Telefunken vacuum tube E88CC-TK; NOS versus brand new.

op

https://www.adorama.com/tfe88cctkq.html?gclid=CjwKCAjw8-78BRA0EiwAFUw8LK11bf0-Cy4Geg8n2lXvcYvr-x5tG5...

^^^^^what you bought -- it is a gold pin sovtek/electroharmonix made russian tube

https://tubedepot.com/products/electro-harmonix-6922-eh-gold-pin-preamp-vacuum-tube?gclid=CjwKCAjw8-...

^^^^^ same same - probably one of the best modern 6dj8 types... certainly well qc’d at the plant so as to justify the price

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just so you know op - a real german made tele small signal tube will have a 4-seamed top and usually a diamond mark on the glass circle at the bottom of the glass envelope inside the 9 pins

https://www.tubemonger.com/Telefunken_E88CC_6922_MINT_NOS_NIB_1968_ULM_Diamon_p/1190.htm

@orpheus10

you are welcome

a few other comments:

- we are in an era now, finally, where the russian and china tube makers are making very good quality and really excellent sounding products - they have been at this for 15-20 years now and they have their basic sourcing, production and qc processes pretty much in order (not to mention being savvy marketers scooping up the old dead brand names newbies read about and seek out)... so we as users can get input and power tubes that are easily the equal to old stock ones they are modeled after -- current tube makers are audiophiles with good ears too, and they are listening to what they are making...

- so when you find modern stuff you like - like your tele-labeled 6dj8 tubes - note who the supplier is and how the tubes have been graded, and as you are, get a spare set to have

- the problem with modern tube makers is how they sell their wares, especially their ’not-so-well’ qc’ed stuff... tube making is ultimately a make and sort process -- many bad ones are made with the good ones -- they are gonna blow that off quality stuff out to maximize their sales, and that’s why we need to be super careful about unknown ebay vendors or folks without sterling reputations selling certain tubes at surprisingly good prices - those should raise red flags right away

- as good as they look and sound, what is unknown about today’s good, premium tubes is their durability and longevity - these tube makers are trying to maximize profit, and are still at a disadvantage when it comes to sourcing rare and pure metals that were used in the great tubes of old, what we see are tube makes going with more sturdy inner parts to help longevity despite using cheaper/more impure metals... we shall see about this

cheers and happy listening

@orpheus10

mostly scarcity

there are old stock tubes that deliver all or most of the magic of some of the ’famous’ ones - for say half the money or less, all about supply and demand

witness 12ax7 vs 12au7, or german telefunkens vs hungarian tungsrams