2. amps-preamps
  3. 180665-178160

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

willmarchant

Showing 1 response by yoyoyaya

yoyoyaya's avatar
yoyoyaya
873 posts
 

OP. As you are in the UK, Watford Valves have a good stock of 6550s for your power amp.

It looks like Tubeamp doctor in Germany has 6H30s - for your pre and driver valves in your power amps.

The latter are not massively common and are Russian, so harder to come by and likely to get even harder to come by over time.

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