[stersa]

Arrived Now.. Limited Edition Empyrean PHOENIX

Best Regards

Sisco

 

[jonathan c]

That brings me back to when SS was just beginning and as kids we would toss about that many in the street, to enjoy the pop sound they made! Well on second thought, really not THAT many, that’s a lot of tubes!

As I recall from some other bcowen photos, those are just the containers from under the bed…

 

[550591]

Arrived Now.. Limited Edition Empyrean PHOENIX

Best Regards

Sisco

That just looks ridiculous good. I love how some of these limited editions headphones look.

Is that the rooms FS stand that is adjustable?

 

[stersa]

That just looks ridiculous good. I love how some of these limited editions headphones look.

Is that the rooms FS stand that is adjustable?

Tks..

no,it s a standard one..

Best Regards

Sisco

 

[Pharmaboy]

That brings me back to when SS was just beginning and as kids we would toss about that many in the street, to enjoy the pop sound they made! Well on second thought, really not THAT many, that’s a lot of tubes!

I was watching a recent episode of "American Pickers" (for those not in US, it's about people who buy and sell antique everything & how they buy quantities of old stuff). Anyway, the 2 pickers were being shown through the house of a now-deceased master collector of everything, mostly electronics.

The man's daughter shows them a storeroom which is relatively large (20 ft. X 20 ft., maybe more), and it's absolutely stuffed with old radios, televisions, parts for old radios & TVs--and tubes. 1000s of tubes, many in drawers. These pickers know nothing about tubes and had no interest in them.

...and I was sitting there watching all this, tearing my hair out, imagining what's in those drawers. A legendary NOS tube find (big & small, name brands/types & obscure brands/types).

 

[Redcarmoose]

I was watching a recent episode of "American Pickers" (for those not in US, it's about people who buy and sell antique everything & how they buy quantities of old stuff). Anyway, the 2 pickers were being shown through the house of a now-deceased master collector of everything, mostly electronics.

The man's daughter shows them a storeroom which is relatively large (20 ft. X 20 ft., maybe more), and it's absolutely stuffed with old radios, televisions, parts for old radios & TVs--and tubes. 1000s of tubes, many in drawers. These pickers know nothing about tubes and had no interest in them.

...and I was sitting there watching all this, tearing my hair out, imagining what's in those drawers. A legendary NOS tube find (big & small, name brands/types & obscure brands/types).

Well any old tube junk people in my rich neighborhood would toss out had tubes. Basically everything! Replace the tubes with SS was what everyone was doing so? Mainly TVs, but radios and amps. We would collect hundreds of tubes/amo then go to war. Pop, pop, pop.

They were a burden as housewives would have to take all the tubes to the grocery store and test them on the tube tester, then the gals would reinstall the whole set. Solid State was a revolution in maintainability!

 

[David222]

I was not aware that escape from that rabbit hole was even possible. Any tips?

just an idea....for your escape plan... consider building a raft and using each tube/bin as pontoon...looks like you have enough tubes for good ballast!

 

[jonathan c]

I was not aware that escape from that rabbit hole was even possible desirable. Any tips tubes?

FTFY…[Reg. TM; © bcowen: 2021]

 

[bcowen]

As I recall from some other bcowen photos, those are just the containers from under the bed…

Yeah, the others are in the closet and would require actual effort to retrieve. (they're mostly power pentodes that I don't use much these days)

 

[bcowen]

just an idea....for your escape plan... consider building a raft and using each tube/bin as pontoon...looks like you have enough tubes for good ballast!

LOL! But the tube boxes might get wet. Plan B I guess.

 

[bcowen]

Well any old tube junk people in my rich neighborhood would toss out had tubes. Basically everything! Replace the tubes with SS was what everyone was doing so? Mainly TVs, but radios and amps. We would collect hundreds of tubes/amo then go to war. Pop, pop, pop.

They were a burden as housewives would have to take all the tubes to the grocery store and test them on the tube tester, then the gals would reinstall the whole set. Solid State was a revolution in maintainability!

Oh, the horror.

Fast forward 15 years and people did the same thing with LP's in favor of Perfect Sound Forever (and back in the mid-80's it was very, very far from perfect). There were a couple used book/record stores in town that I frequented and can remember walking out with 50 LP's for $50 on a regular basis. Even if half of them were losers it was still a pretty sweet deal, and I got some real gems along the way as well.

 

[Redcarmoose]

Yes, well at the time all the men were employed and the gals stayed home. So a broken tube TV or Hi-Fi meant a trip to the grocery store. They were going there anyway. They took out all the tubes, or later the sophisticated housewives only took out an area of tubes. They had to use tape to remember where they pulled the tube from, and corresponding tape on the tubes. The machine may have also helped put too much energy into testing the tube? But when they were done they pulled a new tube from a drawer at the bottom of the testing machine and placed the bag of tubes into their cart to continue shopping. You can only imagine the paradigm shift to SS! Everyone did this, unless you wanted to pay, then you called the repair man instead. He had a truck full of tubes.

Oh, the horror.

Fast forward 15 years and people did the same thing with LP's in favor of Perfect Sound Forever (and back in the mid-80's it was very, very far from perfect). There were a couple used book/record stores in town that I frequented and can remember walking out with 50 LP's for $50 on a regular basis. Even if half of them were losers it was still a pretty sweet deal, and I got some real gems along the way as well.

What was interesting was the grocery store sold records and had these enormous wire record racks that were in the shopping isles. They stuck out at eye level so you could see one record cover or examine all of them. They were in front of the food and staggered at times. That was one reason the covers were so flamboyant. So actually the woman a lot of the times purchased the music for the home as the men didn't have the time or place to buy it. Really in those days the grocery store was a place of woman and kids.

 

[David222]

LOL! But the tube boxes might get wet. Plan B I guess.

I suppose Plan B would be a Foton (only) made vessel. I hear they're totally water resistant... so not to worry

 

[bcowen]

I suppose Plan B would be a Foton (only) made vessel. I hear they're totally water resistant... so not to worry

LOL!

"Gentlemen, I present to you the Red Foton." Maybe doesn't have the same ring to it...

 

[LaughMoreDaily]

Oh, the horror.

Fast forward 15 years and people did the same thing with LP's in favor of Perfect Sound Forever (and back in the mid-80's it was very, very far from perfect). There were a couple used book/record stores in town that I frequented and can remember walking out with 50 LP's for $50 on a regular basis. Even if half of them were losers it was still a pretty sweet deal, and I got some real gems along the way as well.

About 5 years ago a city on a nearby island was getting rid of old tech. I walked out of a record store with like 50 LP's for free. It wasn't fun caring them "hundreds of miles" (?) home without a vehicle though.

A local used CD store there also got rid of their whole onventory and closed at the same time there. $1 a CD at the end. It was a sad sight to see. That was a fun store.

Rest in peace physical music technology.

*** On the plus side Tascam is apparently joining another company to create brand new cassettes.