Korg produces a new vacuum tube!

[Audio Advent]

http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2015/01/29/korg-noritake-introduce-futuristic-nutube-vacuum-tubes/


A new tube based on flourescent vacuum display manufacture, 30,000hr life and easy to mount on circuit boards. Not sure how good it will be for high-end audio though as the PR for it above seems to concentrate on the clichéd notion of valves creating a warm coloured sound good for making music rather than listening to it transparently.

Still an interesting product!

[Barry]

How does it differ from a Nuvistor?

[The Black Adder]

"The high reliability means that it can be attached directly to the circuit board with confidence knowing that it will not need to be replaced regularly like a 12AX7."

Bit of a blanket statement there, lol... Depending on the valve and the application 12AX7's can last (and are still lasting) for donkeys years. So, if it isn't broke... etc.

It looks interesting though.

[Audio Advent]

"The high reliability means that it can be attached directly to the circuit board with confidence knowing that it will not need to be replaced regularly like a 12AX7."

Bit of a blanket statement there, lol... Depending on the valve and the application 12AX7's can last (and are still lasting) for donkeys years. So, if it isn't broke... etc.

It looks interesting though.

Yeah but the 12AX7 is "broke" if you want it to fit in something small and be more robust in transit etc. It is also broke if you want a 12AX7 to run off portable battery power and the application needs it to run cool.

I thought the Nu-Vista and Tri-Vista tubes where made in the 80s as military devices resistant to EMI bursts to protect stuff in the cold war and no-longer produced by anyone, and that they were simply aquired as New/Old stock by Musical Fidelity for their products, hence their limited production runs (keeping spares back).

I want to see some in a high-end headphone amp.. but I have the suspicion that Korg will keep them to themselves and we'll be stuck with buying Korg gear and never get see DIYers play with them, nor high-end designs.