[krmathis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by takezo /img/forum/go_quote.gif tube amps are like lovers or wives...if you're in love with them nothing seems like a hassle...if you're unsatisfied, every little thing seems like a hassle...

He he
Well, that might be true.

 

[GotNoRice]

My experiences with tube headphone amps so far lead me to believe that a lot of the potential drawbacks are just hype. The amp will sound 95% as good as it is going to sound within 5 seconds of powering it up. There is really no need to wait. The tubes used are generally low voltage and will last years. I’ve used my LD2+ for almost 2 years now, usually leaving it on 24/7, and the unit continues to work fine and I have not had to replace a single tube yet. As far as tube availability, even if you never went beyond the stock Chinese tubes IMO it would still be very much worth the investment.

As far as long-term reliability goes, we have an old Philco radio that is about 4.5 feet high, 3 feet wide and a foot deep, not sure how old it is but I’d guess somewhere between 1920 and 1950. It worked perfectly up until about 5 years ago, when we were moving stuff around and planned to move it to the other side of the room. When we moved it away from the wall, we noticed that the power cord was dry, cracking, and falling apart; to the point where you could see bare wire. At that point we were afraid to plug it back in, but up until that point all of the individual components, including all of the tubes that we never replaced, still worked.

 

[Kang]

Quote:

Originally Posted by takezo /img/forum/go_quote.gif tube amps are like lovers or wives...if you're in love with them nothing seems like a hassle...if you're unsatisfied, every little thing seems like a hassle...

Tube amps have one advantage. It's much easier and significantly less costly to tube roll than to turn your wife in for a new model.

 

[Rednamalas1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Capunk /img/forum/go_quote.gif So does anyone here own Bada PH-12 and not feeling troubled maintaining it? I live in a room where there is no window, my flatmates rarely turn on air conditioner, living in a cramped room with active computer (with super hot Graphic card), Does getting a tubes amp isn't a good idea?

I own a PH-12 and I have no problem maintaining it. I have a small room and I usually leave it in relatively high areas so I don't knock the tubes off

Besides that, I just don't do tuberolling after it's been on and stuff. I don't find it annoying at all.

 

[HiGHFLYiN9]

Tube amps generally offer a more natural presentation to the music. Once you listen to one, then switch back your solid state gear, you'll certainly notice the difference. Tubes aren't as convenient as SS, as they have to warm up and you have to swap them after a while, but you'll likely find that it's worth the trade-off once you hear a good tube amp. I've ended up going completely retro, and am using both tubes and vinyl now

 

[Henmyr]

I've read somewhere that tube amps don't like not being connected to a headphone when powered? If this is correct, how do one change headphones when the amp has been turned on?

 

[Uncle Erik]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Henmyr /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've read somewhere that tube amps don't like not being connected to a headphone when powered? If this is correct, how do one change headphones when the amp has been turned on?

Generally, it's no problem to switch headphones when powered up. The occasional amp will oscillate if fed a signal with no load, but that's not much of a concern. Just stop the CD, pause or life the tonearm when you switch headphones.

 

[BushGuy]

ditto what Uncle Erik said.........if you have a get an oscillation you can also simply switch amp off, and then back on again. While I haven't had that with my tube amp - it has ocurred with a SS amp.

 

[cowboyjack2008]

Though I am a serious noobie, I haven't had any trouble with my Little Dot II+ tube amp.

Certainly, it is not like my ten year old solid state GE clock radio that simply won't break, but neither do I worry about the fragility of my tube amp. I DO notice that my tube amp sounds better after warming up a bit and DO have to keep the dogs away from it lest they burn themselves or knock it over.

As far as longevity, I still have a tube powered shortwave radio that belonged to my granddad that will fire up and receive after what must be more than 50 years of service.

 

[Head Whipped]

What is the minimal clearance that a tube amp needs on the top sides ect..Can I put it in my equipment rack?

 

[Headdie]

Hello,

I'm looking at this amp (see attached image).

It says tubes:

EL84 × 2 (Output Tubes)
6N3 × 2 (Drivers)
6Z4 x 2 (Rectifier)

Q1. Do you roll all kind of tubes or do you focus usually on a specific kind, like drivers for example ?

Q2. Let's say that a driver needs replacement, do I need to change both at the same time to keep them equals ? Is it better to change all six tubes at the same time ?

Q3. I suppose that drivers are the preamp and outputs are the power amp, please correct me if needed... But what are rectifiers ?

Just to understand a little better... Thanks for your lights,

Headdie

 

[manofmathematics]

From my experience, replacing the driver tube provides the biggest changes. Sometimes I have to really listen to notice a difference when I roll power tubes, but that is not the rule. Sometimes it is noticeable right off the bat. Not sure about rectifier's and rolling. I know that my father won't change out a rectifier unless necessary. So, I don't know. Someone else around here probably has the answer.

You can change out the drivers and leave everything else alone...same for the other tubes. It's a good idea to keep your tubes matched and replace them all as a matched set. This is more important in certain situations, such as your power tubes.

Rectifiers change AC to DC...iirc

 

[Headdie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by manofmathematics /img/forum/go_quote.gif From my experience, replacing the driver tube provides the biggest changes.

Should I understand that the soft clipping of the output stage is what people like with tubes, but rolling the drivers is the best way to change the color of an amp? This would explain why I see less hybrid amps, I suppose...

 

[manofmathematics]

Well, it is something that I personally enjoy. I really won't power speakers with anything other than a good set of tubed monoblocks. So, to me and probably others, the output stage can really make or break a set-up.

But yes, driver tubes can have a very noticeable impact on the overall sound. I find the largest changes in overall sound to come from playing around with the drivers, but that is, of course, once everything else in the system in in place and I'm comfortable with the sound.

Nothing wrong with a hybrid. They are, in my opinion, better left to lower impedance cans if you're looking for that so-called "tube" sound.

 

[BIG POPPA]

Nice thread. Just got the Figaro. Now to search the threads to find out which tubes to tuberoll.