Rhyno, like the late FDR once said "There is nothing to fear but fear itself".
I'll be the first to e-mail you when I have a problem with this amp but I don't expect I will anytime soon as it is very conservatively designed. It is a misconception by many that a well engineered tube amp is any more problematic than a well engineered ss design. They DO run hotter than AB ss designs and they DO require tube replacement. Some more than others depending on how hot the tubes are biased. ARC, expect to change more often. I'm betting that the output tubes on this amp will last at least 5 years since they are biased so much lower than their rated setting. Over the 11 years I have run tube amps, the problems have been almost negligible. Don't let tubes worry you. They are typically easier to work on than ss and cheaper to fix, so long as it isn't the output transformer, uh-oh. Don't have one on an OTL amp, that's good. Have a speaker whose impedance dips below 4 ohms? They don't produce current like ss, not good. So the fact is in the right application they are a very special product capable of a very special type of musical magic.
Replacement output tubes on the Transcendent would cost 160.00. Don't worry, be happy. Glad you like the Belles, sounds like a winner, but being a tube groover I must add "for ss" :^). Pair and compare and see how each fare. I sure would like to hear the bass with that 250 watt Belles myself.
I'll be the first to e-mail you when I have a problem with this amp but I don't expect I will anytime soon as it is very conservatively designed. It is a misconception by many that a well engineered tube amp is any more problematic than a well engineered ss design. They DO run hotter than AB ss designs and they DO require tube replacement. Some more than others depending on how hot the tubes are biased. ARC, expect to change more often. I'm betting that the output tubes on this amp will last at least 5 years since they are biased so much lower than their rated setting. Over the 11 years I have run tube amps, the problems have been almost negligible. Don't let tubes worry you. They are typically easier to work on than ss and cheaper to fix, so long as it isn't the output transformer, uh-oh. Don't have one on an OTL amp, that's good. Have a speaker whose impedance dips below 4 ohms? They don't produce current like ss, not good. So the fact is in the right application they are a very special product capable of a very special type of musical magic.
Replacement output tubes on the Transcendent would cost 160.00. Don't worry, be happy. Glad you like the Belles, sounds like a winner, but being a tube groover I must add "for ss" :^). Pair and compare and see how each fare. I sure would like to hear the bass with that 250 watt Belles myself.