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Tired of Problems with Tube Equipment

I switched over to tube audio equipment in some form some years back, and have certainly enjoyed music played back through them. I have had amps, preamps, and DACS at different times utilizing tubes. One unfortunate thing that's been common to all the tube equipment I've had are problems. It doesn't seem to matter whether the manufacturer is large or small, built in the USA or overseas, they all have had problems. Capacitors blowing out, bad solder joints, tubes only lasting a short time, loud pops that mysteriously go away on their own, etc. Although I have enjoyed the sound (and that beautiful glow!), I am starting to get tired of this and thinking of going back to solid state.

Have any of you also gone back (or thought about it) to solid state for this reason? What has your experience been with the reliability of tube equipment?
smeyers
semi
649 posts
 
I have owned only tube amps in the past 10+ years, from Quicksilver GLC, ARC VT-100, SF Power 2/3, BAT 150, BAT 75SE, and now BAT 150SE, I might have missed out one or two in between. near zero issue other than occasional tube bias, tube replacement, and fuse change.

I tried to like solid state and bought many to play with, none stayed longer than 3 months.

I told my wife to bury me with tubes when I expire...
oregon
827 posts
 
May not be what you want to hear, but the Chinese elctronics- Primaluna is stable, self biasing, affordable plug and play. they also sound very good.
I had no problems with these.
It's hard to go from tubes to SS.
Good luck
birdies
85 posts
 
I find it unfortunate that so many folks seem to have to badmouth whatever format they DON'T use to validate their own choice. It's like the equally unfortunate tendency to use phraseology like "amplifier X kills amplifier Y".

My own solution, I know, would not be practical for most. I'm a two-system fellow, the big upstairs rig solid state, the basement system vintage tube-based. I wouldn't trade either experience. As I tell my pals, my favorite system is the one I listened to last.
brauser
526 posts
 
There was a time not so long ago when optimal performance was the domain of tube equipment. That is simply NOT SO today. I was a tube guy for over 20 years and yes it sounded awesome. Now I'm a solid state guy using the latest technology which runs cool, doesn't take up much space and can stay on all the time, so I don't have to wait for the system to 'ramp-up' before sounding it's best. I would even go so far as saying that in some vital areas of bass control and dynamics, the best SS trumps the best of Tubes. I think a neat trick would be for some leading manufacturer of SS gear to cosmetically put some tubes on top of the enclosure just for 'looks'. I'll bet there would be some 'humble pie' served to some who would proclaim a 'new age' had come for Tube Equipment.
jrb25
44 posts
 
I have been using Quicksilver amps for about 5 years. Zero problems. My complaint with tube gear is that sound quality subtly declines as tubes age, and I'm often wondering if tubes are wearing out somewhere in the system. Time for a tube tester I guess. Not to mention the ongoing search for reasonably priced NOS so that I have the tubes I like 20 years from now.
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