Why Can't Modern Tube Manufacturers Make a Proper Tube?

Current tube manufacturers, at least the ones I have tried should be utterly ashamed at their ineptness, apathy, ignorance, or whatever it is that makes them seemingly unable to make a tube properly.

And I never knew what I was missing before I tried reclaimed tubes from the 1950's, an era where people build things instead of ruining things.

The present manufactures are said to have the actual machinery to make tubes for which they have examples in hand and schematics on file, but they just can't do it.

Is this a case of Idiocracy? Are people just stupid today? The world and all creation do follow the 2nd rule of thermodynamics so I guess this is the case.

Listening to Black Plate RCA’s and Mullards in my system, even for a short time made it glaringly obvious that modern manufactures are embarrassingly inadequate. There is absolutely no comparison.

Why can't modern tube manufacturers make a proper tube?

1. lack of IQ?

2. Apathy?

3. Lack of Materials?

4. Lost knowledge?

tonydennison08-20-2023 5:44pm

Showing 3 responses by ghdprentice

ghdprentice Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 7,402 posts 08-23-2023 at 11:26pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete @pindac I must disagree that tubes have had their day in high end audio. Certainly from an overall perspective… consumer goods… etc. But in high end audio a number of companies attempted adoption and backed off because they could not reproduce with solid state designs the realism and musicality. Audio Research for instance, tried to us solid state and ultimately gave up. It is more like the advent of CDs and the renaissance of vinyl. I believe the vinyl renaissance is coming to an end, but not the tube. At some point solid state will surpass tubes in the high end. But it is likely to be two or three decades away. I am living in the moment and want the best sound possible today… for me tubes provide that. It is also true for an awe full lot of folks with deep experience in high end audio.
ghdprentice Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 7,402 posts 08-21-2023 at 05:10pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete @nonoise +1 Takatsuki are very fine tubes! Highly recommended.
ghdprentice Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 7,402 posts 08-20-2023 at 08:18pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete I guess we use different tubes. I have 50 tubes in my current systems, and have used tubes for decades… although less in number. I got a whistle in a tube a few years ago after several years of use and had on tube that died upon arrival. The rest have performed flawlessly for there entire life or are still in use.

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