Tube preamplifier lifespan


Do tube preamplifiers, excluding tube replacements, have shorter lives than solid state preamps?

onehorsepony

Showing 1 response by joeycastillo

To the OP- I am using a Preamp by Linear Tube audio, which claims that they run the tubes in such a way that it can last 10 to 20K hours. I had the amp for about 2 years now, its pretty much turned on 18 hours a day. 7 days a week. 

i had a spare set of NOS 12au7 and 6sn7 and tried to switch it and I have NOT heard a difference between the old tubes the spares. 

so i am just going to speculate that it may last 10K hours or more

I  beleive its the Preamps design that determines the tube life

YMMV...