Vacuum tubes are supposed to be extinct yet here we are in 2026 still arguing swapping and occasionally getting electrocuted. In this episode Mitch Anderson (@black_circle_radio), Eric Pye (@audioloveyyc), and Jeremy Sikora (@budget_audiophiler) strip the romance out of valves and talk about why they still matter without leaning on lazy audiophile clichés.
The discussion cuts through tube rolling reality versus placebo and the ongoing new production versus NOS debate. It also looks at why Ray Tubes are suddenly on everyone’s radar and what Jeremy’s amp building class at the American Wireless Communication Museum teaches you that spec sheets never will.
Along the way, we connect the dots between Talk Talk’s obsessive studio craft, Miles Davis with Jimmy Cobb’s unshakable timing, and the Tron soundtrack, while getting very real about tube amp safety; from blown parts to painful zaps, because high voltage does not care how experienced you think you are.
Sponsors: Thank you to our sponsors SVS & Shure
This episode was recorded on December 3, 2025.
Where to listen:
- Apple Podcasts
- Amazon Music
- Spotify
- iHeart Radio
- Spreaker
- Stitcher
- Deezer
- Castbox
- Podcast Addict
- Pod-chaser
- TuneIn
On the Panel:
- Mitch Anderson, Host & eCoustics Podcast Producer @black_circle_radio
- Eric Pye, eCoustics Vintage Audio Columnist @audioloveyyc
- Jeremy Sikora, eCoustics Vintage Audio Columnist @budget_audiophiler
Related Links:
- The Fisher 400 Tube Receiver: The Budget Audiophiler
- Vintage Audio Series, Episode 1: Amplifiers
- Buy Ray Tubes at Apos Audio
Credits:
- Original intro music by The Arc of All.
- Voice Over Provided by Todd Harrell of SSP Unlimited.
- Production by Mitch Anderson, Black Circle Studios.
