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Can one have too many tube components in a system?

Especially if one has sensitive speakers? For myself with ZU Omen defs, I have to keep an eye on the gain of the amps I choose since my BHK runs tubes. If gain is too high, tube hiss becomes an issue. However, I see people with tubed amp, tube pre, tubed phono pre, tubed dac......doesn't the tube his (just like tape hiss every time you copy a tape over and over) intensify with every component? Or to pull this off one needs less efficient speakers?

aberyclark
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,308 posts
 

It’s the overall tube amp design and implementation that normally matters for sound. Not # tubes.

Where # tubes matter is when one starts to go bad. You have more tubes to test and verify in order to isolate the issue than otherwise. So in general more tubes means harder to maintain over time.

markpao
519 posts
 

I had mostly all tube gear (amp, preamp, cd player, phono amp, headphone amp) with very efficient speakers for several years, never had tube hiss issues.

fiesta75
1,378 posts
 

Yes you can. I love efficient speakers like Zu but not tubes.

jim5559
604 posts
 

I have been a tube freak for 50 years , must out there is scam and 

the best there just plain old .  Even just laying  there for 50 years has its effect .

I have to to give in to D .

dodgealum's avatar
dodgealum
1,404 posts
 

Depends upon the quality of your tube gear and properly functioning tubes, particularly with higher efficiency speakers. Using all tubes in front of 96db speakers and all is dead quiet. ZOTL LTA UL amps are noiseless as are my Herron pre and phono. Tubes AND Zero Noise are essential in getting great sound IMHO.

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