very specific to designer, the tubes, tube grading and the genius of the designer and the engineering culture of the firm. Roger Modjeski ( Music Reference ) and Gordon Gow ( good old Mac ) come to mind…soft start, tight regulation, a deep understanding of the published specs and adhering to operating envelope ( or knowing where to push or trade - Modjeski in particular a genius there…see Burning Amp for a taste ….. ( rca handbooks invaluable as a…starting point )…. tubes in preamps designed by above sometime see 10 k hours. i just replaced a set of 6H in a modern ARC w 4,730 hours….i test every year…
have fun…
have fun…