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Manufacturers don't get it. make tubes visible.

After all of this time, why don't manufacturers get it? Everyone I talk to who owns tube gear wants to see, at the very least, the power tubes while the gear is operational. Many want to see the preamp tubes as well. So why do so many great manufacturers still bury the tubes inside of the gear? Are they afraid we will electrocute ourselves? And, if this is true, who is going to miss a few deranged audiophiles anyway, not to mention their wayward offspring and badly trained pets? Interestingly, large transmitting tubes which pose, by far, the greatest danger, are almost always out in the wind.
128x128viridian
ghosthouse's avatar
ghosthouse
4,306 posts
 
Another vote added to this old thread in favor of tubes being easy to see. Especially with power tubes, seems to me there is a safety advantage to visibility (if this hasn't already been mentioned). Can't beat the looks with the room lights down, either.
stevecham
3,340 posts
 
Well Manley gets it!
ebm
9,311 posts
 
Wow thats so sad!!
jedinite24's avatar
jedinite24
1,503 posts
 
I think it depends on how it is done. I've seen some Dared tube preamps and I swear they show all the different tubes but to me with all that shiny gold and chrome it looks kind of blah looking. I've also seen some Yaqin tube buffers or tube phono preamps that have the tubes exposed but they don't look so great to me.

I then got a Response Audio BellaMax tube preamp in a nice wood case but the tubes are hidden and have no problems with the aesthetics.

One good thing to me about not having tubes exposed is it potentially make it so that a person won't tube roll as much. I put a tube cage on my Jolida amp so I wouldn't be tempted to keep tube rolling. Now I really like the look of the cage on it. To each is their own I guess.
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