Larry, I see, so I won't play with step down transformers, I guess, though it could be interesting.
mulveling, Kevin does like certain vintage Mullards and Sylvanias.
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I see, complicated subject regarding amp designs and how gentle or not the amps are on tubes. I won't bother the VAC designer with these questions, especially considering that his answers won't change anything for me. I will continue with the best vintage tubes I can find and afford.
Tastes differ, but when something sounds good everyone with hearing will agree that it does indeed sound good. The rest is a matter of preference. You prefer Stradivarius and I prefer Guarneri .
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ghdprentice, it is always a good idea to have a back up set.
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How can I know if my amp is hard on tubes or not ? And what about 12AX7 and 12AU7 signal tubes, can the amp be hard on them too ?
I use PS Audio regenerator that puts out 120 volts. Well, I could, I suppose, put a step down transformer between the regenerator and the amp. How would the amp sound with 100 volts input, I wonder ?
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Is this true that some Western Electric tubes can last one hundred thousand hours ?
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Yeah, Brent from Audio Tubes might be able to deliver it for you if you place a custom order, but the cost..probably at least $150 each for used test NOS, more likely $200 each.
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15 years without replacing a single tube. That's incredible.
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Bill, I use them for sound too but vintage tubes make me feel more, well, vintage ! And I like that. It's tradition and connection to the roots. Like tape and vinyl.
As for the cost, I made very approximate calculations that in the case of my amp I will have to spend about $50 per month on vintage tubes. Not the very best tubes available but high enough. Is this a lot ? It's nothing.
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Vintage used could be $100 each, but if you wanted to match dozen EL34 tubes..that would be a problem. And, yes, you couldn't be sure in advance of significant improvement. Well, vintage tubes were not created equal.
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Soon there might be neither Chinese nor Russian new tubes available if the trade is stopped, so you better get a supply of them. Not my problem, I stay with vintage. You see, there is an unexpected advantage, in addition to expected advantage.
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I think, Lamm ( Vladimir Shushurin ) built his amps around particular vintage Russian tubes. But you couldn't buy them from him unless you had Lamm.
12AX7 and 12AU7 vintage tubes are still plenty, probably enough for the next 50 years. As for vintage power tubes, yeah, that's increasingly a problem, both to find a matched quad and rising prices.
I should've bought Gryphon Diablo 120 instead of VAC Avatar SE, so much easier. No way.
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It would be interesting for me to compare my VAC Avatar SE full of vintage Mullard and RCA tubes with later VAC integrated full of Chinese/Russian tubes.
"new tubes are better than no tubes". This is something that would be very hard to argue with. I certainly won't. Yes, modern amps should sound good with whatever new tubes are available, but..even Kevin of VAC himself recommended vintage tubes for driver and power output tubes. Surprisingly to me he suggested I stay with selected Chinese 12AX7 for preamp. I of course did not, though I am sure he knows what he talks about. Besides the sound quality I also want reliability and longevity.
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