Some tubes sound better than others in each individual application. Why? No clue.
Tubes, cheese, wine and cognac
Perhaps, similar questions have been earlier be posted.
I cannot explain why old made tubes should sound better, do they really sound better than new made ones? Or are tubes similar to wine and cheese and need time to get better?
What kind of tools or knowledge was available in 50s, 60s and 70s that is not available?
(Can Egyptian pyramids be built now?)
I didn't try any NOS old made EL-34 tubes in my amp. So far, tried five different new made tubes , including Mullard, Gold Lion and Tang Sol Russian replicas. None of them have more than 10 hours or so. So far, Tang Sols are the best , Gold Lions, which were considerably more expensive are notably worse, Mullards sound the worst in my system. I didn't try Psvane yet, perhaps i will do that in near future. There are a few Chinese reissues, including UK El34 and El 34ph, the latter ones are twice more expensive. They put the tubes in nice boxes like chocolates and sell them more expensive.
But would NOS tubes sound much better?
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As jond is alluding to, there were materials and processes for tube making in their hay day that are now known to be hazardous. So it follows that whatever those specific processes/materials were, made for a superior tube, among other factors such as superior quality materials used back then because of competition and volume. |
@jond @thecarpathian have your answers. Metals and materials played the big part. On the other hand some modern tubes can sound better in certain applications but they will not last longer. Please note also that component manufacturers voice their gear with modern tubes in mind. |
This is true. However there are some current production tubes that are very high quality with commensurate cost. I can personally attest to the construction and sound quality of the EML tubes manufactured in the Czech Republic. I purchased a new pair of the EML XLS 300b in the spring of 2013. I have used them very regularly (9.5 years) and they tested strong on an ampltrex tube tester 6 months ago. They continue to sound superb. So, depending on commitment and resources, very high quality tube production is fortunately still possible. Charles |
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