tubes or no tubes

Personally, I have McIntosh tube gear. I don't have any of the above mentioned problems other tube guys talk about. My MC225 was built in 1966 and still has ALL the original tubes. Sounds excellant. I have a MC240 from 1968 that has EH output tubes, the others being original. I still have the GEs for "critical" listening, since they still test fine and sound a bit better. I have an MC275 "reissue" from 97 that has the McIntosh labeled KT88, Svetlana tubes and other Russian built inputs. It is the best sounding and quietest of them all. (It has printed circuits, the older ones are point to point.)
My C22 reissue pre-amp has all McIntosh labeled Chinese built tubes. It sound excellant, too. And quiet!!
Any tubes you get in a Mac or from the Mac Service Department meets the stringent McIntosh specs. Period. If it does not, they don't sell it to you. I understand other companies relabel the "seconds" for their products and, of course, the "seconds" also turn up at retail locations, and auction sites. What, you think they just toss them out?
You get what you pay for. You may want to consider older McIntosh tube gear. It does have a lot of positive attributes. Hey, I don't even have to mess with bias adjustments! More time for MUSIC.....
One final thought: I gave up on SS. TUBES RULE!!

Many people who are unfamiliar with electronics initially react to tube
gear as if it were some obsolete technology that is only appropriate for
hi-fi geeks with slide rules in their shirt pockets.

Tube preamps, tube DAC's and tube tuners are for the most part no
more likely to break or require maintenance than solid-state gear, as the
small signal tubes in those components pass very little current and can
last for many years. Tube power amps require a bit more upkeep, as the
output tubes, which do pass a lot of current, do eventually require
changing, and this involves biasing the tubes, but biasing is usually very
easy (as noted above, some tube amps are self-biasing, which means
the only maintenance required at all is changing the tubes when they
wear out, which is about like changing a lightbulb).

I believe it is a myth to say that solid-state gear is inherently more
reliable or a safer purchase than tube gear. Tube gear essentially
becomes a brand-new component when the tubes are changed. People
who think transistor gear is "buy it and forget it" forget that
solid-state gear can break, and when it does, getting it running again is
not as simple as just replacing a worn tube -- the component has to be
fixed. In fact, some big-name solid-state power amps as young as ten
years old cannot be fixed at all when they break, as the output
transistors used in them have gone out of production and are no longer
available.

Of course, buying really well-made tube gear generally makes ownership
easier, and audio is absolutely like everything else -- you tend to get
what you pay for. VAC, CAT, Air Tight and Audio Valve, for example,
make bullet-proof tube gear. As for me, my main system features a
solid-state CD player, solid-state preamp and phono stage, and tube
monoblock amps. My second system features a tubed DAC, which has
the original, now ten-year old tube in it and sounds better than ever.

I do not think that "tube or solid-state" is the issue. I would
strongly suggest to any newbie that he/she make decisions about hi-fi
gear on the basis of sound quality and business reputation of the
manufacturer, the latter point being very important because most high-
end hi-fi gear is basically hand-made in tiny production runs and even
in the case of well-known brands, usually not backed by what most
people would consider a "company". Like yourself, I owned a
Bryston amp (4B-ST) for five years, as it is an honest, good sounding
product that probably
won't break and can be fixed if it does break.

Gelmherst...buy your tubes and be happy (don't worry :)

Try to find a current production amp from a good company, one that doesn't require any real maintenance or tricky biasing etc. Most amps have quick and easy biasing procedures and some are auto-biasing.
Tubes will last for ages and operate at peak performance for the majority of their working life. Even when a tube passes it's so-called expiration date, it will still be delivering 99.9% of it's performance and in most cases you won't hear any hint of diminishing sound quality. People who sit and worry about how many hours they have on their tubes and are they really getting the best sound....well they're mostly closet SS people and have other more serious problems to worry about, like integrating with society!

I had a CJ CAV 50 for a couple of years and the most I did to it was reset the bias every 3 months - 2 minutes with a screwdriver. I owned a 40 year old Leak Stereo 20 that worked perfectly and never needed biasing.
Of the many amps I've owned, SS and tube, I've had a problem with one tube amp and one SS amp, so it's all even on the maintenance front for me.
Check out Conrad, Cary, VTL, Manley or even ARC (there are others).

Everyone should experience tubes in their system at some point. To resist the temptation is futile and foolish.....It's like eating peanut butter sandwiches and never trying them with jelly!

Rooze
PS - I must fess up that I currently have a tubed preamp but a SS power amp, but it's a temporary inconvenience that will be rectified sometime soon!

Thanks everybody, for the great feedback. I will be putting my SS up for sale in a few weeks, and seeking a tubed alternative. I can't wait !

Gelmhirst Hi.
Here is my experience:I am into the hobby for years,I don't claim to be the high-end authority,just learning from my mistakes .My first high-end powr amp was a ML 27.5 SS.It was bought new and it was so expensive for my low income at the time that I had to finance my purchase.I was all smiles from ear to ear.Roll forward a number of years later and I found myself wanted to try tubes as I was reading more and more about it in the magazines and such.Anyway I was making by then way more money and bought a CJ MV55.From the minute I listened to that little tubed power amp I was hooked,like WOW.Music to my ears.Sure my Levinson is much more powerfull but NOT as musical and mind you the ML27.5 is one mighty SS amp.A classic and one of the best that came out of Madrigal Labs.These days I use my 27.5 to drive the bass on my Aerial 10T while Rogue Audio M150's(tubes)are pushing the mids and highs.My CJ MV55 is in a secondary system.
Do yourself a favor and try Rogue Audio or any other reliable manufacturer that designs tube power amps,if music is high on your list.For the record I particularly enjoyed Raquel and Rooze posts,couldn't have said it better myself.
Best
George