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Bill Cohron and the Vacuum Tube Fascination
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Vacuum Tube equipment is baaaaack! In all actuality, it never really left. It just kinda lulled for a while until audiophiles realized just what we've been missing for so many years. Now it's coming back strong with many new companies joining in the resurgence.
With this in mind, here are some really cool sites dedicated to the ubiquitous vacuum tubes and tube equipment. So dust off your vinyl and let's get analog!
In fact, here's a little music to get you in just the right the mood. Analog Man - Joe Walsh
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In order to have quality Vacuum Tube equipment, you need to be able to buy quality vacuum tubes! Listed below are a few of the companies I've dealt with when ordering vacuum tubes or related parts, listed in no particular order.
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Vacuum Tube equipment such as amplifiers and preamplifiers are available from a wide array of sources. These are a couple of the places I've dealt with and a few that I know of by reputation alone. If you like project kits, DIY Audio and VK Music are great places to look.
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Tube Depot
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Quality entry-level equipment as well as fun kits for the DIY'er
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DIY Audio Store
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A great site if you want to experiment or build your own equipment
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VK Music
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Another really good site for the DIY'er with quality products
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McIntosh Labs
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Excellent quality high-end equipment, but very expensive
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PS Audio
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Very high quality audio equipment, just don't look at the prices
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China Hifi Audio
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(See note below)
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Note: I know that some folks may be freaked out by ordering equipment directly from China, but rest assured that it's legit. I had a great experience with an amplifier I've purchased from China Hifi Audio and many highly reputable YouTube reviewers have also purchased from them with zero issues. They also have a pretty good warranty program, with warranties actually being handled in the US. To date, I am not aware of anyone having to have their equipment repaired under warranty, although a couple have had a tube go out and a replacement was sent out right away.
Vacuum Tube audio is one of those things that need to be experienced to understand the draw. You need to sit and compare equipment, side by side, to fully realize and appreciate the differences. There are plenty of vendors that offer listening environments with a wide selection of components to sample. Just do your research. This type of equipment is considerably more expensive than many conventional transistor receivers and amplifiers like Yamaha, Onkyo, Sony, Pioneer, Denon, and Marantz. What you'll find interesting though, is that a 40 Watt per channel tube amplifier has the capability to produce quality sound that would be comparable to a much higher power transistor amplifier. I can't explain it, but it just does.
When watching a movie, I certainly use my 7.1 channel home theater amplifier as it has Dolby Surround and provides the full theater experience. For music, I find I much prefer a 2 channel tube setup, even through my main speakers that I use for the home theater. I just switch the speakers between amps (I have a 2 amplifier switch box) and can change my setup instantly.
Of course, I am going to assume that if you are reading this page that you already understand the reasons for Vacuum Tube equipment. If you're new to this, then I hope this helps you out a little bit.
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If you're interested in learning more about Vacuum Tubes, here are some great resources that can help you get a better understanding of the theory and the equipment. It's a good place to start your journey into Vacuum Tube audio as well as being a fun distraction into the past.
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Frank's Tube Data
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An exceptional website with Vacuum Tube descriptions and datasheets
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Lamps & Tubes
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Another fantastic website with Vacuum Tube and Lamp/Bulb information
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B.A.M.A.
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The Boat Anchor Manual Archive - Great collection of old User's Manuals
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Radiola Guy
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A collection of old Radiola radios, memoribilia, and information
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Steve's Antiques
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Extremely fun website with tons of antique equipment and technology
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These are just a few of the many fun websites that I've visited. I hope that you find these sites as fun and helpful as I did. There are many, many more sites dedicated to Vacuum Tubes and equipment, both antique and current, which provide a great amount of history and knowledge of these wonderful devices. Please take the time to investigate these sites and if you come across any you really enjoy, please be sure to let me know so that I can add them to my list.
Good luck and enjoy!
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