What do you see as the downside of tubes?

you won't be going back to ss anytime soon imo...buy an amp that's fused so you don't have to send the unit out for repairs (or learn to solder) anytime you short a tube & keep a backup set of killer tubes around for those occasional hiccups...enjoy

buy an amp that's fused so you don't have to send the unit out for repairs (or learn to solder) anytime you short a tube

There is no guarantee that a fuse will go before a tube blows a resistor or fries a circuit-board trace. The ARC VT130 that I owned years ago and the CAT amps that I own now both have fuses but damage can be done long before the power line fuse ever knows there is a problem.

F1a, not smoking anything, must be the second hand smoke from fellow audiophiles burnt tubes. Seriously, as Fpeel noted, nothing I posted hasn't been reported before.

I have both types of amps in my living room. I find the biggest problem with my CJs are the fact that I can't leave them on 24/7 playing music like I do my solid state system.

Heat is another matter. In the winter time, there is enough heat that the furnace doesn't turn on. Which leaves the rest of the house cold since the thermostat is in the same room as the tube amps.

In the summer time, the AC runs all the time when they are on. So, in addition to spending extra electricity money to run the tube amps I also spend even more money to remove the heat from the room. So, in the summer I either don't use them or just turn the AC off. I live in the Bay Area in CA, so you have an idea of what I mean.

Yeah, I do have to replace tubes but that is less $$ than buying a phono cartridge and about equal to having my speakers surround replaced. Actually, now that I think about it, the cost is way less than the money I spent on CDs that I don't listen to because they are such bad recordings. I don't see cost as a big issue for the tubes.

But, heat and limited on time is a biggie. On the other hand, the sound is so much better than my Class D home theater system that it is worth it, really.

sorry jafox, i should have been more specific...power tubes are fused & yes I've owned ARC where a shorted power tube took out a resistor. i can understand the CAT & ARC purist approach but not particularly user friendly imo.