Is it common for tubes to outweigh the cost of the amp or preamp?

@jtcf 

One way to save a few $$ is to buy ugly tubes and pairs and quads that were all manufactured the same but we're labeled for various companies

I was originally going to pick up 3-4 pairs of those to experiment with because they were so cheap. They were called "Butt Ugly Tubes!" on the site I was looking at. Unfortunately they were all out of stock.

@testpilot 

300B tubes can often exceed the cost of the amp.  

WOW! You aren't kidding. The manufacturer of my amp has a pair for $2k, FOR THE PAIR! Insanity. I'm feeling like I got off easy now.

Good to hear that you are enjoying your purchase.  At the end of the day, that's all that matters.

Thoroughly enjoyed. But now wondering what these tubes will cost in 2050. I've got another 40 years of listening left in me. Longer if I download my brain into a robot.

When I bought my grey shield/plate, early Sixties, Siemens, they were just over $250 a pair(average). My CDP takes six, in it’s analog section. The player’s original cost was just under $5000, so I wasn’t upside down. The diff was remarkable, so- I bought six more, for spares. After about ten years, I thought I might compare the spares to the used. No apparent/appreciable difference (boy, was I glad!). I’m hoping the CDP will outlive me. You apparently enjoy the clean, wide open, extended sound of the CCa’s. If you’re ever in the market for 6SN7 types, the bottom gettered, 1940’s era, Sylvanias and Ken-Rads, offer the same presentation and are very close to the performance of such as the Tung-Sol round plate, or Sylvania 6SN7W(tall bottle/metal base). Much less expensive than them, too.