Tube vs solid state (with all apologies)

Use tubes wherever you need to amplify a signal and wherever you rectify a signal. 

clearly you are the exception. Please let us know the SS amps you had problems with and the tubes that are super reliable, long lasting and maintenance free (for decades without periodic tube replacement).

Hardly an exception. I have an Audionote SE that uses 6550. I have had the same power tubes in it for around 20 years. Before that I had a set a quads. The power tubes where the originals the amp came with - the amps were over 40 years old.

In over 40 years of owning tube amps, I have never ever had to replace a tube that wore out. I have only ever replaced for sound. I have bought a few I didn’t like, a few were noisy, but they arrived like that.

I have heard of a few folks who have had to replace worn out tubes, sure. I have heard of lot more folks who had to replace or repair transistor amps that failed.

@sokogear

you definitely are the exception. Everyone I hear from talks about replacing tubes after some cycle time depending on the amp, environment, usage, volume, etc.

Well as of 11/02/2021 that statement is no longer true.

I build amps as a hobby, and have for decades interacted on an almost daily basis with many similarly interested people. Not once have I heard of somebody wearing out a fresh set of tubes to the point where they needed replacement. A couple replaced tubes of vintage amps they resurrected, but somebody listening to new tube so much they wear out, never. I’m sure a couple of folks must have, but personally I know of any.

Quite a different experience that yours no? I’d hazard a guess that the "everyone" you speak of, are probably folks who don’t actually own tube amps?

Or maybe they are replacing them because of sound degradation and that doesn’t bother you.

No my hearing and my standards are pretty good. For each amp I have a number of tubes that I roll on a fairly regular basis. If any go "off" even by a fraction I’d know it.

Maybe, the people who told you about tubes going bad were blowing smoke?

Not sure since I never owned tubes and don’t plan to. SS can deliver just as good SQ, depending on the amp.

I’m just wondering how a person can make a statement that SS can deliver as good as tubes, when he has never owned a tube amp? The majority of people who have actually owned both, and spent time with both, prefer tubes.

Given that you have never owned tubes, perhaps you should consider your opinion and beliefs of tubes aren’t totally accurate?