Tube vs solid state (with all apologies)

I can second every word @millercarbon wrote.  Absolutely my approach. Keep it simple. A good 'speaker with easy load and smith like 92-94dB and a high quality integrated about 40-50W is probably the easiest way to get a good enough sound for sane money.

As for the tubes, look for a good design that doesn't put much pressure on the tubes and it will last for many years trouble-free. I had several EAR Yoshinos throughout the years and never had to change a single tube. With my current LTA Z40 the tubes are running at lower current (about 1/3) and cooler than most amps. So I hope it to last for many years. 

First off, I gotta say that I follow my father's tradition of being totally manic in maintaining and gently using all mechanical/electronic devices. I'm also sure I've already reported on a tweeter failure with a Celestion SL600. But allow me to recount my sorry litany. 

I think I already posted this once, but I had to send my SOTA turntable to Berkeley/Oakland a couple of times -- when the bearing began to growl, and when wow climbed to the level of my sister's 1966 Mustang's under-dash eight track. SOTA, I must say, was extremely solicitous and helpful in setting the problems straight.

A tonearm bearing got a bit clicky and loose. Was it my MMT arm? Or the Black Widow?

Two portable phones -- one a flip phone the other a recent Samsung. Both phones were quickly dealt with by sympathetic retail outlets.

And oh yeah, off-topic... The neck of my beloved Dimbath violin came unglued when I relocated from bone-dry SoCal to humid Hawaii. I sent it back to L.A. and Benning Violins for repair. Esteemed luthier Hans Benning phoned and told me in his German accent, "Zees things happen."

Totally off topic but speaking of guitar amps, as a teenager I was jamming with a friend who left his Fender Champ in his car trunk on a hot day. When he set it up and played his guitar through it, I had never heard that amp sound so good.

I have a couple of champs… they typically range from anemic to raging… partly depending upon the room. The original speaker is pretty lame… Jupiter, WGS, and Fat Jimmy really upped the game for 8” guitar speakers recently (the last few years).
I run a 6L6 instead of a 6V6. Those two changes make for a more robust sounding amp… As a result I alter the tone stack and dropping resistor to traditional blackface and silverface fender spec. They really perk up with all of that… not small or boxy sounding.

@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?

@pauly - I am just going by what I have heard from dealers who sell both SS and tube equipment and many contributors to this forum, and from my brother in law who has had to replace tubes on multiple occasions because of problems in addition to having to install a fan to compensate for the excessive heat they radiate (also it was to rid his room of cigar smoke). I have listened to his system, which sounds very nice when the fan is turned off. I am sure he has spent several times what I have on his system, which is fine for him.

He ended up replacing the amp with a very expensive Conrad Johnson set up, but still uses the fan when needed, which of course detracts significantly from the optimal sound of the system. 

Maybe he just had bad luck along with all the other posters who say they are problematic or at least needing care and feeding, but I think maybe you've just had good luck. He is still committed to tubes because he thinks they sound better without ever trying solid state.