Solid State vs. Tubes - What if Transistors came first?

"You don't have to know anything about engineering to understand this- its purely economic. If tubes were really inferior, they'd be gone, but the marketplace keeps them around."

Not many major electronic products seem to use tubes anymore. Not even in this minuscule "audiophile" world. I would dare to say that, even as dependent on electronics as it is, an average Western world household does not have one single tube inside the house/apartment. What the heck, make it any world. It is pure economics, indeed.

Tubes may be surviving as a niche product for a few enthusiasts and that is who they are being made for. They have not died, despite them actually needing replacement quite often, because there is a market for them and that market is negligible when talking about economy. There are many products that survive because of people who cherish them for whatever reason despite significant flaws. Tubes are one of them.

I am all for tubes, but saying they are not an obsolete technology is a bit of over-optimistic stretch of imagination. Ask anyone younger than 40 about tubes. Chances are they will not have any idea what you are even talking about, much less have ever seen or used one.

That post by glubson just set the all-time record for the number of Strawman arguments. I counted at least twenty.

glupson wrote

09-12-2018 12:05pm
"You don’t have to know anything about engineering to understand this- its purely economic. If tubes were really inferior, they’d be gone, but the marketplace keeps them around."
Not many major electronic products seem to use tubes anymore. Not even in this minuscule "audiophile" world. I would dare to say that, even as dependent on electronics as it is, an average Western world household does not have one single tube inside the house/apartment. What the heck, make it any world. It is pure economics, indeed.

Tubes may be surviving as a niche product for a few enthusiasts and that is who they are being made for. They have not died, despite them actually needing replacement quite often, because there is a market for them and that market is negligible when talking about economy. There are many products that survive because of people who cherish them for whatever reason despite significant flaws. Tubes are one of them.

I am all for tubes, but saying they are not an obsolete technology is a bit of over-optimistic stretch of imagination. Ask anyone younger than 40 about tubes. Chances are they will not have any idea what you are even talking about, much less have ever seen or used one."

Oh and this same sentiment was said for the lowly LP..... Where is the CD today compared to LP’s? Tube’s, like vinyl is in its 2nd renaissance. We have more tube production today than at any point since the learly 70’s. People that care to listen without bias can easily hear that tubes are superior, when designed properly. Ask John Curl. I talk to John from time to time still and he is quite open about this fact. I will be seeing him in Denver in the Parasound or Constellation room during this coming RMAF and if you would like to attend you can ask him and find out for yourself. He is as open and honest as the day is long.

It is a simple mind that only sees what it wants to see.

"People that care to listen without bias can easily hear that tubes are superior, when designed properly. Ask John Curl."

Some of us, me included, would not argue about sound signature of tubes as often being much more pleasing. However, I would prefer to ask maritime51 and kosst_amojan for their opinion first. Just so I do not become a simple tube-admiring mind that only sees what it wants to see.

"Tube’s, like vinyl is in its 2nd renaissance."

That is undeniable. However, it is not that hard to go up when you are starting at the bottom. As far as vinyl renaissance is concerned, some might say that Park Slope kids have something to do with it. You know, those guys on Peugeot bicycles. Nobody there is older than her/his bicycle.

CD did go away, it matured and became files in your computer. That is called evolution.