Will sanctions be the end of the tube resurgence?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by BayouTiger, Feb 23, 2022.

  1. Larry I

    Larry I Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington, D.C.
    The very fact that it is being discussed here means there will be some panic buying and hoarding. That will mean temporary shortage and a price spike.
     
  2. SonicCzar

    SonicCzar Forum Resident

    Location:
    New England
    Panic buying tubes? That will do you no good when the electricity get shut off, or you can't afford to turn on your lights. Beans, tuna, water, canned anything you can eat. Do you think anything will be cheaper in 3 months?
     
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  3. chervokas

    chervokas Senior Member

    I'm not sure there's been particularly a tube resurgence in the last couple of years. There's been pretty steady interest in tubes for a while, especially from the guitar market. New Sensor's Saratov factory in Russia is, I think, the biggest single operating tube factory, but of course there's lots of new tube production out of China and the Slovak Republic as well so I'm not sure we'll have no options for new production tubes if Russia goods in the US and Europe are cut off. But I like the best of the New Sensor tubes better than some of the other new production tubes I've heard, so yeah, I am worried about future availability of them. I have some power tubes in the hole but only one quad of them. I think probably it is a good idea to stock up on replacements now if you like New Sensor Russian-made tubes.
     
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  4. BayouTiger

    BayouTiger Forum Resident Thread Starter

    I don't think it's just a couple of years, but the tube demand seems to be a good bit larger than a decade ago or two ago. But it's possible that I was not looking. They certainly have moved into the more affordable end of the market, though I am sure they are still a tiny niche overall.
     
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  5. Acapella48

    Acapella48 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Elk Grove, CA.
    The invasion has started. You're gonna have much more to be concerned about than the availability and prices of vacuum tubes.
     
  6. Strat-Mangler

    Strat-Mangler Personal Survival Daily Record-Breaker

    Location:
    Toronto
    I love NOS tubes. This won't affect me in the slightest. :)
     
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  7. Larry I

    Larry I Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington, D.C.
    I thought I did not run any Russian tubes and then I remembered: My phono stage has two Sovtek 300b's that operate as rectifiers.
     
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  8. BayouTiger

    BayouTiger Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Oh, believe me! I closed on my vacation home last week with the idea that I could ramp down this year and retire. Now watching my retirement nest egg crater between the market and inflation. This thread was just a small distraction and actually was intended to be tongue in cheek in a "let them eat cake" kind of way.
     
  9. Tullman

    Tullman Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    No, you are already into a severe shortage.
     
  10. Strat-Mangler

    Strat-Mangler Personal Survival Daily Record-Breaker

    Location:
    Toronto
    The tubes I want are already rare and won't get rarer as a result of this. :D
     
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  11. TarnishedEars

    TarnishedEars Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Seattle area
    But it might increase NOS tube shortages as the overall supply of many tube types decreases. However the balancing factor is that when people get scared, they tend to stop spending on non-necessities.
     
  12. dolsey01

    dolsey01 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston, MA
    Already seeing prices going up. Just ordered a quad of GL KT88s from a reseller that hasn't raised their prices yet.
     
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  13. PopularChuck

    PopularChuck Senior Member

    Location:
    Bay Area
    tube industry spending dozens of dollars on lobbying :laugh:
     
  14. Gizmo90

    Gizmo90 Ashes to ashes, funk to funky

    Location:
    Las Vegas
    I cant wait until people get over tubes. They aren't good for the environment :hide:
     
  15. LA2019

    LA2019 Forum Resident

    Location:
    USofA
    Just like toilet paper!
     
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  16. Chemically altered

    Chemically altered Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ukraine in Spirit
    You never heard of black market tubes? ;)
     
  17. sbo

    sbo Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Bern / Switzerland
    I have a swiss made Swissonor tube amp, using ECC81, ECC83, 6v6 and a GZ34. After having big quality issues with some russian tubes (tung sol) I bought 2 complete sets of NOS tubes (RCA, Philips Miniwatt, Telefunken). Good tubes last quite long, so I have a nice stock for many years :)
     
  18. Strat-Mangler

    Strat-Mangler Personal Survival Daily Record-Breaker

    Location:
    Toronto
    Nothing is. People pollute, period. If you want people to stop polluting, they'll basically need to be wiped out completely. Nothing else will stop it.
     
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  19. COBill

    COBill Forum Resident

    Location:
    Colorado, USA
    I buy all my tubes from Audio Research, and they are the kind of company that keep a lot of stock for their components on hand as they purchase and match them for that purpose.
     
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  20. motorstereo

    motorstereo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ct.
    One more good reason to move to ss :)
     
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  21. hi_watt

    hi_watt The Road Warrior

    Location:
    San Diego, CA
    LKV Research solid state amplifiers are looking pretty good about now...:wiggle:
     
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  22. Swann36

    Swann36 A widower finding solace in music

    Location:
    Lincoln, UK
    i agree a great as tubes and audio in general is, it is much more worrying where the Ukraine invasion may lead us to, i realise that to many it is a far off place but as the world is very much interconnected now, like with our music we are a global community that when 1 suffers we can all feel the impact, i for one had some super HPs from a small Ukrainian manufacturer and it makes me pause to think of him and his small company and hope they are all ok
     
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  23. Big Blue

    Big Blue Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    Quite possibly, but that does not necessarily render more minor concerns no longer concerns.
     
  24. Razakoz

    Razakoz Forum Resident

    Location:
    Utah
    I usually run them in winter when they help keep the house warm.
     
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  25. Acapella48

    Acapella48 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Elk Grove, CA.
    Actually the concern regarding vacuum tube shortages is old news: “There is a worldwide panic on availability of vacuum tubes”: EHX's Mike Matthews on the murky future of valve amps | Guitar.com | All Things Guitar

    In terms of what's unfolding on the world stage now, global markets are already reacting. You think gas and oil prices are high now, the longer this invasion lasts and the tougher the sanctions become, you, me and everybody else is gonna feel it their pocket book. Inflation was bad before the invasion. It's just gonna create more financial turmoil and no one knows where or when this is gonna end.

    Personally, I'm not concerned about a tube shortage. It's a multi-billion dollar global industry. Somebody, somewhere is gonna step up to fill the void -- too much money to leave on the table. Besides, Russia's revenues aren't dependent on vacuum tube sales. As one analyst put it, Russia is a big gas station (oil & natural gas) - that's where the real money is and oil prices have surged above $100 per barrel, so Russia could care less if no one bought their vacuum tubes.

    On the other hand, New Sensor Corporation might be looking at losing some revenue and or be facing some political pressure.
     
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