Too many tubed components in the system?

Actually, I think it depends on the design and implementation. You can have a lot of tubes in a well designed set up and suffer little sound degradation, but the opposite can be true as well.

Having fifty pairs of Salma Hayek's tubes in a row is a very good thing. If it were 50 Ellen Degeneres' tubes, I'd definitely go with solid state.

Personally, I am on the other side of the fence. I do believe that too many tubes is a problem. Have I heard all tube systems that sounded reasonably good? Yes. But most sounded even better once one or two components were replaced with SS.

In many cases, it depends on your listening preferences. I have friends with all tube systems that I think sound really, really bad (bloated mids, poorly controlled bass, etc.) that they just love. It also depends on the speakers. Some speakers just require much more juice than most tube amps can deliver. If you fall in that catagory, a neutral 200W+ SS amp mated with a tube pre-amp brings out the best in both.

Julian

Ok, a part from some silly answers above (good to know there are some senses of humour out there), it would appear that the consensus is that there is no sonic degradation of sound quality with having tubes in each link of the audio chain. Good to know. Retubing costs are another issue, as might be locating one bad tube when there are so many in the entire chain. Albert Porter --> what techniques do you use to isolate and find a "bad" tube when you've got so many in so many components?

~~~~Too Tubey or Not Too Tubey, Is That The Question?

Jest The Facts

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I think if you put two 300Bs under each armpit you'd still have room for plenty more.

tubes rule. Too many no way no how.

Keep one thing in mind with tubes....high maintenance and big bucks.You will be tube rolling until the day you die.
Is all the extra time and $$$$ worth it??
Just make sure you are buying tubes for the right reason...improved sound quality not for bragging rights.
There are some mighty fine SS components out there so don't limit yourself to tubes.
I have had audio buddies that ended up on PROZAC because they couldn't sit down and enjoy their system without wondering if a differnet tube would get them one step closer to AUDIO NIRVANA.

However I will admit I do own a tubed pre BUT the tube stops there.

Good idea Jafox, I'll check into that ;^ )

Hey Albert,
Have you considered tubes for your Turntable Motor Controller? That could get you to 120.

Every added tubed component is one fewer SS component. How can that be bad?

NO, You can add the BAT tube cd or ARC CD3 and have a magical system. An SME 20 or Linn LP12, or VPI TNT would be my choice for you to get spinning!

Everything in my system is tube, except for the DVD player. I just counted 114 and NO, not too many.

Nothing to worry about.

Tube Phono stage -> tube preamp -> tube monoblocks: it sounds great.

-Ed

Not from my point of view (I have all tubes). If all of your components are warm and mushy I supposed it could be too much, however most tube equipment today is fairly neutral. The benefit tubes bring are not so much tonal benefits as they are a sense of liquidity in the midrange and airiness in the highs. In fact some tubed products are downright chilly in tone. In your place I would get a tube line stage which is known for neutrality such as a Joule, Lamm, CJ or some such.