Vacuum Tubes Revisited

As we enter the new millennium, we marvel at the wonders of the new technologies that have made our life easier and more enjoyable. In home electronics these days, "digital" rules. From the humble beginnings of the transistor we now have everything from microprocessors to such products as CDs, DVDs, MD's, and HDTV. But many of us still remember the analog world of the Vacuum Tube, the trusted workhorse that started the whole home electronics boom in the first place.

Believe it or not, vacuum tube is not only still with us, but as a side benefit of the fall of Eastern Europe and The Soviet Union, is becoming a more common site in Western high end audio products.

With US and Asian companies firmly entrenched in production of digital solid state devices, countries that have been behind the digital curve such as Russia, Eastern Europe, and even China still have large tube manufacturing facilities and thus, have been producing and exporting vacuum tubes to the West more freely in the last decade. As a result, the high end audio market has tapped into this phenomenon like gangbusters. Many "true" audiophiles have never been completely satisfied with the sound quality and performance of transistors and integrated circuits, therefore, a niche market has opened up for vacuum tube audio equipment including power amps, tuners, and even CD players! Manufacturers, such as Audio Research and Cary Audio are also quenching the thirst for vacuum tube products with their exceptional lineup of home audio equipment. There are several print publications, including The Absolute Sound, Ultra High Fidelity, Ultimate Audio, Stereophile Magazine, and Vacuum Tube Valley that regularly present and review vacuum tube audio products.

As we enter the new century, the vacuum tube is making a big comeback with audio aficionados (or did it really ever leave?). Some say that the warm, glowing sound of a good vacuum tube amplifier has no equal. This, and the increasing profits of the Russian, Eastern European, and Chinese suppliers may insure its continued success, despite the digital revolution.

For more info on vacuum tubes check out the following sites:

Audio Electronics, a subsidiary of Cary Audio
A leading manufacturer of vacuum tube audio products, list their online product line with prices for both kit and preassembled audio products.

Electron Valve
Source for information and ordering vacuum tubes, both current and vintage.

Kennedy Tube Audio's All Tube HiFi Audio Home Page
Home audio tube product listings and ordering.

Klaus Schiffer Audio Web Page
Specifications of various audio vacuum tubes and tips for their installation and usage.

Svetlana Tube Zone<<br> Headquartered in St Petersburg, Russia, this tube manufacturer has its own website to not only list their products, but it even takes you on a pictorial view of the factory!

Vacuum Tube Logic
Manufacturer of vacuum tube preamps and amplifiers.

Vacuum Tube Valley
The journal of what's going on in the world of the vacuum tube.

Vibroworld
Distributor and seller of tubes manufactured around the world, including Russia, Eastern Europe, and China.

Feel free to email me at hometheater.guide@about.com
with your questions and/or comments.

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