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 mulveling

mulveling Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 2,072 posts 08-20-2023 at 11:49pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete Hard disagree. I have a huge collection of vintage tubes and modern Russian production are excellent, imo. Even some of the Chinese tubes are quite good. Some of the worst sounding tubes in my collection are actually vintage RCA, late Sylvania, or those Philips ECG. The old tubes were built to a higher standard of quality and consistency, I'll give you that. Even the insides of most old tubes tend to be meticulous and gorgeous. They can also take more abuse and keep ticking. But to replicate that today would be impossible due to exorbitant costs and environmental regulations. For what you get in great sound and reasonable reliability (after lots of screening) the Russian tubes are really a bargain. Our amazing sounding modern high-end tube amps and preamps exist largely thanks to affordable Russian tubes supporting that industry.
mulveling Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 2,072 posts 08-21-2023 at 06:45pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete @mulveling If mastering social media controls was a sign of intelligence, JJ tubes would sound amazing and the world wouldn’t be a toilet of moronitude. tonydennison This place is more of a web 1.0 forum / BB than it is social media. And just to be clear - you’re good with "meh, good enough" in online communication style, but not with tube manufacturing, right? Lots of guys here like to shake their fist at the clouds. It’s a wonder young folks aren’t flocking to this hobby lol.
mulveling Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 2,072 posts 08-21-2023 at 05:17pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete @yesiam_a_pirate Agree... How about Idiocrates as well for a patron? tonydennison @tonydennison If you’re going to question the IQ of modern tube makers, and decry the "meh, good enough" work ethic, it might be a better look to spend a few minutes mastering the use of block-quote formatting. You can also combine multiple quotes and responses into one comment ;)

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