Telefunken vacuum tube E88CC-TK; NOS versus brand new.

   "........they may not be audibly better than a new tube coming from the same factory."           What factories exist, that were owned by the reputable manufacturers (ie: Telefunken, Mullard, Genelex, etc) whose names ALONE have been purchased?          Perhaps I'm missing something.

Only similarity is the name, which was purchased.     Whether you’d appreciate the differences, between what you own and NOS 6DJ8/E88CC iterations (there were many manufactured, over the years) by Tele; no one can possibly say, but you/your tastes.        Telefunken has always been acknowledged as one of history’s preeminent tube manufacturers.      It’s no surprise; some find it profitable, to purchase names like Genelex/Gold Lion, Mullard, Telefunken, etc and ride along on their reputations of excellence.

Telefunken never had a factory, or-manufactured a tube, in Slovakia.   All of their assets, during their vacuum tube production years, were located in Germany.      There is no, "same factory".      The name/logo wasn’t even purchased/licensed, for use in the USA, until 2000.     It was well after that, JJ (et al) contracted to make tubes for ’Telefunken Elektroakustik’.    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telefunken#:~:text=Locations%20and%20manufacturing%20plants,-FE%20I%20....      I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with their tubes.      BUT- they’re NOT Telefunkens, in anything but name/logo.

I’m glad there are still companies out there, making tubes for our gear, wherever they may be located.      With enough variety to satisfy most tastes, in sound/presentation.       Even some that competed with the clarity/purity and quality of NOS Teles.       Although; the admission to that ballpark was a bit steeper.              ie: https://www.technologyfactory.eu/en/eat/tubes/eat-cool-valve-ecc88-6dj8-selected/a-1086-10000258                   I hated to see, those have been discontinued.                  Happy listening!

@melm- Upscale Audio tests and rates their tubes for noise, as do some of the other tube mongers.     Look for his, "Platinum" rating, for the quietest.                  https://upscaleaudio.com/pages/grading-matching     Brent Jessee’s noise testing procedure, about half way down this page: http://www.audiotubes.com/6dj8.htm       Can’t go wrong, with either of those sellers.

While searching for three matched pairs of early Sixties (grey shield/external date code*) Siemens CCa’s, for my BAT CDP’s output stage, I purchased a matched pair each, of the same generation/iteration E88CC and E188CC (only those found with close balance between triodes and high mA, etc).     As most probably know; the CCa was a specially tested/selected, low noise designation, used by the German and Dutch Post (more on the link).      Bottom line; they all sound almost identical, in the CDP (low noise not being as critical).        Nice thing about these 10K hour tubes; they just continue to test very closely balanced, between triodes and their matched-pair partner, after ten years.       Makes them worth every penny, in my estimation.                 *The silver shield/internal date code CCa’s always sounded too zingy, to me, whether in my ARC SP-9, SP-14 (when I owned them) or- the CDP.                  https://www.tubemuseum.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=SH%5FCCa%5Fsingle                                Yeah: low supply and high demand (there’s a reason).

@orpheus10 - If you get to try Frogman’s Teles, please: post your impressions.

The primary reason for my confidence in stating that, if not for the lower noise floor of the CCa Siemens, the E88CC and E188CC's all sound virtually identical, is the fact that the BAT CDP has allowed me to hear every nuance, of every tube auditioned.   That always held true by changing just one pair, out of the three pairs it takes.     The personality of the BAT was changed dramatically (not a statement I make lightly, or- often), from the Sovteks that were stock, with any NOS tubes I tried.    The closest I ever came, to the presentation of the Siemens CCa, was an early Sixties, Amperex Navy, 7308, pair.    But; they warmed thing up, a bit more than I like.   Bottom line, regarding NOS Siemens; if you want the transparency, texture, freq extension (in both directions) and ambience info recovery of the early CCa (what buyers have valued about them and Teles, for decades): the 88's and 188's will deliver, for a lot less $$.    If you need super low noise (for pre or phono), have them tested.