Where to buy cheap vacuum tubes?

I'm looking for a place to buy vacuum tubes that are not priced in
excess. I'm referring to NEW tubes. While tubes are not used too
much anymore, some of us still use them, particularly for audio amps.
Seems there are quite a few sites offering them for audiophiles, but
their prices are usually outrageous. Anyone know of a good source for
cheap, but good quality tubes?

Thanks

 

[Fred Abse]

On Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:30:20 -0500, jw wrote:

I'm looking for a place to buy vacuum tubes that are not priced in
excess. I'm referring to NEW tubes. While tubes are not used too
much anymore, some of us still use them, particularly for audio amps.
Seems there are quite a few sites offering them for audiophiles, but
their prices are usually outrageous. Anyone know of a good source for
cheap, but good quality tubes?

Thanks

It's a niche market, with niche prices. They're labor-intensive to
manufacture, and use expensive materials and plant. When they were made in
millions for the consumer radio and TV industry, it was different.

Pricing industrial heating tubes, thyratrons, transmitting tubes, etc.
will turn your hair white.

You *might* find some audio types at swap meets, but the audiophools have
probably got there first.

--
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence
over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled."
(Richard Feynman)

 

[Dave Platt]

In article <ceqb97l38v0vl8a39mrqvic91p19u1k0qm@4ax.com>,
<jw@myplace.com> wrote:

I'm looking for a place to buy vacuum tubes that are not priced in
excess. I'm referring to NEW tubes. While tubes are not used too
much anymore, some of us still use them, particularly for audio amps.
Seems there are quite a few sites offering them for audiophiles, but
their prices are usually outrageous. Anyone know of a good source for
cheap, but good quality tubes?

May not be of much direct help to you, but there's an enthusiast who
shows up at the Electronics Flea Market in Cupertino most months
(alas, the last one of the year was on Saturday) who had boxes of
new-stock tubes of several popular types, listed by factory (some were
Chinese, some Russian). He was selling several types for $5-$6 each.

--
Dave Platt <dplatt@radagast.org> AE6EO
Friends of Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will
boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads!

 

[Olaf Kaluza]

jw@myplace.com wrote:

their prices are usually outrageous. Anyone know of a good source for
cheap, but good quality tubes?

Hm...Joerg always promote digikey in Germany, it is time to strike
back.

http://www.pollin.de/shop/p/MDk4OTk4/Bauelemente_Bauteile/Aktive_Bauelemente/Roehren_Roehrenfassungen.html

Olaf

 

[Uwe Hercksen]

jw@myplace.com schrieb:

Seems there are quite a few sites offering them for audiophiles, but
their prices are usually outrageous.

Hello,

if you want to sell something to audiophiles, it must be expensive.
An audiophile would not by good parts for a cheap price. A cheap part
can't be good in their opinion, the same part for an expensive price and
with some advertising lies is excellent in their opinion.

Bye

 

[asdf]

On Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:30:20 -0500, jw wrote:

I'm looking for a place to buy vacuum tubes that are not priced in
excess. I'm referring to NEW tubes. While tubes are not used too much
anymore, some of us still use them, particularly for audio amps. Seems
there are quite a few sites offering them for audiophiles, but their
prices are usually outrageous. Anyone know of a good source for cheap,
but good quality tubes?

Thanks

On Ebay they sell lots of russian made good quality (also military grade)
tubes from the 80s. I never purchased those tubes but heard good reports
about them. Some day I might try the subminiature low voltage triodes for
guitar distorion effects.

 

[Olaf Kaluza]

Uwe Hercksen <hercksen@mew.uni-erlangen.de> wrote:

An audiophile would not by good parts for a cheap price. A cheap part
can't be good in their opinion, the same part for an expensive price and
with some advertising lies is excellent in their opinion.

http://www.criseis.ruhr.de/roehre/bild5.jpg
http://www.criseis.ruhr.de/roehre/bild6.jpg

These are realy cheap tubes from poland and the qualtiy is
outstanding!

Ebay: PCL86 (390347802887)
Perhaps I should buy some for future use, because I use my headamp
very often....

Olaf

 

[legg]

On Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:30:20 -0500, jw@myplace.com wrote:

I'm looking for a place to buy vacuum tubes that are not priced in
excess. I'm referring to NEW tubes. While tubes are not used too
much anymore, some of us still use them, particularly for audio amps.
Seems there are quite a few sites offering them for audiophiles, but
their prices are usually outrageous. Anyone know of a good source for
cheap, but good quality tubes?

Thanks

Prices here seem fair, with new parts offered where applicable.

http://pacifictv.ca/

RL

 

[Olaf Kaluza]

Cydrome Leader <presence@mungepanix.com> wrote:

When was russian anything even closely related to "good quality"?

Hm...I think their rockets never had a problem to choose between miles
and meter and still working now.

Olaf

 

[Cydrome Leader]

asdf <asdf@nospam.com> wrote:

On Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:30:20 -0500, jw wrote:

I'm looking for a place to buy vacuum tubes that are not priced in
excess. I'm referring to NEW tubes. While tubes are not used too much
anymore, some of us still use them, particularly for audio amps. Seems
there are quite a few sites offering them for audiophiles, but their
prices are usually outrageous. Anyone know of a good source for cheap,
but good quality tubes?

