Why do NOS Tubes sound better than new tubes?

Is manufacturing really that backwards in todays techno world? What is the real reason that todays tubes cannot equal the tubes of yesteryear?

tubed108-26-2011 2:39pm

marakanetz Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 5,473 posts 08-26-2011 at 07:23pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete Back then everything depended on the tube quality and stability whereas now there's an improvement of circuit engineering.
hifihvn Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 943 posts 08-26-2011 at 07:32pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete This was posted recently. You could see in the old videos how much they tried for quality. [http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?aamps&1314237934&openusid&zzHifihvn&4&&]
ahendler Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 416 posts 08-26-2011 at 08:31pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete Lots of manufacturers back then A lot of competition Now only a couple plants make tubes. No competition
tpreaves Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 2,686 posts 08-26-2011 at 08:57pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete Not all NOS tubes sound better than new ones. The ones that do are because of the reasons cited in the above posts.
dopogue Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 1,773 posts 08-26-2011 at 09:10pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete Agree with Tpreaves. I've replaced Mullard xf1 EL34s as driver tubes in my SET monoblocks with current-production Genalex Gold Lion KT77s because they sound better. OTOH, NOS tubes are often preferable. But it's not a sure thing and always worth trying the new ones.