7 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

Wanna have a stroke? Play around with real high-end audio.

Even for people like me that build their own amps, preamps, and speakers, it really adds up.  I don't have any truly higher end stuff, but it's better than what 99% of others are running.  If you want nice tubes, accurate drivers, and the components that tie them all together, get your wallet out.  Hell, the 2A3s, 6SL7s in my "power" amp set me back about $800 altogether.  Add in the chassis, choke, and transformers then we're approaching the $1500 mark.  That doesn't even account for the wiring, caps, resistors, or diodes.  I unfortunately have that amp in storage now that I have a couple of toddlers running around.  When they're old enough to keep their hands off, it's coming back out.

2 minutes ago, F14A-B said:

Your point is well taken though. 

Thanks for getting it.👍

1 minute ago, redmeansdistortion said:

Even for people like me that build their own amps, preamps, and speakers, it really adds up.  I don't have any truly higher end stuff, but it's better than what 99% of others are running.  If you want nice tubes, accurate drivers, and the components that tie them all together, get your wallet out.  Hell, the 2A3s, 6SL7s in my "power" amp set me back about $800 altogether.  Add in the chassis, choke, and transformers then we're approaching the $1500 mark.  That doesn't even account for the wiring, caps, resistors, or diodes.

Trust me. I know. I'm all tube too. Build, repair, etc. Thankfully I super stocked on tubes 20 years ago. Set for life.

5 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

Thanks for getting it.👍

Trust me. I know. I'm all tube too. Build, repair, etc. Thankfully I super stocked on tubes 20 years ago. Set for life.

I wish I did at that time but I was still running soiled state.  15 years ago is when I started building my own and prices then we're just starting to get up there.  That Japanese bought up the classic American tubes for pennies on the dollar, then turned around and charged an arm and a leg for them a short time later.  I'd love to get my hands on some NOS 45s or something like that.

9 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

Thanks for getting it.👍

Trust me. I know. I'm all tube too. Build, repair, etc. Thankfully I super stocked on tubes 20 years ago. Set for life.

 

Tubes are going bye bye like the buggy whip.

 

Are there any tube manufacturers left in the world today I wonder?

 

Its a dying technology unfortunately. Down the road aficionados will have to start making their own tubes if they can. The days of Dept of Defense grade black plate tubes are over.

 

And guitar players will have no choice but to move on and leave tubes behind eventually. Its coming.

4 minutes ago, FloridaFishinFool said:

Are there any tube manufacturers left in the world today I wonder?

Plenty.

I'm a DAT and Beta tape fan myself.  

 

Anyway, I was simply trying to make a point that fishing prices have remained reasonably stable and within reach for even budget types.

1 minute ago, PhishLI said:

Plenty.

That's right.  Vacuum tubes are a big export from the USA, although most of what we export are transmitter tubes that are seldom used in audio, unless you're one of those animals with a space heater that is a PSE 845 amp 😆

7 minutes ago, FloridaFishinFool said:

And guitar players will have no choice but to move on and leave tubes behind eventually. Its coming.

Bro, simple 9 pin dual triodes, and standard output pentodes and tetrodes are being produced at scale today, are good quality, and easily sourced. Guitar players are fine forever at this point as are most audio people.

11 minutes ago, Glenn said:

I'm a DAT and Beta tape fan myself.  

I dabbled in the analog tube-deck reel-to-reel world for a bit, which btw still crushes all other formats with respect to true dynamic range, but it was just ultimately too much work. 

13 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

Bro, simple 9 pin dual triodes, and standard output pentodes and tetrodes are being produced at scale today, are good quality, and easily sourced. Guitar players are fine forever at this point as are most audio people.

I guess I know who can afford 17K for a needle now! 🤣🤣🤣

11 minutes ago, F14A-B said:

I guess I know who can afford 17K for a needle now!

Not me, Holmes! I just set them up at CES shows when they were $10K, which was in itself stressful and terrifying. No oopsies allowed. I cap out at $2k myself, and I'm perfectly fine with many $500 carts. They're fantastic.

25 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

Bro, simple 9 pin dual triodes, and standard output pentodes and tetrodes are being produced at scale today, are good quality, and easily sourced. Guitar players are fine forever at this point as are most audio people.

 

Forever? I must have misread this article

 

https://www.headphonesty.com/2025/07/tube-amp-designer-says-tube-amps-dying/

 

I thought I read down to only a handful of manufacturers and presently war is disrupting some of them. Meaning sources not just dwindling but more like drying up. Prices are set to skyrocket I bet.

1 minute ago, FloridaFishinFool said:

Forever?

