The issue of greatest concern with regard to the small signal tubes is not replacement but noise.
I also want to warn you that tube "rolling" is a very addictive hobby that could end up with you begging money from relatives for more NOS tubes.
I don't know in truth about longevity, I have had no new tube failures with the exception of power tubes. Some of the tubes I have were used for 7-8 years and are still fine. Others I run for a few months and they have become irritatingly noisy and a real bummer. If you shell outbig bucks for a special old stock tube and find it useless after a few months you are Sh** out of luck.
I wouldn't forgo a tubed preamp for a SS in a line stage simply because I like tubes. However I don't think of any tube being perfectly noise free when amplified in a phonostage. The order of amplification is so great it is nearly impossible to maintain a truly silent tube phono stage. Others will argue, you will see.
In any event Tube power amps or integrateds produce a bigger, more obvious, holographic three D sound stage, than any SS gear at any price, that I have encountered. Since I go to audio shows and am a member of a large audio group I have heard top flight SS gear. It sounds great but nothing like a tube amp.
In the end I think my AE-3 tube pre is a miricle for 300 bucks.
I happen to own a legendary preamp, which is one of those you mention, an ARC. An SP6B specifically, which is a generally admired and sought after pre given that it is 25 years old.
I prefer my little 2 tube AE-3 which uses 6SN7s. I happen to really like them but I haven't the resources to buy a SLP-05 for 7-8 thousand.
My two cents in summary worry about your power amplification!
If you use power tubes you will hear the tube magic. Don't fall for the tube pre is all you need bit. It is not true period.
If you want to use an SS preamp you will still hear the magic. The other way round is widely believed to be the case, ingnore the insane, hopeless, clones.
A tube in a preamp or preamp section of an integrated accomplishes nothing without using power tubes.
Good luck and believe me or just find out yourself it took me only 6 years of experimenting with tube preamps to hear Nirvana when I finally bought tube power amps.
I also want to warn you that tube "rolling" is a very addictive hobby that could end up with you begging money from relatives for more NOS tubes.
I don't know in truth about longevity, I have had no new tube failures with the exception of power tubes. Some of the tubes I have were used for 7-8 years and are still fine. Others I run for a few months and they have become irritatingly noisy and a real bummer. If you shell outbig bucks for a special old stock tube and find it useless after a few months you are Sh** out of luck.
I wouldn't forgo a tubed preamp for a SS in a line stage simply because I like tubes. However I don't think of any tube being perfectly noise free when amplified in a phonostage. The order of amplification is so great it is nearly impossible to maintain a truly silent tube phono stage. Others will argue, you will see.
In any event Tube power amps or integrateds produce a bigger, more obvious, holographic three D sound stage, than any SS gear at any price, that I have encountered. Since I go to audio shows and am a member of a large audio group I have heard top flight SS gear. It sounds great but nothing like a tube amp.
In the end I think my AE-3 tube pre is a miricle for 300 bucks.
I happen to own a legendary preamp, which is one of those you mention, an ARC. An SP6B specifically, which is a generally admired and sought after pre given that it is 25 years old.
I prefer my little 2 tube AE-3 which uses 6SN7s. I happen to really like them but I haven't the resources to buy a SLP-05 for 7-8 thousand.
My two cents in summary worry about your power amplification!
If you use power tubes you will hear the tube magic. Don't fall for the tube pre is all you need bit. It is not true period.
If you want to use an SS preamp you will still hear the magic. The other way round is widely believed to be the case, ingnore the insane, hopeless, clones.
A tube in a preamp or preamp section of an integrated accomplishes nothing without using power tubes.
Good luck and believe me or just find out yourself it took me only 6 years of experimenting with tube preamps to hear Nirvana when I finally bought tube power amps.