Can using a bad tube hurt an amplifier?


If you're using a tube for a while, and everything's fine, and then voltage changes over time gradually, and then it damages an amplifier? are amps Built with controls to prevent that from happening?

How can you trust using a tube if it potentially could harm an amplifier?

Assuming You're using the correct tube in the slot provided.

 

emergingsoul

Showing 3 responses by mclinnguy

Yes, I just had this happen to me: everything working fine for 4 months with the 300b Gold Lion’s in my Coincident Frankenstein stereo amp. The amp and tubes are both 4 months old, I haven’t touched anything in weeks, and I turn it on a few weeks ago and one 300b tube is much brighter than the other one. By the time I got to turn it off I hear sizzling bacon, I shut it down and witness what appears to be plenty of smoke bellowing from the amp. Israel Blume Coincident owner says the tube has "run away" which I believe is the same as "red plating" as stated above. I have no way to check tubes so I sent if off to the retailer and they have checked it and confirmed it is bad, warrantied it, and a replacement tube is on the way back. There is a 1% failure rate and I am one of the lucky ones.

There is automatic bias circuit in this amp so nothing to adjust on my end, but no special protection circuit to shut off the amp in the case of a faulty tube, not sure how many amps have this? 

No warranty for the amp as it was the tubes fault. Easy fix though thanks to point to point circuit wiring. 

The joys of tube amps I suppose. 

@buellrider97 

Yes we suffer reliably issues, tube issues and the jabs from the SS crowd and now the class D crowd. 

but those other amps are not bulletproof, I might argue they are no more reliable than tube amps. I wouldn't say I was an early adopter for class D amps, but both the Nord's I bought about ten years ago with the Hypex smps1200a400 power supplies lasted exactly 4 years before they expired. They have since revised them, with elimination of one prone to fail capacitor- not sure if they last longer now. 

I have also had issues with Mcintosh amps. Nothing lasts forever. 

Just had Fedex drop off the replacement Gold Lion 300b, inserted it in the amp, and voila, music is playing again. 

Just one $5 220uf Rubycon capacitor was all that needed replacing. 

Lucky the cap went first, and not after various other parts as in this component:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaEiO_9qMwY