2. amps-preamps
  3. 161464-150037

Audio Research preamps EXCESSIVE OPERATING COSTS

Soooo disappointing.
So you want to use in home theatre mode.  Get ready to pay up to operate.   The tubes stay on and when family uses system 10 plus hrs a day for tv and videos, the tubes burn away.  Most of the 8 tubes have life of 4000 hrs and cost $150 per tube to replace.  Over 5 years operating costs could approach $5000 or more.  And this excludes wasteful elec costs of $100 to $200 per year for bulbs running without being used.   Sooooo disappointing.


I called audio research and they confirmed all this.  Further, they lacked any sensitivity to theses issues.  Seemed kinda arrogant.  

Sooooo disappointing.
emergingsoul
emergingsoul OP
972 posts
 
Two issues here:  I am considering a purchase.  Don’t own arc.  Next, I will explore a cheaper tube,  but I saw them from a tube seller for more than 100.   Very expensive when replacing 8 tubes.
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,653 posts
 
Very expensive when replacing 8 tubes.
@emergingsoul  Its unusual to have to replace all the tubes at once! Tubes have really variable service lives. Some will go a few hundred hours and others will go 20,000 hours.
luxmancl38
580 posts
 
I never use HT-Passthrough. W/my Bryston I hook up the Balanced connections to my Krell Showcase. W/the RCA's I connect the amp to my Luxman CL38U-SE. When I had a CJ ET-3 SE I did the same. All I had to do was hit the switch on the amp and turn on the preamp I was using. Saves on tube use.
emergingsoul OP
972 posts
 
Luxman
do you share an amp between processor and stereo preamp?

Can u do this? Sounds creative.

Thanks for more info.  
daveyf's avatar
daveyf
2,838 posts
 
Considering a tube product..basically of any kind, that will be left on 100% of the time and utilized for HT is NOT a great idea, IMHO. 
To then question the fact that the tubes will age more rapidly than if one where to use a ss piece, seems a little 'crazy' to me. No wonder ARC were not that receptive!
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