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Your tube preamp and ss amp thread

Last night I was listening to my tube preamp and my tube mono blocks, noticed an imbalance in the sound, and as usual I traced it to a tube problem in the mono blocks. Luckily, I also own a ss stereo amp as a 'backup'. IME, ss amps tend to be a lot more reliable than tube amps. Nonetheless, I would be interested in how many other folk run a tube preamp and ss amp combo, and if so, what are your choices.
128x128daveyf
wolf_garcia
6,695 posts
 
I specifically mentioned home audio, and the guitar player analogy relates to the reliability of tube gear in general, with professional tube amps seeming far more reliable than solid state. Guitar players play clean and otherwise and generally put gear through much more abuse than pampered home amps. My experience is with both a home audio hobby and a pro gear career. 
fiesta75
1,378 posts
 
I totally disagree with the tube reliability. SS is more reliable in both use options. I don't pamper my SS, run wide open sometimes with 6 kW output, 42 years old, only changed caps.  
daveyf's avatar
daveyf OP
2,871 posts
 
Most guitar players I know, including myself, utilize tube amps for the simple reason that we want a tube amps distortion capabilities, along with the clean channel. Not because we believe the tube amps to be more reliable. YMMV.
coachpoconnor's avatar
coachpoconnor
380 posts
 
Pass XA25 with Linear Tube Audio MZ2. I’ve enjoyed this combo more than the Supratek.
jl1ny's avatar
jl1ny
418 posts
 
Pre-amp:
PrimaLuna Prologue 3 running all NOS tubes. 
Power amp:
Audio Research D400 Mk2.
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