Tube amps - what 3 things…


Hello all,
 

I am close to purchasing a tube amp moving away from SS. So far I have listened to a pure sound, PL, and allnic. 


Question for all you experienced owners - if you could do it all over again, what 3 things/features would you look for in an amplifier and what 3 things/features would you not invest in again?

 

thanks

mpoll1

Sold all my tube gear except for a couple of guitar amps.  No regrets.

No more noisy tubes, better bass extension and tone with SS, just take my pre-amp out of standby and go...

No more headaches getting good vintage tubes, no more need for a finicky vintage tube tester, no wasting time tube "rolling", no more worries about Russian supply or Chinese garbage, etc.

No worries about dog noses getting burned.

I do miss the cool glowing glass bottles in the dark, but that's about it.

Just my 2 cents.

I also sold my 1936 Ford...

Nice sounding OPTs, and strong power supply are as important as anything.  The ability to switch between modes (triode, ultralinear, pentode) is nice.  The more tubes it can accept, the more options you have to tailor the sound to your tastes.  Enjoy!  

Now that we know the speakers, I would go with a nice SET amp.  You don't need lots of watts to get those speakers singing. 

Bias adjustment has been mentioned. Decide whether it is worthwhile for you to be engaged in that task. If you're ambivalent, a lower maintenance amp such as a PrimaLuna may be suitable. I've been happy with my Evo 400, and sleep soundly knowing the bias is taken care of by higher powers. But if you suspect that you'd enjoy the adventure of tinkering, go for it! I also had a positive experience with a Rogue Cronus Magnum, which has a built-in bias meter. Best wishes!

I don't get worked up about tubes wearing out, many of my tube amps from the 60's and 70's still have original tubes. I don't listen to my system more than a couple hours a day, so I haven't seen the tube consumption issue many reference. I don't know much about the brands you mentioned, but I would look toward older proven designs. There are some really great tube amps from the 50's, 60's and 70's, that with the right updates can be very reliable. Long term serviceability is the key to maintained value. Original McIntosh, Manley, Scott, Eico, Pilot, Fisher, Quicksilver, Manley, and a bunch of others hold their value really well. They are also serviceable long term, and are made with quality components. My 3 things would be:

Match the amp to the speaker - the Zu's will open the door to lower watt options that can sound very nice, but might limit your speaker options down the road.

Serviceability- look towards amps / manufacturers that have been in business a long time

Power tubes used- my preference for power tubes are E84 and 6L6. I like the sound of these tubes, and they offer me the power needed to run my not as efficient speakers.