tubes or no tubes

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

I use to own all tube equipment in the 80's ,went to solid state about 1990 to 2004,and crossed back over to tubes this year never to cross back again.My ears were so pleased when I crossed back to the other side.I have an ARC VT-60 and I will never look back again.

I had very good tube amps over the past decade. Cary slm-200's, Wolcott Presence 220's, and as of a week ago the Manley Neo-classic 250's. I never could deal with the 3 month tube failure syndrome so I was turned on to the Jeff Rowland Model 6. I thought this would be a lateral move but it turned out being another dramatic improvement. My speakers are the new Von Schweikert VR-7SE. The manley's were a joke compared to the Rowland. Manley's had half the bass and no where near the highs. They just couldn't control these speakers and left the sound on the bright side. Maybe its sonic compatability. The difference must be the higher current. The manleys were 250 watts and the Rowlands are only 150 which loses me