Northern Electric Tubes

[xander]

Does any one have a web address for the Northern Electric (Tube Company)? They allege to be in Canada, are they? Seems even their US distribution can't come up with a URL or even product data sheets for some of the tubes they carry. Such as their 6SL7. Their 7025/12AX7 in my headphone amp is quite nice. Though I wonder where these tubes come from. Thanks.

 

[pucho812]

12ax7 data sheets are available online, while not for that specific brand they are for the 12ax7. Same goes for 6sl7

 

[xander]

Thank you, pucho812. I do have those for both tubes. It's just odd that the distributor has no links to mfg nor any specs what so ever.

I did find this at: www.thetubestore.com - Northern Electric Audio Tubes

"The original owners, Bell Canada and Western Electric, formed this company to produce telephone and audio equipment including vacuum tubes. Western Electric licensed their designs, processes, and technology to Northern Electric for the first fifty years of their production.

We are now re-introducing this classic brand and bringing to you the highest quality audio tubes possible. We are working together with a small, foreign tube manufacturer to produce exceptional high quality versions of common audio tubes. And while this manufacturer is not well known, they are the “Ferrari” of tube manufacturing and design. The manufacturer’s immaculately clean factory houses state of the art and high precision equipment. All of the design and production is overseen by a living legend in tube design, Zhe Shen Liu.

Upon arrival in Canada, each tube is rigorously tested in a three-stage process for noise and electrical functionality. Tubes passing this are then printed and packaged for sale with an extended 6-month warranty.

We are excited and pleased to present our new reissue Northern Electric audio tubes." [Emphasis added]

"Upon arrival in Canad": - From where?

The Tube Store's own brand, "Preferred Series," is noted to be mfg'ed in the Shuguang factory.

From: Preferred Series 7025 Audio Tubes - www.thetubestore.com

"The Preferred Series 7025 is a high quality 12AX7 tube type. This tube is a reproduction of the highly regarded and sought after Mullards from the 1960s.

This 7025 is a high quality and very rugged custom 12AX7 tube produced for us in China by the Shuguang factory. The plates are manufactured out of a premium metal imported from Germany and supported with extra thick mica spacers to insure against microphonics. They are burned in and tested at the factory and then again on our digital high voltage equipment to make sure the tubes selected for you will provide outstanding tone and performance..."


All that aside, their tubes so far are favorable sonically and low noise. So for now I'll have to follow old specs. Though with all the professed and audible improvements I feel like I'm leave money and performance on the table.

 

[fazer]

Seems like you need to be or were a communist country to make tubes these days. If elements and spacers are made from the right rugged refined materials, the tube should be good or good enough. NOS tubes are all getting pretty old these days.

 

[JohnRoberts]

There is a significant Chinese community in Canada. I recall years ago buying some PCBs from a Canadian PCB company, only to have the PCBs arrive shipped from China.

JR

 

[PermO]

Wasn't this the factory where the talented engineers left to start their own company ?

Or was this company the result of that ?

I'm not sure, but something happened there...

 

[xander]

Yes, @PermO. Zhe Shen Liu was Shuguang's top engineer. On eBay you can see that the Shuguang and Psvane tubes both use the same names for their different grades of tubes; Natural Sound (-T suffix, the top grade) and Treasure (-Z suffix, second tier grade). As it turns out, "The Tube Store" in Canada carries or maybe carried the Shuguang brand and has their own brand, "Preferred Series" OEM'ed by Shuguang. The Tube Store hasn't had most of the Shuguang tubes in stock for months. While the "Northern Electric" brand is the growing brand at The Tube Store and on eBay.

All that while in early Feb of 2021 Psvane lost their primary distributor and investor (the name of the distributor/investor escapes me at the moment).

 

[xander]

A person known as "Mr. S. J. Li." founded a high end tube company. "Linlai."

From their website:
"The Uniqueness of [LINLAI™ Global] Tubes:"

"Tubes bearing [LINLAI™ Global] logo are engineered, produced and carefully screened to exclusively meet western music listeners’ preference:"

"LINLAI™ is a brand name, and it is a phrase taken from an 2000-years-old ancient Chinese poem, praising ‘the Beauty of Music’."

"Li had been spearheading production for Shuguang tube factory, Guiguang tube factory (later bought out by Psvane), Psvane tube factory throughout his career, and now proudly running his own tube brand & factory – LINLAI™, in Changsha City, China. He took along a group of loyal followers from both Shuguang and Psvane and they share the spirit of entrepreneurship together. Li is also the key personnel involved in Psvane’s acquisition of TJ Full Music’s small signal tube production line after TJ Full Music founder passed away in his 80s."

At this time they do not have public spec sheets for any of their tubes. LINLAI™ Global Vacuum Tubes – [Official English Website for Worldwide Audiophiles]

Though I have yet to discover the actual OEM for "Northern Electric" nor ""Preferred Series" (The Tube Store's brand).