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

As stated above, they need to be high quality to begin with and have ZERO noise 

Nope, not if equipment well designed, good AC, proper grounding, quality tubes. One of my amps 845SET matched to 104db sensitivity speakers, a bit more noise than 300B SET's, still not obtrusive.

I too like my dac solid state. Ran a tube dac with other tube equipment in past system, that was only time I experienced excessive tubes in system, although not because of tube hiss.

No. I don’t but it’s OK for "one."

What’s a tube his? And why would anyone serial copy analog in modern times?

 

What's a tube his?

What is tube HISS? A sound that a noisy valve (tube) makes. Usually more pronounced as you volume up. No need for any floor noise with just a little attention to noisy or microphonic tubes. Proper cable routing, especially power cables is kinda 101 for valve guys..

Dead quiet here.

If tube dampeners are recommended by an amp manufacture, it's a good bet cheap noisy tubes are involved or have been along the way.. Some equipment just sucks with so so valves. Not a big fan of needing high dollar or rare valves to get good sound.. 

Regards

It's not about too many tubes it's about the right components and how well they work together. I have tubes in everything but my streamer and it sounds sublime because the tubes are in good components that work well together.