Have a look at the scale and professionalism involved in the manufacture of tubes in the Blackburn factory , early 1960's .
Anybody saying that the New Production - New Sensor or JJ tubes can compete with these - is seriously deluded . This was the height of tube production , where tubes were used in all fields of electronics , like electronic test equipment , medical equipment , military equipment , computers and more . Of these , there are many "Special Quality" equivalents to the various ECC8x types . Some offering longer life (10 000 hours instead of 5 000 hour rating of standard types) , greater ability to withstand vibration by sturdier construction , low noise and low microphony . Some designed to be extremely linear in operation , especially types designed for lab equipment . Now ... are these not the types you'd want in your "high-end" tube amplifier ?
The Russian Military types - OTK - are also not to be scoffed at . During the 2nd world war Philips provided the Russians with jigs and manufacturing equipment and taught them how to make tubes , dope cathode materials , manufacture good filament wire etc. At this point in time Philips were at the forefront of tube production and technology , they also either 100% owned or partly owned most European production houses , even some American companies .
New Sensor new production includes : Mullard , Tungsol , Svetlana , Telefunken "Black Diamond" , Sovtek (I am unsure as to Electroharmonix being part of the New Sensor group)
Chinese Production includes : Golden Lion (supposedly Genalex) , Psvane and others
There are some very good new production tubes , but you may have to take a 2nd bond to afford them : KR Audio , Takatsuki , Elrog and some others
Anybody saying that the New Production - New Sensor or JJ tubes can compete with these - is seriously deluded . This was the height of tube production , where tubes were used in all fields of electronics , like electronic test equipment , medical equipment , military equipment , computers and more . Of these , there are many "Special Quality" equivalents to the various ECC8x types . Some offering longer life (10 000 hours instead of 5 000 hour rating of standard types) , greater ability to withstand vibration by sturdier construction , low noise and low microphony . Some designed to be extremely linear in operation , especially types designed for lab equipment . Now ... are these not the types you'd want in your "high-end" tube amplifier ?
The Russian Military types - OTK - are also not to be scoffed at . During the 2nd world war Philips provided the Russians with jigs and manufacturing equipment and taught them how to make tubes , dope cathode materials , manufacture good filament wire etc. At this point in time Philips were at the forefront of tube production and technology , they also either 100% owned or partly owned most European production houses , even some American companies .
New Sensor new production includes : Mullard , Tungsol , Svetlana , Telefunken "Black Diamond" , Sovtek (I am unsure as to Electroharmonix being part of the New Sensor group)
Chinese Production includes : Golden Lion (supposedly Genalex) , Psvane and others
There are some very good new production tubes , but you may have to take a 2nd bond to afford them : KR Audio , Takatsuki , Elrog and some others
