2. tech-talk
  3. 192857-115924

Replace tubes yearly?

I just watched a Paul McGowan video (PS Audio) about the wisdom of leaving your gear powered on all the time. I get that. He also said that vacuum tube gear is the exception and not to leave it on all the time. I get that too.

But he also mentioned that it didn’t make a huge difference since you probably should replace your tubes every year.

Is that true? I have an Audio Research LS-16 tube preamp from the late 90s or early 2000s. I don’t think the tubes have ever been changed. I’m not really a ’tube’ guy but this unit was given to me 6 or 8 years ago. As far as I know these tubes are original.

At one point I got curious about the different sound quality potential of different tubes and another Audiogon member lent me a set of tubes to try out. I could definitely tell a difference but did not think the new ones sounded better than the original ones. I mention this because at that time the original tubes were quite old and still sounded quite good. And still do.

So, bottom line is, is there any real need to replace tubes on a schedule of some sort. Maybe its different if it is an amp versus a pre-amp?

 

n80

Showing 5 responses by ghdprentice

ghdprentice
7,492 posts
 

@audio-b-dog

Thanks for your reply. Really sorry to hear of your experiences.

Ok, you are unlucky in purchasing some malfunctioning preamps. I am assuming they were used... and they needed to be repaired. I know folks that have used tubed preamps for decades without blowing a tube... changing them or not. I have owned tubed equipment for more than a decade without failure. 

ghdprentice
7,492 posts
 

@audio-b-dog 

I'm not sure what you are doing or where the problem is... but having tubes routinely blow means there is something very wrong. I  run over fifty tubes and have for many years. I have never had one blow. Not one. Many thousands and thousands of hours of play time. I change them at recommended hours of running time.

ghdprentice
7,492 posts
 

Amplitrex AT1000 is the tube tester to buy.

 

https://amplitrex.com

 

Tests multiple variables on most audio tubes.

ghdprentice
7,492 posts
 

n80

 

+1

I have listened to several of Paul's videos. I do not any more. 

ghdprentice
7,492 posts
 

@yogatma 

+1

It depends on the tubes. But annual is not an appropriate schedule. Hours on the tubes. This is why tube amps have hour counters. Your component manufacturer should recommend the number of hours. It is dependent on how hard they run them. 

For instance ARC recommends 2,000 on the 6550 tubes and 3,000 on the rest. 

More to discover