22 years later vacuum tubes still available...

[ic-racer]

I realized that it has now been 22 years since USA production of Radio and Amplifier vacuum tubes ceased. The current state of the Tube guitar amplifier market is actually booming. There must be at least 100 small companies (or individuals) offering tube guitar amplifiers for sale. Demand for tube audiophile equipment is also high.

Thankfully, production of new vacuum tubes has continued in China, Russia and the Czech republic.

I can only hope that should film production cease by Kodak, other international manufacturers will continue to supply us with film for years to come and that our analog method of photography will prosper in a manner similar to vacuum tube audio.

 

[Robert Hall]

And oooh how I love those amps! (now please excuse me while I go play)

 

[removed account4]

the boxes for the russian tubes are the coolest.
a rocket ship shooting to planets and stars

 

[PVia]

Yep...I use vacuum tube guitar amps exclusively. Tubes are a little more expensive now than they used to be, but they sound great. There is no comparison...just like film.

 

[Eric Mac]

Tubes are cool

I am in the middle of a tube revival as part of my mid life crisis. I just finished a tube headphone amp and have another on the assembly bench. There is also a Dynaco 70 waiting for a new driver board to be installed.

The office Ipod is driving a Tube 6w integrated kit amp.

Most of this will be done in the fall when I can use the heat.

Eric

 

[Barry S]

Excellent analogy. My last photo show was about the links between the vacuum tubes and film. Besides the parallels in the markets, they share a lot in common in their roles as key mass media technologies.

 

[arigram]

Freaking crazy luddites.
Next they will be bringing sailboats, bicycles, brick stoves, analog clocks and classic guitars back!
They will stop at nothing to burn computers, turn the clock back and return us to the stone age!

Btw, why are vacuum tubes so good for sound?
I would really like a detailed, yet in layman's terms explanation.

 

[PHOTOTONE]

Btw, why are vacuum tubes so good for sound?
I would really like a detailed, yet in layman's terms explanation.

Vacuum tubes handle over-driving differently than solid-state devices. When a vacuum tube amplifier is driven to "clipping" it "clips" softly. When a solid-state amplifier is driven to clipping it clips abruptly with massive distortion. It is the soft-clipping that makes vacuum tubes more appealing to guitar players, as the distortion from overdriving can be controlled very well, and produce sound that guitar players like.

In HiFi audio, vacuum tube amplifiers have a "warmth" that is hard to define, but easy to hear. They just sound more "analog" and "warm", and make music played from CD's sound more analog. Some feel that a good vacuum tube amplifier can produce a sound stage that has more "live" perception, like you are being immersed in the music. It is magical, at best.

Currently, vacuum tubes (of various types) are made in Russia, a couple of former east European countries, China, and I believe Western Electric makes one or two HiFi tubes (very expensive) in the USA. Obviously, the tubes that are still made are the audio tubes still used by amplifier manufacturers, and audio tubes for classic amps. Also, some specialty radio transmitting tubes are still manufactured.

There are actually more "brands" of new tubes available than there are manufacturers. The manufacturers make custom tubes for certain vendors and the vendors put their own labels on them.

 

[jmain]

"Btw, why are vacuum tubes so good for sound?
I would really like a detailed, yet in layman's terms explanation."

In theory, an amplifier regardless of technology used, should produce a copy of the input signal but at greater amplitude. In reality amplifiers are not perfect so I believe the difference people hear is the difference in the way solid state and tube amps distort. Some people prefer the sound (distortion) of tube amps.

 

[Steve Smith]

They are great alright!

Dead Link Removed



Steve.

 

[arigram]

Thank you for the explanation.
Can I get a cheap amplifier for my small living room or are they only for the "audiophiles" with deep pockets?

 

[Steve Smith]

Vacuum tubes handle over-driving differently than solid-state devices. When a vacuum tube amplifier is driven to "clipping" it "clips" softly. When a solid-state amplifier is driven to clipping it clips abruptly with massive distortion. It is the soft-clipping that makes vacuum tubes more appealing to guitar players, as the distortion from overdriving can be controlled very well, and produce sound that guitar players like.

