Germanium is still coveted for audio usage at least. Not for audiophiles per se, but musicians, especially guitar effects. It definitely sounds a different than silicon, and it's also more "lively" and unpredictable.
I have a Fuzz Factory, and that baby can definitely scream and squeal like none of my other effects. But it also sounds different from night to night with the exact same knob settings. All my other effects, I can make a marking for where to line up the knob, and visually spot-check before a gig, but the Fuzz Factory I have to audibly test. Things like room temperature, age of the strings or length of my input cable even seem to make a difference!
I have a Fuzz Factory, and that baby can definitely scream and squeal like none of my other effects. But it also sounds different from night to night with the exact same knob settings. All my other effects, I can make a marking for where to line up the knob, and visually spot-check before a gig, but the Fuzz Factory I have to audibly test. Things like room temperature, age of the strings or length of my input cable even seem to make a difference!