2. amps-preamps
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Questions from a Tube Preamp newbie

I have my Rogue RP-5 back from warranty repair and I am loving how it sounds. While at Rogue, they installed 4new JJ 12au7-s tubes. Sounds great. I have some questions.

1. with about 2 hours daily playing, how long do typical preamp tubes last (I have heard Rogue's, like CJ, can be hard on tubes)

2. Do new tubes need broken in? if so, what is normal time frame?

3. Does tube rolling really make a difference on a preamp vs power amp?

4. What is the general concensus on JJ tubes for a preamp? Again, I am really happy with the sound, so I probably won't change. However, I will eventually probably get the itch.

Thanks
aberyclark

Showing 1 response by nordicnorm

nordicnorm
313 posts
 
JJ tubes are a fine budget tube (~$15/tube).

I once had a preamp that used 12AU7 tubes that came with JJ’s. I found the sound to be pretty uninspiring so I changed them to Psvane 12AU7-TII.

At US$50 each, they were a significant step up sonically from the JJ’s.

Here's a review of them on AudioAsylum.
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