[Double-A]

Hello, I wasn't exactly sure where I should post this thread, so I posted it in a few different subforums to get the most views and, hopefully, the most diverse range of answers. I was wondering what manufacturers are out there making new tubes that are high quality. I know that most users here will tell you that you should try to find a nice NOS tube, rather than a new production item, but I'm still curious, nonetheless.

I've been reading mostly good things about the Genalex Gold Lion. Are there any other companies that make quality new production tubes?

Thanks,
Alec

 

[phaeton70]

if you are asking high quality, not so many IME....

I would say EML , KR Audio , Elrog , Takatsuki, those make the finest tube today. I consider these high quality, comparable to the best NOS.

then there are all the brands of the NewSensor group made in the russian Saratov factory (Electro-Harmonix, Genalex, Mullard, Sovtek, Svetlana, Tung-Sol, and others .... basically all using the same technology). quality sometimes is decent, but in general far fom the level of the finest. I consider these medium quality.

similar quality of the NewSensor tubes are the JJ Electronics, made in Slovakia.

and then there are all the brands of the Shuguang group made in the chinese factories (at least 5 factories, maybe more) that are tipically the cheapest (Shuguang, Natural Sound, Treasure, Shuguang Electrical Replica). I consider these medium to low quality.

a special case is the Hengyang group (all the Psvane flavours), the quality of these tubes strongly depends on the actual factory they are produced in. there are at least 3 different factories in China producing these tubes (Guangdong, Jinzhou, Nanjing). depending on the factory, I consider these tubes to be medium to good, but never at the level of the finest.

of course, everything above is just IMHO, and based on my experience, so YMMV (especially depending on the actual amplifier used... tubes neer sound alone)

 

[Double-A]

Thanks for the in-depth response.