This is why some prefer tubes. There is not anymore maintenance on a tube amp and a solid state amp. Tubes last a lot longer than you might think!!
Sad to say I need a new amp…
My twenty year old Mesa Tigris went up in smoke last week. It’s so thoroughly overbuilt I thought she would last forever. Lots of smoke and strong pungent odor, actually has to air the house out. I’ll call Mesa but think it’s time for a change…
The Mesa was hooked up to some Totem mites and a small REL subwoofer in my bedroom/office. So far, I’ve done some reading and have come up with some possible replacement. After my smoke out, I’m thinking solid state in the bedroom… I use a little audioengine Bluetooth receiver for my source in my office..
Exposure 2510, VanAlstine SET 120, Belles Aria and Rega Brio all sound like they would work well. Appreciate any input on these or others. Hoping to keep the cost under 2500. I listen mostly to jazz, classical music..
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Often times there will be smoke when a tube amp goes, even when it can be easily repaired. Some tube amps may require more maintenance, in the form of tube replacement, but, they are far less prone to fatal damage than solid state gear. So many solid state devices are unrepairable, because the transformer or chip is no longer in stock, or because they are too complicated to make it practical to hunt down the problem. I have not had any repair issues, including replacing worn tubes, in more than fifteen years with my current gear. A lot depends on the specific model--type of tubes it runs, how hard it runs the tubes, and quality of parts and build, so here is no way to generalize, but, to me, the sonic benefits make owning tube gear worthwhile. |
Yes. Never heard anything bad about Rogue Service or build quality |
+1 True, tube gear often requires more $ outlay and maintenance than SS, but it most often offers a midrange that can sound magical especially on voices. Also, one can tube roll to taste and/or variety. Some tube gear may be good in the winter, not so much in the summer :) (Northern hemisphere...of the earth not brain) The same can be said of vinyl which is generally a lot more expensive than digital, especially content. Then we have reel to reel...... Often convenience is at the expense of sonics. |
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