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Tired of Problems with Tube Equipment

I switched over to tube audio equipment in some form some years back, and have certainly enjoyed music played back through them. I have had amps, preamps, and DACS at different times utilizing tubes. One unfortunate thing that's been common to all the tube equipment I've had are problems. It doesn't seem to matter whether the manufacturer is large or small, built in the USA or overseas, they all have had problems. Capacitors blowing out, bad solder joints, tubes only lasting a short time, loud pops that mysteriously go away on their own, etc. Although I have enjoyed the sound (and that beautiful glow!), I am starting to get tired of this and thinking of going back to solid state.

Have any of you also gone back (or thought about it) to solid state for this reason? What has your experience been with the reliability of tube equipment?
smeyers
viridian's avatar
viridian
4,184 posts
 
One of the wags that manufactures tube gear said that solid state is like a stuffed dog, no mainenance, no grief. But a tube amp is like a real, live, dog. Once in a while it poops or pisses on the rug, needs to be taken to the vet and has to be walked, fed and loved. There's room in this world for real and stuffed dogs. I'm stickin' with the real ones for now.
newbee
4,093 posts
 
If you like the sound of SS stuff, don't fret just buy it. If you don't particularily like the sound, but you think it will last forever without maintenance, and that is important to you, buy it. When it fails you can just believe it is some sort of abboration and you've been unlucky.

The thing I don't like about SS other than the typically dry sound (to my ears) is that the only thing you can do in creating system synergy is to keep buying new stuff 'til you get so frustrated, or broke, that you convince yourself that 'this is as good as ss gets' and compromise.

When I hear SS stuff that produces the same sound as tubes I be standing in a long line I think............I'm tired of all of the fussing too. :-)
tvad
9,467 posts
 
BMW cars are like tube gear.

Both can be high maintenance items, yet both can provide lots of enjoyment that makes their potentially inordinate maintenance issues/costs worthwhile.
tvad
9,467 posts
 
A couple of years ago, I bought new (demo) speakers that I thought were tube friendly. This was based on several reviews I had read, and on comments from some audio friends.

Turned out the speakers were not tube friendly to the degree I wanted.

Still, I like the speakers, so I ended up buying Class A solid state amplification that matches well with the speakers.

Having said that, if I had to do it all over again, I'd buy tube friendly speakers (knowing much more now about this issue than I did two years ago), and I'd drive them with tube amps. I still might use a solid state preamp, though. Not certain...

This whole adventure is a learning experience, isn't it?
avguygeorge
2,300 posts
 
Well like many threads;this can have a life of its own.
So, I can just post my own thoughts for comparison. I have had at least 10 tube class a,a/b amps. Two of these being CJ brand, the 5's and 8's. My 5's blew about 25 fuses in 4 years (bias resistor fuses) The 8's not so many but similar problem. Sure; thee tubes were the main cause. I owned the Music ref2 the biasing pots went South,twice. A Jadis 7 mk4 also went So. to the tune of a near 1 thou,repair. Many other tube amps I only kept for 6/12 months w/ no repairs.
My overview would read like a resume for wives/girl friends;--some are worth it some not. I guess each of us has a different tolerance for such.
I now use the CJ 350,a SS design. This is the best amp I have owned and I only have to push the "on" button.
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