Audio Research - should I replace the valves?
I have a AR Ref 110 power amp and AR Ref 3 preamp. Both have done about 3,800 hours. They both work but I wonder if should be replacing the valves.
How can you tell if they’ve had it? Does the sound quality deteriorate & what happens if you don’t replace them?
i don’t think they sounds as good as they did but no pops or whistles or any other strange noises etc - just a bit flat sounding. But perhaps this is just my ears?
pp
Tube replacement is simple. Do not touch the tubes with your fingers… use a clean cloth. Biasing is easy… here is a copy of the manual in case you don’t know where it is. Do this once and you’ll be a pro. It sounds much harder than is.
Fluke meters are good and come in vastly different cost ranges. You do not need to spend a lot. I always have a multimeter around, there are hundreds of brands.
https://audioresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/REF110_Manual.pdf |
Typically tubes slowly deteriorate… exactly as you describe. I would replace them and keep your existing ones as backups. I always have a set of backups anyway. I always try and buy my repacements from Audio Research… both because they extensively test them and to help support a great company. But you can save money by buying from The Tube Store, Upscale Audio, or other. Make sure you get matched sets. Most of these places sells “replacement” sets for specific components.
I have all tube gear… all ARC for my main system. See my UserID. |
