Tubes for Cal Audio Labs Alpha Processor

I've had an Alpha for about 15 years - tube longevity has never been a problem for me. Tube selection has always been made based on ancillary equipment and speakers. I like a clear neutral tone, one that if it errs at all errs on the warm side. I'm presently using EI12AX7E (grey plates/steel pins).

I've also never had any problem with tubes in my Alpha.

For sound, the best I've encountered so far are Sylvania 5751's.

Michael

The tubes fail because people turn their units on and off, this being hard on the tubes. I've owned a Sigma II for almost fourteen years and ran it 24/7 until it went into a second system in a little-used second apartment six years ago. It just went back into my system last week to decode signal from a Wadia IPod dock - it sounded as good as ever - I had never changed the original tube - but I had some extra tubes laying around and an hour to kill, so I finally retubed it, if only for the hell of it.

Most people do not understand what gear should be left on 24/7 and what gear needs to be turned off when not in use. Generally speaking, turn off tube amps, Class-A biased solid-state amps, and maybe tube preamps with tube power supplies (depends on preamp). Leave everything else on 24/7, including any tube gear that uses small-signal tubes, like tube preamps with solid-state power supplies (that's 97% of them), tube DAC's and tubed CD players, and tubed tuners. If you insist upon turning off digital gear, sell your system and buy yourself a double-wide.

Mr N- I should have mentioned: You'll never appreciate what your Alpha ia capable of unless you try NOS tubes in it. Nothing currently manufactured can come close to the reproduction of the tubes I listed(except perhaps this one: (http://www.musicdirect.com/product/73403). You'll think you upgraded the DAC.

I also have never had a tube fail in My alpha and use a NOS Tesla ECC 803S a very nice tube but now use a NOS GE 5751 and think it sounds a little better. The GE tube is dated 1957 NOS 5751 a little less gain than a 12AX7 but the alpha has so much gain that I like the 5751 tube and it is a little sweet sounding a good thing with digital. Marc My alpha is about 11 years old with the 24/96 upgrade