[AMRadio] Chinese TOOBS...Epilogue

[Donald Chester]

>One note of interest: the current Chinese 211 seems to behave every bit as 
>well as anything vintage >from the U.S.A., per comments from one user...
>
>I guess it's all just a matter of time...I recall as kids we used to laugh 
>at anything that was marked >"Made In Japan" --- and look at what's 
>happened since then...

I recently examined a couple of Chenese 211's at table at a hamfest.  
Physically, they looked pretty much identical to the originals.  Didn't ask 
how much, since I have a lifetime collection of oniginal spares for my 
homebrew rig that uses them in the rf driver stage.

They are making 203-A's too?

Once they master the techniques of thoriated tungsten filaments, they should 
be able to produce tubes just as good as the old RCA's, at a fraction of the 
price.

Of course, even if the Chinese products end up with the quality, consistency 
and durability of originals, audiophools will insist the originals have a 
"warmer" sound, so the price of vintage triodes  isn't likely to decrease 
any time soon.

Wonder how long before I can start buying Chinese 211's, 204A's and HF-300's 
at Wal-Mart.

Don k4kyv