can even build one for less than $100 (not sell- build!) that has any performance or power handling ability.

The 'audio costs too much!' mentality is entirely unrealistic. It ignores the real world we live in- unless you want to complain that *everything* costs too much and then I'm with you :)