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At £126, this looks fair to slightly strong, but still very much in the normal used zone for a Gremlin in working order. The model’s original street price was about £120, and it’s a genuinely well-liked budget tube-hybrid amp rather than a niche vanity piece, so a clean used unit usually doesn’t crater much below that. It’s not a bargain-basement score, but it’s close enough to new-price territory that I’d only hesitate if accessories are missing or the tubes are tired.
What makes it worth buying is the combination of fully balanced operation, 1.25 W into 32 ohms, and a presentation that reviewers consistently describe as punching above its price, with good drive for a wide range of headphones. The included Ray tubes are part of the appeal, and the amp is also attractive if you want a compact platform for tube rolling. At this price, the main thing I’d want confirmed is that it powers up cleanly, both channels are quiet, and the original PSU/cables are included.
Independent perspective — not a price guarantee. Always verify condition, accessories and provenance before purchase.
Ray Tubes is a specialist vacuum-tube brand rather than a full hi-fi maker. The company appears to have emerged from the Apos Ray Tubes line and was rebranded simply as Ray Tubes; the clearest public trail places it in the U.S., with business and social profiles tied to California, though the brand’s founding year and founders are not clearly disclosed in the available sources.
Its focus is narrow and deliberate: new-production audio tubes for hi-fi and tube-amplifier use, including familiar types such as 12AX7, 12AU7, EL34, KT88, 6SN7, and 300B. Ray Tubes positions these as premium, matched, warrantied replacements for modern tube amps, and its brand pages emphasize partnerships with amplifier makers rather than broader electronics categories like speakers, DACs, or turntables.
In market terms, Ray Tubes sits in a niche boutique / enthusiast-premium segment. It is aimed at audiophiles who care about tube rolling, system tuning, and the sonic character of vacuum tubes, not mass-market buyers. There is some forum-level skepticism about manufacturing origin and pricing, so the brand’s exact supply-chain heritage is less transparent than its marketing suggests.
See all Ray Tubes listings on RADAR.
