I turn my tube preamp off after use. If you are really concerned just get the tubes tested.
Replace tubes yearly?
I just watched a Paul McGowan video (PS Audio) about the wisdom of leaving your gear powered on all the time. I get that. He also said that vacuum tube gear is the exception and not to leave it on all the time. I get that too.
But he also mentioned that it didn’t make a huge difference since you probably should replace your tubes every year.
Is that true? I have an Audio Research LS-16 tube preamp from the late 90s or early 2000s. I don’t think the tubes have ever been changed. I’m not really a ’tube’ guy but this unit was given to me 6 or 8 years ago. As far as I know these tubes are original.
At one point I got curious about the different sound quality potential of different tubes and another Audiogon member lent me a set of tubes to try out. I could definitely tell a difference but did not think the new ones sounded better than the original ones. I mention this because at that time the original tubes were quite old and still sounded quite good. And still do.
So, bottom line is, is there any real need to replace tubes on a schedule of some sort. Maybe its different if it is an amp versus a pre-amp?
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If you use tubes that will eventually need replacement, get a complete set of replacement tubes. You can "test" the old tubes by swapping in tubes from the reserved set; if the sound improves enough so you are willing to replace the old ones, you already have the replacement(s). This subjective testing is probably more meaningful than most measurements on a tester. Remember: all old and worn out tubes can be sold on eBay (just kidding, throw them away). |
I agree that the answer is no, but as a tube enthusiast, I always have back up tubes and periodically switch out tubes to compare the old with the new to make sure everything is in top order. This takes organization and good notes to keep straight. My audio research vm-220 has 12 tubes (8 x 6550) per mono block, but still sound glorious when manually biased. Pre-covid it was $1600 to replace all my 6550s (16 or matched octet) by audio research. Only had to do this once in 20 years. But with the California heat, I have now switched over the Aesthetix amps (I bi-amp Atlas monos & stereo amps in my small room and only need to consider one power tube per channel. Much simpler and a lot less heat while enjoying the sound year round.
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I think the tone of the 6SN7 tube is naturally full and warm. The Ken-Rad VT231 has the most solid bass, while the RCA or CBS Hytron 5692 has the smoothest sound. Overall, in my Cary SLP05 and Schiit Freya+ and Saga I like the Raytheon VT231 for best overall sound. But lots of good ones. Best from WW2 VT231, JAN 6SN7 from 1950’s, and 5692. Just my experience- these all seem very reliable. |
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