What do you see as the downside of tubes?

And late at night I'm back to check on this thread :) Mrtennis, you have a point there. As tube amps allow us to roll the tubes and try different things it is hard to optimize the system as there is quite a choice of tubes out there.

The other side to that argument is that with SS amps I don't have have the freedom of simply purchasing a set of tubes to change something. I actually have to roll the amps so to speak to achieve the same result. Needless to say, some tubes will cost me the same as an amp and that need to be taken into consideration.

As this thread has been going on for a bit now I'm glad to say that my decision to go with tubes and namely the Mastersound 300B intergrated is unchanged.

Thanks for all the great input and I mean all of it. Yes, most everything can be measured, but at the end of the day it comes down to what we perceive as good sound.

I personally don't believe that one needs to spend $10000 to get a good tube amp. In fact I listened to the Mastersound Due Venti again today and the smile on my face was big. The price tag was way below above mentioned number and yet I smiled.

Bummer, maybe I have a problem by not being able to hear the $7000 difference. But hey, the good part is that I can buy a hearing aid to help me and have money left over for a better amp. Hmmmm, if only I had that $10000 :(

Thanks folks for making this a great thread, well, at least to me it was, or should I say is as I'm still right in it.

What are the downside of tubes?

I think the greatest downside is that some people simply expect too much from tube amps.

They want the tubes so they can experience a wonderful liquidity in the mid range - but then are annoyed at the lack of vice like control over the bass.

They want the tubes to experience a wonderful 3D vocal image - but then are annoyed that the soundstage does not extend up to a mile behind the front speaker plane.

They want the tubes so they can enjoy a wonderfully smooth and unfatiquing reproduction to the music but then are annoyed that some of the details are missing and resolution does not seem to be of the highest possible magnitude.

They want the tubes so they can tweak the sound by 'tube rolling' but then get annoyed that the price of some most desirable NOS tubes are going through the roof - and after the same tubes are fitted - they still have not achieved the musical 'shangri-la'.

The downside to tubes is not really the physical characteristic of the tubes themselves or when placed in a circuit what they contribute or do not contribute to the sound. Rather, the downside to tubes is the unrealistic expectations that some audiophiles continue to attribute to them.

Krauti- Here's an informative article that will give you some idea about the presentaions of various 300Bs: (http://www.stereophile.com/features/229/) Pay attention to the paragraphs concerning burning them in before critical listening. Many attempt to integrate tubes and their systems, without first doing sufficient homework. When the expectations aren't met; they get frustrated. What a surprise!! A well thought out, tube based system(that includes your acoustic environment) can bring you very close to the pleasures of live music. Here's a 300B that wasn't available when the above article was penned: (http://thetubestore.com/eat-300b.html)

Kiwi-I think I would have to disagree with your view on bass and I am wondering if you have any experience with
tubes more than just listening to a friends system or auditioning
My question is based on "control over bass".
I consider control over bass as being a accurate reproduction with all the related properties that go along with it;and a tube amp is certainly capable of doing this
at least in my system and experiences.
I don't consider this as a downside over tubes.

Krauti-I was wondering what is drawing you to this tube as I have never heard one.