Would you buy a tube amp if you were unable to use vintage tubes in it ?


Not available or too expensive.

Hmm.., I don't think I have a definitive answer for myself, but I would do my best to avoid such amps. There is no substitute for great tubes, I guess, especially if you value sophisticated sound.

 

inna

Showing 2 responses by faustuss

I have a tube integrated and an all tube phono stage.  The integrated uses 3 JJ 12au7s in the gain and driver stage and a quad of unidentifiable 6L6GCs in the power output stage. The only identifying features I can see through the vents on the top are the plates and the bases of which there is no silk screening on either. What I can see suggests maybe German made TAD but their catalog example has a red base wherein the amp's are black or a Psvane that has the same plate structure and a black base. A more definitive identification might be possible if I could see the getters. Either way Luxman says nothing about tube life other than that the implementation promotes reliability and long tube life and that Mickying with them in any way voids the tubes 3-year warranty. So, I can only go with that.

My phono stage on the other hand is the manufacturers special addition which incorporates Genelex Gold Lion 12ax7LPS/B759s with Mundorf silver, gold and oil capacitors with Teflon coated, silver plated wire point to point. I don't think it can be tricked out any better than this and you should hear it!

Further I think all the suggestions regarding tube "rolling" is a little insane simply because you can't demo duplicate copies of your equipment side by side to make a definitive judgement and going through all the trouble of re-biasing and warming the amps up to their fullest potential leaves you without any subjective means of judging the sound differences because your brain forgot what it heard the second you stopped listening to the previous set of tubes. What a crock!

 

@steakster So, what are those things that look like space heaters with rows of piezo tweeters across the top? Subs? I bet you’re also going to tell me all of your equipment is so esoteric that I’ve never heard of any of it with the exception of the bargain priced Denon CD player you’ve got there. The Denon built tray in my McIntosh transport whole sales for more than that. The after photo of your cable routing is worse than the before and what’s all the blue tape stuck here and there on the loose wires? I hope you keep a fire extinguisher handy!

faustuss
 Further I think all the suggestions regarding tube "rolling" is a little insane . . . What a crock!

I nearly spit out my coffee when I read that comment.  LOL. Another flat-earther’s credibility shot to hell.

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The best location for my JJ 12AU7’s in the storage closet.