Thanks

On Ebay they sell lots of russian made good quality (also military grade)
tubes from the 80s. I never purchased those tubes but heard good reports
about them. Some day I might try the subminiature low voltage triodes for
guitar distorion effects.

When was russian anything even closely related to "good quality"?

 

[Spehro Pefhany]

On Wed, 26 Oct 2011 16:32:47 +0000 (UTC), the renowned Cydrome Leader
<presence@MUNGEpanix.com> wrote:

asdf <asdf@nospam.com> wrote:
On Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:30:20 -0500, jw wrote:

I'm looking for a place to buy vacuum tubes that are not priced in
excess. I'm referring to NEW tubes. While tubes are not used too much
anymore, some of us still use them, particularly for audio amps. Seems
there are quite a few sites offering them for audiophiles, but their
prices are usually outrageous. Anyone know of a good source for cheap,
but good quality tubes?

Thanks

On Ebay they sell lots of russian made good quality (also military grade)
tubes from the 80s. I never purchased those tubes but heard good reports
about them. Some day I might try the subminiature low voltage triodes for
guitar distorion effects.

When was russian anything even closely related to "good quality"?

Their ICBMs are very high quality and very, very accurate. Good thing
they were never tested in anger.


Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
speff@interlog.com Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com

 

[Tom Del Rosso]

Cydrome Leader wrote:

asdf <asdf@nospam.com> wrote:

On Ebay they sell lots of russian made good quality (also military
grade) tubes from the 80s. I never purchased those tubes but heard
good reports about them. Some day I might try the subminiature low
voltage triodes for guitar distorion effects.

When was russian anything even closely related to "good quality"?

My Russian-made microscope is good. A microscope made in China is more
likely to be crap.


--

Reply in group, but if emailing add one more
zero, and remove the last word.

 

[Lostgallifreyan]

"Tom Del Rosso" <td_03@verizon.net.invalid> wrote in news:j9rrlh$m8d$1@dont-
email.me:

Cydrome Leader wrote:
asdf <asdf@nospam.com> wrote:

On Ebay they sell lots of russian made good quality (also military
grade) tubes from the 80s. I never purchased those tubes but heard
good reports about them. Some day I might try the subminiature low
voltage triodes for guitar distorion effects.

When was russian anything even closely related to "good quality"?

My Russian-made microscope is good. A microscope made in China is more
likely to be crap.

A Russian Oktava MK219 microphone is also good. To get that kind of
performance from a US made mic, for example, probably costs a grand.

I won't get into a long debate over it, but credit where credit is due....

 

[Tom Del Rosso]

Lostgallifreyan wrote:

A Russian Oktava MK219 microphone is also good. To get that kind of
performance from a US made mic, for example, probably costs a grand.

I wish we saw more imports from Russia and less from China. Victor Belenko
(MiG 25 defector) suggested that low-cost private planes could use Russian
airframes and US avionics.


--

Reply in group, but if emailing add one more
zero, and remove the last word.

 

[Spehro Pefhany]

On Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:42:58 -0500, the renowned "Tom Del Rosso"
<td_03@verizon.net.invalid> wrote:

Lostgallifreyan wrote:

A Russian Oktava MK219 microphone is also good. To get that kind of
performance from a US made mic, for example, probably costs a grand.

I wish we saw more imports from Russia and less from China. Victor Belenko
(MiG 25 defector) suggested that low-cost private planes could use Russian
airframes and US avionics.

Russia is not a WTO member, so they're subject to all sorts of
harassment and tariffs on their exports (eg. Jackson-Vanik).


Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
speff@interlog.com Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com

 

[Tom Del Rosso]

Spehro Pefhany wrote:

On Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:42:58 -0500, the renowned "Tom Del Rosso"
td_03@verizon.net.invalid> wrote:

I wish we saw more imports from Russia and less from China. Victor
Belenko (MiG 25 defector) suggested that low-cost private planes
could use Russian airframes and US avionics.

Russia is not a WTO member, so they're subject to all sorts of
harassment and tariffs on their exports (eg. Jackson-Vanik).

It is strange that one is in the WTO and the other is in the G8. No sense
to it.


--

Reply in group, but if emailing add one more
zero, and remove the last word.

 

[Cydrome Leader]

Spehro Pefhany <speffSNIP@interlogdotyou.knowwhat> wrote:

On Wed, 26 Oct 2011 16:32:47 +0000 (UTC), the renowned Cydrome Leader
presence@MUNGEpanix.com> wrote:

asdf <asdf@nospam.com> wrote:
On Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:30:20 -0500, jw wrote:

I'm looking for a place to buy vacuum tubes that are not priced in
excess. I'm referring to NEW tubes. While tubes are not used too much
anymore, some of us still use them, particularly for audio amps. Seems
there are quite a few sites offering them for audiophiles, but their
prices are usually outrageous. Anyone know of a good source for cheap,
but good quality tubes?

Thanks

On Ebay they sell lots of russian made good quality (also military grade)
tubes from the 80s. I never purchased those tubes but heard good reports
about them. Some day I might try the subminiature low voltage triodes for
guitar distorion effects.

When was russian anything even closely related to "good quality"?

Their ICBMs are very high quality and very, very accurate. Good thing
they were never tested in anger.

acccording to the russians?