Yioryos, you state,
"Technology gets better and I don't accept the theory that we no longer can produce equal or better tubes".
If most cases, that is true. However, tubes are essentially obsolete except for specialized applications (radio frequencies & graphite plate tubes used in industrial heating.) In addition, even during the heyday of tubes, matching and testing of tubes for audiophile purposes was unknown.
So how many buggy, gas lamps, or ice-box (precursors of refrigerators) manufacturers do you know of? OBSOLETE! And what about asbestos insulation? NIX! Chemicals and manufacturing procedures used years ago by tube manufactures would be banned by OSHA, due to the hazards encountered. Chemical purity needed for the cathode coatings, are no longer available or cost-prohibitive. Don't forget, tens of millions of general application and military tubes [non-R.F.] were produced annually. The transistor, and later the integrated circuit, made tubes obsolete for almost ALL of their previous applications.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of hucksters and thieves trying to make a "quick buck" of the NOS craze. NOS tubes will produce a marked sonic improvement. Also, NOS power tubes are non-existent or price prohibitive. As Seadzz implies, fortunately you will get more "bang for the buck" on line level and driver tubes.
You might want to check out Vintage Tube Services for some first rate and reasonable priced NOS tubes. In my opinion, Andy at V.T.S. is the best source and reference in the NOS business!
"Technology gets better and I don't accept the theory that we no longer can produce equal or better tubes".
If most cases, that is true. However, tubes are essentially obsolete except for specialized applications (radio frequencies & graphite plate tubes used in industrial heating.) In addition, even during the heyday of tubes, matching and testing of tubes for audiophile purposes was unknown.
So how many buggy, gas lamps, or ice-box (precursors of refrigerators) manufacturers do you know of? OBSOLETE! And what about asbestos insulation? NIX! Chemicals and manufacturing procedures used years ago by tube manufactures would be banned by OSHA, due to the hazards encountered. Chemical purity needed for the cathode coatings, are no longer available or cost-prohibitive. Don't forget, tens of millions of general application and military tubes [non-R.F.] were produced annually. The transistor, and later the integrated circuit, made tubes obsolete for almost ALL of their previous applications.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of hucksters and thieves trying to make a "quick buck" of the NOS craze. NOS tubes will produce a marked sonic improvement. Also, NOS power tubes are non-existent or price prohibitive. As Seadzz implies, fortunately you will get more "bang for the buck" on line level and driver tubes.
You might want to check out Vintage Tube Services for some first rate and reasonable priced NOS tubes. In my opinion, Andy at V.T.S. is the best source and reference in the NOS business!