2. amps-preamps
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What do you see as the downside of tubes?

I have decided on getting a tube amp and it will be the integrated Mastersound 300B driving a pair of Living Voice Avatars, so at least that decision has been taken.

My main question is what you see as downsides of having a tube amp. As I've decided on getting an integrated tube it's really about what the downsides are I might want to know about beforehand.

The ones I'm aware are the following.

-The tubes need to be replaced and in the case of a 300B this will be somewhat costly.

-Bias is another issue but I'm not sure how big an issue. Do you plug in your meter every so often or just when you roll tubes or replace a dead one? The meter as such isn't gonna be a big issue as I don't think it's that expensive.

-Heat won't be a big issue as we have no kids nor a nosy dog that could get burned. Hope my electricity bill isn't gonna go through the roof, but then again, I can't quite imagine that.

I'd appreciate if you could add whatever your experiences are regarding this question are as I'd like to know more before I buy it.

Thanks
krauti
tvad
9,467 posts
 
You've hit all the primary points:

1) Higher operating cost due to tube replacement and increased AC draw
(unless you're coming from Class A solid state, in which case the AC use will
be comparable if the wattage of the amps are similar). 300B tubes are among
the costliest to replace.

2) More hands-on maintenance: biasing, checking and replacing tubes (be
sure to purchase a tube tester). Biasing is easy.

3) The amp's sound will slowly change as the tubes age, versus a solid state
amp's sound remaining constant. You may or may not notice the change in
sound over time.
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
I mostly agree with Tvad's item 3. The constant uncertainty detracts from enjoyment.
kurt_tank
1,188 posts
 
In regard to your item no. 3, (i.e. heat):

Don't forget that in addition to the worries about kids or pets getting burned by the hot tubes, that the heat from the tubes may increase the ambient room temperature several degrees, to the point that you might be uncomfortable sitting in your room after a couple hours of listening to music. This is usually only an issue though in the summer months, as in the winter you will actually appreciate the (rather costly) space heaters!
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