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Why Can't Tubes Be Mass-Produced Cheaply?

I often read that old tubes manufactured from the 60's or earlier are collectible items and often much sought after, and new tubes are not as valuable. Reasons cited are that these older tubes are a rare species, and they often sound 'better' and hence the hefty price tag on them. I am puzzled as to how these older tubes are different from the new ones and why they are better-sounding. Why can't technology today produce tubes that are similiar in quality to those in the yesteryears, or even better them? After all vacuum tubes, electron tubes or valve tube(where they call it in Britain) are electronic components made up by plates and filament. What happens if these old tubes become extinct? Why are there still so many of these old tubes available for sale although it has been almost 4 decades since they were manufactured? I mean once these tubes have run out of life they will basically be disposed off.

Pardon my ignorance as I cannot seem to find any discussion on this matter elsewhere. Any opinions would be much appreciated.
ryder
ryder OP
946 posts
 
Thanks for all responses. Now I understand why tubes manufactured in the 'golden' era can no longer be the same again.

Sometimes it strikes my mind that in an event the old tubes come to an extinction, there has got to be a source to produce quality tubes that are comparable to the golden era although manufacturing skills have eroded due to small market today. Or maybe the rare tubes from the 60's are still in large numbers and won't go into extinction any time too soon? At the end of the day, I guess everything will come to an end, and the limited(sic) number of good old tubes will be depleted in due time.
dan_ed
2,451 posts
 
Don't sell current production tubes short. In many cases these can be as good and even better than high dollar NOS tubes. There are always exceptions, but I have found that the NOS tubes I have tried ended up rolling off the highs and/or lows.
sidssp
1,077 posts
 
Dan_ed,
Be careful when you buy NOS tubes. Many so called NOS tubes for sale are actually used tubes. Perhaps that is one of the reasons you experienced roll off highs and lows.
dan_ed
2,451 posts
 
Thanks, Sidssp. That is good advice and probably true for some of the small tubes I've tried. However, some of the NOS power tubes I've tried were purchased from very reputable dealers. Some of these have a wonderful mid-range but offer this at a cost to the top and bottom. In other cases the NOS tubes were just fine but the new production tubes are just as good for a lot less money. Other folks I have discussed this with have had similar experiences. I think it is also a function of the gear and personal preferences. It is hard in this discussion to keep from generalizing and I don't mean to discourage the use of NOS tubes. Rather, I'm attempting to offer some hope to tube lovers who may be becoming disheartened by the price of some of the more popular NOS tubes. For many applications there could well be a very good current production tube that won't take a second mortgage to buy.
greggdeering's avatar
greggdeering
45 posts
 
Fro Dan_ed ,

I agree, but that middle is so important, there is some reality to be gained and some beauty lost. Top extension invites harshness, particularly with vintage gear. I will occasionally de-Mullardize my system to find nuance and sacrifice some of the beauty. The beauty may not represent the sound of real music, but it's seductive none the less.

There is another thread about sound, amps and measurements, can we not measure a tubes midrange? I thought not.

Gregg
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