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People who are Irrationally Afraid of tube amps

Recently I've had a tube amp For Sale on this site. It's a well respected, great amp from a major mfg. I've owned it for 3 years, with absolutely no problems, only enjoyment. I'm only selling it because I sold the speakers I used it with, & my current speakers are a lot more power-hungry. And it's the 2nd tube amp I've owned, my first being a really early model VTL ST-85 that was several years old when I bought it, then I had it for 5 years, & the only problem I had in all that time was replacing a fuse once. And I know almost nothing about electronics, but I learned how to use a multi-meter & successfully biased & replaced tubes in both amps.

Here's the thing: Almost every person who has written to me about my amp for sale asks a zillion questions, you know the routine, e-mails back & forth, then finally says they are too freaked out at the possibility of replacing tubes someday to buy it, whining about the (relatively modest) expense, etc. (And my amp has new tubes!!). Now, these queries are from presumably experienced A'goners because most of them have a large no. of positive feedback ratings here. I mean, we're not dealing with the average shopper at Circuit City, presumably.

My questions are: 1. Why do experienced A'goners waste so much time shopping for tube gear if they're freaked out over the potential traumatic effect that replacing tubes may have on them someday? There's plenty of SS gear FS if that's what they want. 2. Why do many even relatively experienced audiophiles still believe in the "tube hassles" myth? 3. Are there no tube afficiandos who are willing to put up with a minor inconvience every few years?

I feel like putting a warning in the next ad I run for a tube amp: WARNING: THIS DEVICE CONTAINS HIGHLY VOLATILE "TUBES", WHICH MAY BLOW AT ANY SECOND & COULD DESTROY YOUR ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD! USE AT YOUR OWN PERIL, PREFERABLY IN A NON-POPULATED AREA. EVEN IF THEY DON'T KILL YOU, THE TRAUMA OF REPLACING THE "TUBES" SOMEDAY COULD REQUIRE YEARS OF PSYCHOTHERAPY, & MAY BANKRUPT YOU & YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY.

Well, at least that might discourage the "tire kickers". Now, if I could just afford those Cary 805C mono-blocs I've been wanting for years........& thanks for listening to my rant!
steveaudio
tubegroover
2,320 posts
 
Eldartford - Both you and Allan are correct, nothing comes remotely close to reproducing the realism of a living breathing piano, ahhh a Steinway Grand in the home, I envy you!

So far as good recordings and not necessarily performances, Nojima plays List and Nojima plays Ravel on RR are both excellent but probably a bit too reverberant as are most of Reference recordings but very good performances and sonics. I have the vinyl of both.

As best as I can tell "Fatha" on Realtime which is an M&K subsidiary is about as good (realistic) a piano sound as I have heard recorded. It is a direct to disc recording made in 1978 a year before Earl Hines died. A great performance as well and highly recommended, especially on vinyl if you can find it. If not, try the CD version which can be ordered directly from M&K (Miller Kreisel).

Another superb recording(s) but mediocre performances are the Wilson Recordings "Razzmatazz" by Mark P. Wetch. There are 3 volumes of some of Ragtimes great pieces performed on a modified upright grand. Very live, realistic piano sound. For further selections check out the thread "Amazing piano solos" under music. I use the Hines recording as a reference when evaluating gear. The dynamics are staggering and about as close to real as I have heard on a recording but still far short of your Steinway.

Here is the link http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?gmusi&984287002&read&3&4&
twl
3,251 posts
 
Eldartford, try the LP Direct to Disk of "Jun Fukamachi at Steinway" if your cartridge can track it. I think it is a Japanese Toshiba Pro-Series recording. This is one of the most lifelike piano recordings I've heard. But fair warning, the dynamics are enough to jump many cartridges right out of the groove, or at least cause major mistracking.
slappy
903 posts
 
This thread has more tubes than the USS Eldridge

hehehehehe

--==Poof==--
fathom7
57 posts
 
This thread points out some of the classic arguments. There are technophiles involved discussing the relative harmonics of ss vs. tubes and others who are listeners. The goal of your system is YOUR goal, not necessarily someone else's. If the object is objectivity, then perhaps there is a nod to be given to ss over tubes (based on what I read, not necessarily what I enjoy).

Tubes provide a sound reproduction quality that I find irresistable and not at all tiring. My goals in system building are to optimize that which I can afford both on an economic and personal interface level (read this last as WAF).

I've attempted to optimize ss gear and had success for the system I was listening to at the time. However, for my personal enjoyment -- tubes are my preference. There's no judgement here, just personal preference. There are other aspects that come into play as well -- from the hobbyist perspective I can roll tubes whereas I do not have the ability (skill, talent whatever) to "roll" rectifiers and capacitors or whatever else you could do. Thus I have the added bonus of expanding my hobby into alternative areas. All with the same goal in mind -- to reproduce sound that pleases.

This does sound like "I don't know about art but I know what I like" and I'm OK with that. The pleasure I obtain from hearing voices floating in air in front of me as I listen to the music I enjoy is sufficient justification for my preference in equipment.

Great discussion. Thanks to all who offered the input.

F7
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