It is very similar to the way digital and film handle highlights.

The word 'distortion', though technically correct, unfortunately conjurs up the idea of a harsh rattly sound to the layman. Distortion really refers to any deviation from a linear response. In valve/tube terms, it is a slight deviation which can make it more pleasing to listen to..... And they look cool too!


Steve.

 

[David Brown]

Freaking crazy luddites.
Next they will be bringing sailboats, bicycles, brick stoves, analog clocks and classic guitars back!
They will stop at nothing to burn computers, turn the clock back and return us to the stone age!

As long as they leave us indoor plumbing and air conditioning, I'm good!

 

[KenM]

If you've got a few minutes to spare, check this out:

Dead Link Removed

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

I can only hope that should film production cease by Kodak, other international manufacturers will continue to supply us with film.

My sentiments are quite other: I wish Kodak to continue and that all the small and largely incompetent suppliers go belly up at the soonest opportunity. In my book the quality of product from small film producers is awful.

I am not sure the analogy holds: it doesn't take much technology to make an audio/receiving vacuum tube; the appeal of vacuum audio isn't performance but rather the lack thereof - the cyanotype of the electronics world, as it were.

 

[ic-racer]

It is very similar to the way digital and film handle highlights.

Excellent example!

 

[ic-racer]

My sentiments are quite other: I wish Kodak to continue and that all the small and largely incompetent suppliers go belly up at the soonest opportunity. In my book the quality of product from small film producers is awful.

I am not sure the analogy holds: it doesn't take much technology to make an audio/receiving vacuum tube; the appeal of vacuum audio isn't performance but rather the lack thereof - the cyanotype of the electronics world, as it were.

I suspect it is easier to make a light sensitive emulsion. Here is an example of a guy that makes vacuum tubes. Seems like a lot of equipment is needed compared to home-made film. http://dailymotion.alice.it/video/x3wrzo_fabrication-dune-lampe-triode_tech

 

[Kirk Keyes]

Thank God for the Soviet Union.

And having tried to home-make film, I figured it's easier to make vacuum tubes at home...

 

[Paul Goutiere]

The only thing I have left from the tube days is a "Williamson" designed mono amplifier. It weighs in at about 40 lbs and will produce about 20 watts of audio.

I began with tubes, (as a electronics tech) and still like the concept of the simplicity of the tube amplifier designs. I'm of an age where trying to discern the sound "quality" of tube or solid state would be ridiculous.
I cannot see where any well audio designed system, tube or solid state, would have any measurable advantage over the other, but I'll leave that discussion to others.

 

[Andrey]

Are there any tube systems left on the market which you can purchase new?

How much do they go for? I don't really know much about tubes, except that I liked the sound of a custom built setup my dad had a long time ago.

 

[gminerich]

They sound cool !!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[AutumnJazz]

The crazy audiophiles that buy tube amps use old tubes that are no longer made, because they "sound better" than the new ones.

If you ask me, it's all expectation bias.

 

[ic-racer]

Are there any tube systems left on the market which you can purchase new?

How much do they go for? I don't really know much about tubes, except that I liked the sound of a custom built setup my dad had a long time ago.

In the OP I mentioned the 100 or so manufactures of guitar amps that make and sell NEW amps. Most NEW tube guitar amps are in the $1000 to $3000 USD range. You can make a nice kit for less than $1000 UDS. Don't know how many tube audiophile amps are available new. I don't follow those that closely as the circuits are different and they can use different current production tubes than guitar amps.

 

[Paul Howell]

The crazy audiophiles that buy tube amps use old tubes that are no longer made, because they "sound better" than the new ones.

If you ask me, it's all expectation bias.

Maybe, but my old Grundig, tubes and all still sounds better than digitial. An old RCA Red Lable played on the Gundig has a warmth and depth that digital lacks. It be the wooden cabnit has well as the tubes. But flipping a vinal record over every 20 mints is a pain.

 

[eclarke]

MIG 17s and MIG 21s are equipped with vacuum tubes instead of chips....the planes will still function in an atmosphere of nuclear flux while the chip driven planes we fly won't!!!..EC