Tube vs solid state (with all apologies)

then why do tubes claim certain life expectancy?



Those are usually just an average, it can be less or more depending on how the circuit is designed. I have a preamp that uses two 866a rectifier tubes that will last decades until the filament burns out.

@sokogear

Old stock tubes should last 10-20 years… especially in audio gear. Even being hauled around in guitar amplifiers (a rough life) they can last that long. Preamp tubes are sensitive to being beaten up and sometimes become microphonic. Rectifiers either work or don’t… but have minimal impact on tone. Power tubes driven hard or bias’d hot have shorter lives.

modern made tubes suck by comparison, almost regardless of the brand stamped on them. Both in tone and longevity btw.

@smolder - so if new tube amps use new tubes because they can't get a quantity large enough to standardize a model design with old stock, that further adds to the cost and complicates things as you need to shop for tubes as well.

All the more reinforcing my SS decision, not to mention the heat they produce, not being able to leave them all the time so you have to wait until they warm up to sound up to snuff, etc. etc.

I think they are fine for hobbyists who like to tinker, but they are not necessary for highest quality sound and certainly not for simplicity of operation.

@sokogear

no disagreement here. Fortunately, I have boxes of tubes (many are for tv’s unfortunately) that my father passed on when he retired. SS is surely the low maintenance way… which is what prompted the original question. Listening to my mc2100… it’s easy to hear a warmth that my Adcom does not have, in spite of both being SS.

Of course there is tremendous SQ difference among SS amps, just as with tubes, just that tubes will be substantially more expensive for a similar SQ.

I have no problem with tinkerers - I can't even fix my bicycle.