I'm also sorry to hear this news, Spingbok10.
I have had 6AS7G and 12SX7 tubes go bad on me. The 6AS7 continually builds up blue gas inside until they pop (and REALLY violently), which relieves the pressure. Then, the whole thing repeats. The fuse arrangement provides no defense. However, neither the amp nor my speaker was damaged in the slightest way. Replacing the tube corrected the situation, and bias was still spot on.
This being the only 6AS7G go down on me, I have been fortunate. Others have told me about the potential, ala the Soviet era QA/QC mindset. This being the reason several at the old ASOG site developed means of testing, run in, and burn in for the tube.
The 12SX7GT would send a really disconcerting pop through the loudspeaker at turnoff. Ralph's initial diagnosis was an output tube, but after going through each, I was still experiencing it. Trying the same thing with the input tubes found the culprit. I'm just glad it wasn't a capacitor or some of the other things we discussed.
For the record, I have never had a 6SN7 go bad on me.
As far as ceramic, in this case, alumina (Al2O3) drivers go, despite being very hard, they are brittle. It is not unknown for them to be easily damaged via shipping, handling, and now this reason. The one advantage a more conventional paper or polymer driver would have in this situation would be their compliance and resilience.
I have had 6AS7G and 12SX7 tubes go bad on me. The 6AS7 continually builds up blue gas inside until they pop (and REALLY violently), which relieves the pressure. Then, the whole thing repeats. The fuse arrangement provides no defense. However, neither the amp nor my speaker was damaged in the slightest way. Replacing the tube corrected the situation, and bias was still spot on.
This being the only 6AS7G go down on me, I have been fortunate. Others have told me about the potential, ala the Soviet era QA/QC mindset. This being the reason several at the old ASOG site developed means of testing, run in, and burn in for the tube.
The 12SX7GT would send a really disconcerting pop through the loudspeaker at turnoff. Ralph's initial diagnosis was an output tube, but after going through each, I was still experiencing it. Trying the same thing with the input tubes found the culprit. I'm just glad it wasn't a capacitor or some of the other things we discussed.
For the record, I have never had a 6SN7 go bad on me.
As far as ceramic, in this case, alumina (Al2O3) drivers go, despite being very hard, they are brittle. It is not unknown for them to be easily damaged via shipping, handling, and now this reason. The one advantage a more conventional paper or polymer driver would have in this situation would be their compliance and resilience.