Play It Again

A Spark Audio worker produces audio amplifiers in Zhuhai, China, on Friday. Spark's components use glass vacuum tubes instead of the usual transistors. Produced in China, Russia and the Czech Republic, these archaic devices, once a mainstay of the electronics industry, are now primarily used in high-end audio equipment, where they are prized for their warmth and musicality.Aug 11, 2004

PHOTO: EPA