He didn't make this tube, but it sure looks cool!
(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)A friend turned me onto this amazing video of a man hand crafting vacuum tubes. He makes every part, the metal structures, blows the glass envelope, the base, pins, everything. It's a hugely labor intensive process. I just love that there are people out there doing this sort of thing, almost the same way it was done 100 years ago.
Bryston's hand-made CD player.
(Credit: Bryston)Bryston doesn't believe automation has a place in high-end audio manufacturing. They still hand-build CD players, and their full line of preamplifier and power amplifiers at their Peterborough, Ontario factory. The BCD-1 CD player was conceived with the audiophile in mind, someone who appreciates exceptional build quality and outstanding performance.
Rather than rely on inexpensive, off-the-shelf chipsets, the Bryston player's audio circuits use "discrete" devices--individual transistors, resistors, and capacitors. Each part is hand selected and installed, every wire is cut and bent by hand, every connection is hand soldered. This strategy, while expensive to implement allows Bryston engineers to more precisely match the player's analog audio circuits with its digital-to-analog converters.
Bryston workers individually test each and every product they manufacture. Bryston claims its construction techniques are on par with military and aerospace industries. The BCD-1 is backed by a three-year parts and labor warranty and has a MSRP of $2395.
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