How much does it cost to get into tube hi fi?

weegee

Active Member
Not know what they sound like, I wanted to give tube audio a try. I looked up tube equipment on eBay and they seemed to run thousands of dollars per piece. Is that about what they cost?

Seems pretty costly to try tube audio. Is it even worth it or should I stick with modern equipment.

Thanks
 
I've always had separate components. When I started out my plan was to be able to upgrade one component at a time and always make a vertical move.
I started out with solid state gear. The first tube amp that really caught my ear was a console pulled Fisher 481-A that I converted so it would run Stand Alone (apart from the console as a separate power amp).
Best $125 amp I ever heard. It sounded better than my Solid State Aragon, which at the time I didn't even think was possible.
I sold the 481-A to a friend after I moved on to bigger and better amps. He's had it for 2 years and loves it.
To answer your question...there's a lot of value out there if you know what to look for and are at the right place at the right time.
It also helps if your handy. Tube equipment needs more attention than solid state gear.
Tubes wear out and other component values drift. So, in my opinion...if you want to go tubes, you should either have a deep pocketbook or be willing to learn something new. Solid state gear needs less attention but I think tube gear sounds better and more straight forward to repair.
 
I was asking myself the same question a few years ago. For months, I read and tried to absorb as much of the information in the tube forums here as I could. I now have 3 tube units in the rotation and 1 ss receiver that doesn't get much playing time. There are many threads with people who's only tube units are inexpensive(under $300) new units and they enjoy them. My last purchase was for such a unit and the delivered price was less than the least expensive 2.0 receiver from BB.

If most or all of your listening is CD's or streaming then you'll save some money by not requiring a phono stage. How loud do you like to listen and how efficient are your current speakers? Are you prepared to buy more suitable speakers if needed.

I would encourage you to read some of the threads in the tube section that relate to your budget and listening habits. It's worth it!

Mark
 
What speakers? Sensitivity rating? How large is your room? Type of music? How loud do you listen? (More powerful tube amps are generally more expensive.)

Do you want a vintage made-in-USA amp, or a Chinese amp?

Do you want quality, or are you obsessed with “scroeing”?

If modern Chinese amp, I can’t help you. If you’re obsessed with “scroeing”, I can’t help you.

If you want a vintage made-in-USA amp, then the amp should be professionally restored. (Beware of “flippers” who aren’t professional techs, who replace a few easy-to-reach, cheap capacitors, and “reform” the power supply caps, and claim the amp is “restored”.) If you pay a professional tube tech to perform the restoration, or buy a competently restored tube amp, the total price of admission (amp + restoration) is about $1k. You can occasionally get lucky and find a nice restored amp cheaper, but IME (and I own more than 2 dozen vintage tube amps), the price of admission starts at $1k. If you want a pair of professionally restored McIntosh MC30s, then the price of admission is more than $3k (and well worth it). And, you can spend much more than that …

OTOH, if you are a competent tech, and an entry level power amp (e.g., “console pull”) is suitable (no phono stage or controls), and you enjoy “dumpster diving” and/or shopping estate sales, you can get into tube amps for less than $1k (if you don’t account for your costs associated with your search for a “scroe”).
 
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If you are in central IL I have some tube hi-fi you can borrow.

Actually, I have a tube project I will be working on sometime over the next few months, making a cabinet with speakers and a turntable as a new home for a old working Motorola 3-channel tube receiver which I saved from a mostly cannibalized Motorola coffee table styled console a couple of years ago. What is the 3-channel format you might wonder. It's what you get when you listen to the mid-range and treble in stereo, along with a mono bass center channel ! I'm sure it was marketed as "Hi-fi" at the time, but wasn't everything back then.

I appreciate the offer of the equipment loan. I really do! But honestly I need to rearrange my listening room before I would have space to put it or could fully the sound as well as I should.
 
There's a beautiful Fisher 500B on Barter Town for $500. Would be a splendid way to get into tubes.

I second the suggestion for the 500B. If you take care of it, it will hold its' value. I'm tempted to get it myself, but I have so much stuff now I just can't justify it.
 
Getting into it can be very inexpensive.Staying in it can be another matter entirely;)

Why is that?

Do the tubes burn out fast? I was wondering how easy it is to get replacement tubes. Do they make modern replacement tubes at an affordable price or do you have to scrounge for vintage tubes?

I'd like something reliable and low maintenance...if there is such a thing.
 
Why is that?

Do the tubes burn out fast? I was wondering how easy it is to get replacement tubes. Do they make modern replacement tubes at an affordable price or do you have to scrounge for vintage tubes?

I'd like something reliable and low maintenance...if there is such a thing.

Have you invested any of your time in a basic google search???
 
Least expensive:

HH Scott 222
HK receivers, various
Magnavox console amps
Bogen receivers, various

A little more money but worth it:

HH Scott 299/LK72
Fisher 400/500/800 receivers
Dynaco ST-70
 
If you are patient you can find some good sounding tube equipment for under $500. If you aren't comfortable with working on the equipment yourself you will need to be more patient and find equipment that has been restored. You will replace a tube or two from time to time, sort of a gamble but not that big a deal. There are a lot of honest, capable people in this hobby that will help you out.
 
Why is that?

Do the tubes burn out fast? I was wondering how easy it is to get replacement tubes. Do they make modern replacement tubes at an affordable price or do you have to scrounge for vintage tubes?

I'd like something reliable and low maintenance...if there is such a thing.

I was just kidding,but there is a lot of truth as well. Tube audio is like anything else: how far do you want or need to go? Cars are a good analogy....

I have never found that tubes ''burn out fast'' In well designed equipment,they can last a very long time.Oh sure,occasionally you'll get a dud,but thats life.

Replacement tubes of modern manufacture are readily available,and in every price range imaginable,even for the same tube type.A lot of it is driven by advertising and marketing hogwash,but these forums can help you to avoid getting taken in,and also provide you with experienced guidance as to which manufacturers produce the best quality at reasonable prices.

Vintage tubes,their quality,sound,pricing and actual value are another thing entirely,and I won't even get into that.

A great deal of tube audio equipment is extremely reliable and low maintenance:)
 
A great deal of tube audio equipment is extremely reliable and low maintenance:)
* when in proper working condition.

A random never-serviced amp from 1960 would not fall into that description. Same amp with some service work though, not a problem.
 
Also, most tube amps were designed for line voltages in the 115-120VAC range, sometimes mods need to be made to make them dead nuts reliable on modern 125V+ line voltages.
 
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