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Offered is „Amperex JAN 7308 / E188CC - NOS Performance“ by Various / Other from the category „Tubes for preamplifiers“ on audio-markt.de - the online market place for high-end. The advert with the number 5792171908 ends on 20.10.2026 at 06:09 o'clock.
€250 is ambitious versus your comp set: it sits well above the €247 75th percentile and more than €100 over the €140 median, so this is priced at the top end of recent used asking levels rather than in bargain territory. If the pair is genuinely clean, tightly matched, and truly testing strong, that premium is easier to justify; otherwise, it looks a bit rich for a used listing.
What makes it interesting is the JAN 7308 / E188CC family: these are respected small-signal tubes with a strong reputation for refinement, low noise, and long service life, which is why matched NOS-grade pairs command attention. The upside here is the “NOS performance” positioning, but at this price I’d want confidence in the matching, actual test results, and that the pair is quiet and stable in use before paying up.
Independent perspective — not a price guarantee. Always verify condition, accessories and provenance before purchase.
Amperex Electronic emerged in the mid-20th century as a pivotal player in the vacuum tube industry, originally established in Brooklyn, New York, at 79 Washington Street as a manufacturer of transmitting tubes. Around 1955, the Dutch firm Philips acquired it, expanding operations and relocating to a new facility in Hicksville, New York, in 1953, which served as headquarters for North American Philips until its closure in 1989. Under Philips, Amperex bridged the era of tube dominance to the transistor age, distributing high-quality miniature tubes to fuel America's postwar hi-fi boom.
The brand specialized in vacuum tubes, particularly receiving types like the 12AX7, 12AU7, and 12AT7, which powered amplifiers from iconic marques such as Marantz, Fisher, and H.H. Scott. Amperex's crowning achievement was the 1958 6DJ8 (also known as ECC88), initially developed for video and radar applications but revered in audio for its high transconductance. Variants like the 6922 and 7308 frame-grid tubes, including the "Bugle Boy" series and later map-etched models, offered exceptional noise rejection, balanced tonality, and soundstaging.
Today, Amperex holds vintage-collector status among audiophiles, prized for its "sweet and airy yet full and solid" sound that endures in tube rolling and restoration projects. No longer in production, its tubes command premium prices in the niche market for golden-era hi-fi components, embodying the craftsmanship of a bygone analog pinnacle.
See all Amperex listings on RADAR.
