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? 

 

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How large is the tube market today compared to the 1950’s and are current manufacturers sufficiently profitable to be able to invest in improvements to their manufacturing processes?

I think back in the day, Americans and Europeans had the attitude "Do it right, or don't bother. And I think thats a good view to take.

 

New Tung Sol efforts are good. Toxic materials used in the last century not used today. Look at the deteriorated quality of home-building now compared to the 50s.

Noromance nailed it lots of the materials and processes used to make tubes back in the day are illegal now and horrible for the environment. There's no going back for very good reason.

Luckily I live in a 50's house. Built to last. Made by actual craftsmen that cared.