The Chinese, eastern bloc countries, and even a US company like Western Electric produce audio tubes. They bought the EI machines which were originally Telefunken, so that whole catalog is a possibility. Now that graphene is in the mix, it's a whole new world. I'm not worried about it, and neither are most of the mainstream high end tube amp companies. I've been a R&D consultant to this industry for decades, and I haven't heard any true fears expressed. Wars have messed up supply chains in the past, but they've always bounced back. Asians love tube amps, so the market is massive.

I'm not finding ANY of this stuff on Omnia!

 

LOL

5 hours ago, PhishLI said:

The Chinese, eastern bloc countries, and even a US company like Western Electric produce audio tubes. They bought the EI machines which were originally Telefunken, so that whole catalog is a possibility. Now that graphene is in the mix, it's a whole new world. I'm not worried about it, and neither are most of the mainstream high end tube amp companies. I've been a R&D consultant to this industry for decades, and I haven't heard any true fears expressed. Wars have messed up supply chains in the past, but they've always bounced back. Asians love tube amps, so the market is massive.

I know James Hetfield uses Carver equipment even now during pre-show rehearsal with the band, so I knew it was being repaired fairly easily. 
I think Carver failed as a company.

I always wanted Carver equipment. It was much cheaper on the Military base than anywhere. I used Yamaha amp - pre bumped up to ADCOM a couple years later. Still running it, there is a dude in Colorado that could super tune my amp and wasn’t to bad price wise. I don’t know how to work on them but I’ve owned tube receivers before, a Kenwood made in Japan. It died about 8 years ago and was a bedroom unit. Warm sound at low volume.. 

I think it’s time to get another quality bedroom system. If you have any recommendations please send me a DM.. 

5 hours ago, F14A-B said:

I’ve owned tube receivers before, a Kenwood made in Japan. It died about 8 years ago and was a bedroom unit.

Dead? While not an impossibility, a bad power or bad output(s) transformer would be a rarity. Short of that your unit is easily salvageable, as is most vintage tube gear. If you haven't chucked it, say so and I'll direct you to a forum via DM where the gang there will gladly and generously help you figure it out. No special knowledge and a cheap multimeter is all you'd need to at least figure that part out.

Tangent airlines now departing....

 

Back on topic, as of an executive order today, the de minimis exemption has now been completely eliminated for ALL countries, effective August 29. 

 

If you buy from Japan, might be a good time to stock up. Things are about to get a LOT more expensive. 

1 hour ago, MassYak85 said:

Back on topic, as of an executive order today, the de minimis exemption has now been completely eliminated for ALL countries, effective August 29. 

 

If you buy from Japan, might be a good time to stock up. Things are about to get a LOT more expensive. 

I have nothing nice to say so I’m going to say nothing. 

1 hour ago, MassYak85 said:

Back on topic, as of an executive order today, the de minimis exemption has now been completely eliminated for ALL countries, effective August 29. 

 

If you buy from Japan, might be a good time to stock up. Things are about to get a LOT more expensive. 

I have a digitaka order sitting in customs at the airport right now. Shipped on the 29th and scheduled (tentatively) for delivery tomorrow. I'm curious to see how this goes.

1 hour ago, MassYak85 said:

Back on topic, as of an executive order today, the de minimis exemption has now been completely eliminated for ALL countries, effective August 29. 

 

If you buy from Japan, might be a good time to stock up. Things are about to get a LOT more expensive. 

 

Even at a 15% tariff, we're still saving vs buying from a US retailer.  I am all for supporting local businesses, but these megastores chased away all of my local sporting good shops.  Now they control the pricing and they aren't doing us any favors.

1 minute ago, Peacedivision said:

I have a digitaka order sitting in customs at the airport right now. Shipped on the 29th and scheduled (tentatively) for delivery tomorrow. I'm curious to see how this goes.

 

I have a Digitaka order coming tomorrow as well.  It is at my local Fed-Ex so I am banking on the "system" if you will, not catching up to the delivery guy tomorrow am.  

Do we need an Audio Aficionado forum?

13 hours ago, VolFan said:

Do we need an Audio Aficionado forum?

Absolutely🤪

On 7/23/2025 at 9:56 AM, MN Fisher said:

It's already happening - Walmart has increased prices on some items upwards of 50%

I was in one of our Dicks Sporting Goods stores when we had the 100%+ tariffs from China briefly. They wanted $110 for a crappy Nike tshirt. It's only going to get worse.

 

Maybe I should go buy that other 7 speed reel I've been wanting sooner rather than later...

Not to get political but this is interesting.
 

The good news is there is a court case right now about the Presidents authority to impose tariffs using emergency powers. According to the AP, the judges seem poised to rule against the President. That would hopefully get rid of the tariffs and also the executive order getting rid of de minimis. 
 

In other words, hopefully these tariffs will go bye bye and de minimis will remain in place.