margins and high costs?
VTV: It’s difficult to say. The consumer can FORCE better quality, by pressuring the OEMs who build amplifiers to buy better tubes and to demand the use of quality-control specs. I don’t see that happening because it will increase prices. It’s amazing to me that any new glass tubes are still being made. The number-one production glass tube is the 12AX7, with perhaps 1 million+ made per year. All of the 12AX7s currently available seem to have shorter lifespan than classic NOS, due to this cost conscious attitude of the OEMs who purchase them. Until the end-users get sick of changing low-hour tubes and demand better, this situation will continue. TQR: We suspect that a lot of guitarists would enjoy getting back into tube hi-fi.
