Changing tubes all the time? They need to be changes every 3,000 hours. Even if you listen two hours a day... that is every four years.
Solid State Preamp to replace tube unit
I currently own a CJ tube preamp. Ive always owned tube preamps and I would like to get my first solid state preamp.I am fed up with buying expensive hard to find tubes that last 3 months or new production tubes with that not so great sound. I pine for consistency. I probably wont sell my CJ I'll just keep it. My power amps are NAD M23 for the summer and CJ Premiere 12's for the winter.
Since I dont dabble in the solid state world I am not sure what to get. I figure since this is my first SS unit 4-5k preowned??. Some brands I have considered CODA< Pass, AYRE, Classe, Bel Canto, Krell etc. Note: I have tried the Parasound and Benchmark but they didnt do it for me. I dont like anayltical sterile sound. If it is a touch warm/colored that is probably good as I am coming from a very warm CJ tube unit.
Must haves are a remote with balance control. Multiple outputs (XLR and RCA). I have an outboard phono pre. Thank you for reading and for your suggestions.
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@ghdprentice These aren't hard tube failures, mostly noise related. I mentioned earlier that may be since I am buying tubes from suppliers where the tubes are "pulls" and maybe not NOS. |
@audio-b-dog I am strongly considering the Pass Labs. |
OP, OK, that may explain it. Good, new graded tunes should last the whole 3,000 hours without failure. I am running something like fifty tubes and in the last ten years replaced two because of problems.
Audio Research does the most extensive testing before selling and Upscale, The Tube Store always test, but not to as great an extent. I would simply recommend getting new tubes and your trouble with tubes are likely to be reduced to nothing. |
- 126 posts total