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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
rhljazz
1,117 posts
 
And it's easier to get a burger at the drive thru @ Mc Donalds than sitting down @ Red Robin. A boring Toyota Camry takes less maintenance than a drivers car like a 3 series BMW.

So my point is, some things in life are worth the hassle. BTW just because it's solid state does not make it reliable. Witness all the reports of capacitor failures on ML gear and others. Everything needs maintenace or breaks at some point in time. Get over it.

Would I switch from my all tube systems to solid state, no way.
mrjstark
1,112 posts
 
That is just plain silly. :):):)

With your luck I wouldn't come near any kind of audio components (and definitly •NOT• mine).
tvad
9,467 posts
 
I have owned a fair amount of tube equipment: preamps, amplifiers, and sources. None have had any problems other than normal tube issues.

Troubleshooting and finding quiet tubes can be a hassle, but it's worth the effort to many people.

The only amplifiers that I have owned that are worthy of replacing tube amps have Class A topology.

I have not owned a 100% solid state preamp that has been worthy of replacing a tube preamp, or in the case of what I presently own a solid state preamp with a tube power supply. However, my experience with solid state preamps has been limited and has not included any state-of-the-art units.

I will shortly be auditioning a SOTA solid state preamp, so we'll see...

Anyway, the answer to your question is that the tube equipment I have owned has been reliable: VAC, Lamm, Moscode, Atma-Sphere, Modwright.
rlwainwright
1,901 posts
 
Take a good look at Butler's tube/MOSFET hybrid amps - sweet tube sound coupled with the balls of the MOSFETs. And, because he is running the tubes at only 5% of their rated output, the tubes are supposed to last more than 20 years.

www.butleraudio.com

-RW-
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