Or lets say, I think its sad.
After their IMO heroic attempt at bring the Blackburn factory into the next decade with new production advanced valves, they appear to be doomed.
http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.u...60.Historic_Blackburn_firm_in_administration/
So close, yet so far.
After their IMO heroic attempt at bring the Blackburn factory into the next decade with new production advanced valves, they appear to be doomed.
http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.u...60.Historic_Blackburn_firm_in_administration/
So close, yet so far.
Otherwise New Sensor will buy up the Techtube logo
Would it be worth it ? Techtube hasn't been going long enough to create an market impact. It means nothing to me.
Makes me wonder what new tubes are actually being produced and what supplies are propped up from surplus NOS. Looking at the corporate math, no way can UK labor costs compete with the ex soviet and FE. Simply a fact. I still maintain by the time I retire with this present dum financial crisis there will be 5 tube types produced and probably no more.
richy
sigh, time to move to the SS forum
Like filament light bulbs gradually being phased out, Solong tubes exist, and remaining preference stock I have; NoWay am I going to shift my listening habits to sand. Who is currently making what ? The picture isn't clear. The annoying thing is it's getting harder to bulk purchase within the EU and the US is often preferred. why is this so ?
richy.-
Sadly this was somewhat predictable, a single niche product that was overly expensive and very, very late to market.
I am a little surprised to hear that they had so many employees, seems rather like the cart before the horse.. The way I have it figured you have a small R&D staff, limited management and marketing until you have developed a viable product, but maybe I am all wet..
12AX7/ECC83 derivatives need to be cheap enough for the MI industry to pick them up, and unfortunately this was not the case here. (The many flavors sold by New Sensor are largely the result of demand for new amps and retubing older guitar amplifiers.)
Probably the reason that tubes are easier to buy in bulk in the USA than in the EU is that the one of the largest ex-Soviet producers (Expo-Pul aka Saratov) is American owned and controlled. Mike Matthews understands the market well and is a tough and scrappy businessman.
There is still a fair amount of production in China and Shuguang apparently has started making the 211, 300B and 845 again after a long, apparently earthquake induced hiatus. I have noticed that prices are much higher however.
I am a little surprised to hear that they had so many employees, seems rather like the cart before the horse.. The way I have it figured you have a small R&D staff, limited management and marketing until you have developed a viable product, but maybe I am all wet..
12AX7/ECC83 derivatives need to be cheap enough for the MI industry to pick them up, and unfortunately this was not the case here. (The many flavors sold by New Sensor are largely the result of demand for new amps and retubing older guitar amplifiers.)
Probably the reason that tubes are easier to buy in bulk in the USA than in the EU is that the one of the largest ex-Soviet producers (Expo-Pul aka Saratov) is American owned and controlled. Mike Matthews understands the market well and is a tough and scrappy businessman.
There is still a fair amount of production in China and Shuguang apparently has started making the 211, 300B and 845 again after a long, apparently earthquake induced hiatus. I have noticed that prices are much higher however.
My take for what it is worth is that they were trying to sell a commodity tube at audiophile prices. If, due to political and market conditions in the UK, they needed to make high priced tubes then they should have concentrated their efforts on making a tube that would appeal to those who have the money to spend. Still a shame though.
My take for what it is worth is that they were trying to sell a commodity tube at audiophile prices. If, due to political and market conditions in the UK, they needed to make high priced tubes then they should have concentrated their efforts on making a tube that would appeal to those who have the money to spend. Still a shame though.
I agree completely, they should have probably focused on a reissue of one of the renowned British DHTs as their first product and offered it on both the original British 4 pin base as well as the widely used UX-4 base. Perhaps someting like the PX-4 or the PX-25 would have been a more viable choice, and as TJ already makes these types there would have been some established market to sell into.
The ECC813 was a device largely in search of a market IMO. Too expensive for the one place where it could have been adopted in large enough numbers to make it a viable product. (Guitar amps.)
Reading the article cited in an earlier post it seems like this outfit must have been burdeoned with a very high overhead - unionized shop and all. They apparently missed payroll last week, around here they would have been in receivership before that happened. (I know from unfortunate direct experience.)
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Maybe the Bendix 6900 would have been a good tube for them to , as they could have sold it at a price much less than it is selling for now ($150+) if you can find it. It is supposed to be a fantastic sounding tube so I think they could have sold many at their 12AX7 price. This would have given them money to produce other tubes such as rarer NOS power tubes that command higher prices too.
Sounds like they had way too many employees for sales they would have had anyways, as their 12AX7 was way above a lot of decent NOS tubes in price.
Maybe someone will see this site that has the money to keep factory going!
Group Buy?
Randy
Sounds like they had way too many employees for sales they would have had anyways, as their 12AX7 was way above a lot of decent NOS tubes in price.
Maybe someone will see this site that has the money to keep factory going!
Group Buy?
Randy
sigh, time to move to the SS forum
Well, I agree that it's sad news... but then again, who has bought a new CRT based anything in the past few years?
While they only managed to get one tube type out the door, it was seemingly aimed at the guitar amp market. I can't possibly fathom how this would make one want to abort the tube forum and go SS... but then again to each their own.
I only own 1 pair of new manufacture tubes... EML-45 solid plates. They just sit in the box as they simply don't perform as well as NOS 45s and are highly sensitive to mechanical vibration. My NOS supply will easily last me for the next 4+ decades, so I'll stick around ;-)
Regards, KM
sigh, time to move to the SS forum
I tried... I built a very tube-like ss amp.. single ended, no feedback, current source, class a.. With all top quality components. Best SS amp Ive ever heard.. Then I did a side by side w/ my SET.... well. it was a fun trip through SS land, but I'll not be trying it again...
I know what you mean, but strict application of that principle would eliminate valve based circuits totally! All you would have is mass produced feedback stabilised solid state systems.
Personally, I suspect the users of thermionic valves (and the implied ecosystem of transformer winders, socket/hole punch purveyors, capacitor sculptors and associated crafts) could be compared to the Giant Panda.
Hang on-- some of us haven't given up yet. Those who continue to use tubes in MI equipment are actually holding alot of businesses together. It may shrink but a surviving core will exist.
richy
Remember as well that as disappointing as this failure is it was not un-anticipated and none of the currently extant major producers have gone belly up - if anything the breadth and depth of new tube audio gear being produced particularly in China makes it likely that most of the few remaining firms will continue to have sufficient customer base to remain viable into the far future.
Realistically this venture IMHO did have a chance in Hades of pulling this off, unfortunate as that may be. Too many missteps along the way, and a faulty premise at the base of it all. AND that has nothing to do with the technical merit of their product.
Realistically this venture IMHO did have a chance in Hades of pulling this off, unfortunate as that may be. Too many missteps along the way, and a faulty premise at the base of it all. AND that has nothing to do with the technical merit of their product.
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