How Long Should a First Watt SIT3 Last ?

Thanks guys....

Let me start off by saying I have had tremendous trouble with Tubes this past year and  I'm sure I vented about it all here on the Gon.

As for the specific Block we are talking about today, it has blown two tubes and red-plated two tubes during this time in addition to all the other problems I had. Same Block, two different sockets.

This morning I fired everything up and as soon as the pre finished its wakeup a virtually new tube had a spectacular blue firework show with noise to match....only one tube. I shut everything down and installed new tubes.....dead.

I have not opened the amp....yet.

With all the trouble Ive had, part of me wants to leave tubes to the younger crowd. Now granted, these mono-blocks are quite old and I should expect them to have to be rebuilt at some point and it would be stupid to just quit on them, but Dang! As you know, the worst part about tube failure is not the failure itself but the waiting for it to happen again.

I suppose, considering First Watt,  what some people think sounds like tubes may not be what I think sounds like tubes.

My first thought was, great, now I have an excuse to get some QS horn-blocks, but I looked today and they are no longer being offered. That's when I thought , "thats it, time to move on."

I obviously should have them looked at,  anyone have a recommendation for repair guy in MLPS?

Any other thoughts.

Thanks again,

TD

I did send Pass an email. Thank you.

I did call Mike,  and sent an email to boot. :-)

Thanks

It would be nice to get it looked at locally. Shipping is such a pain, but I will send them after I talk to him unless I find a local guy.

mr decibel,  yes the H3's on stands are perfecto.

thanks 😁

@roxy54 

I hear you. Im sticking with the QS's. I was venting, hoping the amps hear it and wisen up. I got rid of a pair of MiniMites years ago and I still miss them. Im sure I would regret letting these go unless there is nothing else to do.

Im just so tired of messing with tube problems.  

Interesting you mention the F7...I was considering them....hmmmm

what did they sound like in comparison?

TD

thanks @yyzsantabarbara . Ive heard Codas were nice.

TD

@mrdecibel 

And no. I do not have a backup. I am miserable😥

mike got back to me, he said he thinks its a failed fuse.  that makes no sense at all to me for several reasons but Im not the pro and the fused looked fine.

He wants the old ones back and he will send me new ones.

hmmmmmmm

@jimmyblues I know. I was just being a baby two minutes after it happened...Im good. thanks for the encouragememt. 

@mrdecibel  HAHA. I did say H3. Dont know what that was about. Maybe I heard the number just befor my text or it may have been fat fingers on my phone.

@mrdecibel  Yes they are IV's. what did I say ...LOL

@wolf_garcia Sorry you didn't like them. I think you did not let them fully break-in. I heard what you heard until a few days later and the SNAP*! they changed. But if you're missing anything, it's probably very subtle.

@mrdecibel  Yup, speakers still lightly dampened...w/ acoustic foam.

@mrdecibel 

"Wolf, hey...you also stated you heard very little to no difference, after you damped the horns as I had suggested"

Uh-oh...slight correction here...I dampened the port. I tried the horn too but it didn't stay. I initially  switched from kt88 to 77's to calm the horns. I am now on e34L's. Sorry for the confusion.

mike asked me to send the amps in I asked if he could do a complete overhaul, replace anything prone to aging and if the cost approached a new set, then I would do that.

@jtcf I sent him a pre where he returned it like you said. turned out in shipping, a cap became loose, when it arrived to him there was contact. he sent it to me and it was loose again. the 2nd time I got it back the whole cap fell off. I sent it again and it was fixed.

I will trust him one last time with these amps. where I live so many are apathetic and incompetent. without a Gon recomendation I cant just go to a guitar shop.

I did find a local place called Twin Cities Tubes. I will contact them I hope its the right thing to do, but I suppose I have worries about the things mentioned earlier by @jtcf ....I thought it was just me it happened to but maybe its a thing now.

Actually I have an appointment with ToneTron Minneapolis tomorrow. Cam recommended by the studio engineer.

Thank you all for the recommendations. I am waiting to hear the verdict on my Quicksilvers, its been two weeks and I am eager.

The next step is always right in front of you.

TD 

I got my Quicksilvers back today, listening to Diet ILg presently old friend.

Jeff  said the problem was that the old style way to bias the tubes in these with the LEDs had failed. He added some multimeter plugs to set the bias. All sounding great and for those using PSAudio, I went back to Windom today.

All told, the bill came to barely $200.

Happy Camper.

Thanks all,

TD

@mrdecibel Looking back concerning baffling the horns in the Heresy IV, yes I did in fact try that but was not happy. The harshness all went away I believe in the 7th week of constant on.

I did stuff the port holes with acoustic foam. with the ports open the cabinets were singing and it was not appreciated. Foam still in.

Thanks for everything

TD

LOL. Windom stuck on my PSAudio DAC. I need to get what PSAudio calls a firmware rescue.

If only we could leave things alone, right?

TD