Phono Preamp

My thoughts are that I still cannot ’warm up’ to tubes any longer..... lived with them for so many years in radio gear and I just don’t want to deal with the changes due to aging and going out of spec, losing vacuum, getting ’gassy’, trying to match them, etc..... Very old technology, to me anyway. I only use tubes now in  high power linear amplifier transmitters as they are able to make a lot of output power.

I really don’t know what the fascination is with tubes otherwise.

Comparing transmitter tubes to small signal tubes in consumer gear. Literally shook my head. 

Well Mr. Audiofun,  if you love tubes, stay with them and have fun matching them and finding ones that meet spec or stay in spec a year or so later.   

I'll stay with modern SS devices.  As I said, high power ceramic tetrodes are great for transmitters, but there is a reason why the rest of the chain before the transmitter migrated away from tubes and over to SSD.   Keep on shaking your head and listening to Class A amps too.

I have one class A amplifier, the Reimyo PAT 777, three Graaf OTL’s, a set of switching amps with linear supplies (one of the top three Solid State amps I’ve every heard) and various other amps. I’m not married to one technology. 
I can easily find matched tubes, the Pvane Black Treasure MKII’s are exceptional and can easily be matched at Parts Connexxion. They have bettered all NOS 12ax7’s and 12au7’s I’ve tried.

David Bernings gear is also exceptional and the tubes last a very long time. Just so you know transistors do go out of spec. They are not magic, they can drift and often do.

Again, I listen to tubes and SS but when it comes to my Phono Stages, I’ve never heard a SS unit regardless of cost and that includes the CH Precision P1 that can outperform my Lux Eq500 or my AMR PH77 BUT, that’s to MY ears and I’m in no way making an objective finding that tubes objectively beat SS. 
Tubes have there issues, but so do most high-performing items.