THE problem with availability of NOS tubes is @lonson and his seven tackle boxes!
Fortunately not many amplifiers utilize Russian 6P15P-EB tubes.
That seller is sad they bought black. It’s not a very popular ARC color.
The prices for both of those components is close to used prices for nearly the last year.
But to your point, I suspect we’ll see more gear appear soon on the used market.
Here’s the issue:
It’s one thing to buy expensive cables that have an indefinite life cycle. Tubes are a consumable.
Nah. My 25 years of collecting NOS tubes such as 12AU7 types, 6922 types, and all their sub-genres, rectifier and regulation tubes etc. have not made even the tiniest dent in the market and availability!
I discovered in March that I have 56 different 12AU7 type (including 6211, 6085, 5814 etc.) that I can use in my ZROCK2 components. I have three ZROCK2–even if I never buy more of this type I should be good for the rest of my lifetime and well into my afterlife. I probably have even more 6922 types. . . I’ve been dedicated to tube amplification a long time. No solid state for me.
Nope. It’s your fault, Lon.
Okay, I’ll assume the responsibility, and up my life insurance.
I can help with some of the blame.
Nope. It’s all Lon.
A Minnesota Bank has filed an action in District Court asking it to issue a judgment against Audio Research & Trent Suggs of over $1.5 million…
When I started in this hobby, Audio Research and Mark Levinson were the benchmarks for electronics. I always admired ARC’s products, but I couldn’t afford them then, and as my income increased, so did their prices (and my own obligations), leaving them always tantalizingly close but ultimately out of reach.
I sincerely hope they pull through with their products, performance and integrity intact. Oftentimes any or all of those can be in jeopardy during buy-outs. And it’s hard not to see any single high-end manufacturer’s demise as a potential bellwether for the industry at large.
A sad day to be sure. I agree Audio Research, Mark Levinson, and conrad-johnson were the holy grail regarding the American High End at one time. Consolidation and acquisition have resulted in them being a shadow of their former selves. Trent Suggs seemed to be taking AR in a new direction, with a rather formidable if pricey line of tube electronics. It appears the market couldn’t or wouldn’t support the product for what ever reason. A local dealer, Ultra Fidelis, does a fair amount of trade selling AR gear. Having heard the Reference 160 S and Reference 10 line stage driving Vandersteen Kento speakers I was smitten. Significantly beyond my price range unfortunately, aiming more at the well healed audiophile. I do wish AR well, owners of their gear and the brick and mortar stores that support the product.
With the current Regional Banking situation, I believe the High End is once again going to experience hard times. This is one time when I hope to be proven wrong.
Here’s hoping…
If everything was settled since early April, there wouldn’t be such a fuss for at least two weeks. The letter reads like an incantation, or am I being overly suspicious?
For company and customers alike, let’s hope things can get back to normal and there’s s prosperous future ahead. Same goes for the banking business.
For company and customers alike, let’s hope things can get back to normal
The goal of the letter seems to be to assure that a lot continues to operate as normal. I don’t own any ARC, but I felt more informed and encouraged for the company after reading the letter.
Absent a communication like that, people might begin speculating online about how the company is doomed.
Any predictions regarding which companies/entities might purchase ARC?
No feeling one way or the other about this development until we see if and who purchases the company. I’ve seen other audio brands purchased by big conglomerates, stripped of selected assets and disappear. Hope that doesn’t happen to ARC.
I am going to remain optimistic. I have long held ARC in high regard.
William Zane Johnson had a lot to do with it for these ears. Hopefully a well funded buyer will step-up.