The heat of tubes...

I completely agree with you; I love looking at my amps too Paul, but my wife is not as much of a fan. Since my listening room is our living room I agreed to compromise (my marriage is more important than my system, shocking as that may seem). In fact, I think that was the subject of the thread where the gentleman posted about hanging his amps in the basement (though I don't recall that was his reason for doing so). They were Pass Labs Aleph 2's as I recall....out of all the BORING looking Solid State ("boat anchors") out there, I must say I do like the look (and the sound) of those Aleph's as well (used to have an Aleph 5). I prefer tubes though, and wouldn't mind looking at Cary 805's myself. I've brought this one up before, but if you want to see works of audio art above and beyond anything you've likely seen before; http://www.electronluv.com

So, as a further response to Paul's observation: I guess you could have some really great photographs done of your 'hot' components (contact myself or Albert Porter for that), and frame them and hang them in place of the real thing (which can then become the space heater for your basement or closet)!

Aha, found the other thread on this same subject...it is here:

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?htech&1049165373&openusid&zzJax2&4&5#Jax2

Subaruguru was the gent who hangs his Alephs down in the basement (see his post to the above thread)

Although I've never been bothered by the heat of my tube amps in the summer - the AC's usually on anyway here in DC*, where it's almost always hot and humid during July and August - I would be wary of keeping my amps in a closet; I'd much rather that they make me a little hot, than for me to allow them to run in an environment even hotter still, which will rapidly degrade their operating lifetime. If the amp(s) can raise the temp of a whole listening room a few degrees, think how much higher they'll raise it in a small confined closet. Ventilate, ventilate...

*[Good grief, I can't believe it took me two long years to arrive at that inadvertant bad pun of abbreviations for air conditioning, The District of Columbia, and alternating- and direct-current!}

I also notice the SMELL of tube amps...caps, resistors, transformers.

I like listening to music in shorts and a T-Shirt.
I have no problems with that. And my cartridge is always right on temperature.