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In Reply to: RE: Stories from people who have moved from tubes to SS posted by Ozzy on November 26, 2014 at 04:03:06
Actually probably gave up after listening to a Dyna ST70; I know I would. That said, I would like to know what a 7B looked like. The is the 7, 7C and 7T so must have been a 7B but, never seen one.
All the hype about tubes being antiques, having to be replaced all the time, etc. is hogwash. Some tube units do run the tubes hard and on the edge, requiring changes every 4-5 years. Others run them very conservatively and the rules are still wrong after some 50 years. Go back to the early ss years and see how fragile and failure prone those germanium transistors were and try and find nos or nib stock today. Same with newer mosfets, jfets, ICs, STKs. Following threads shows there are more persons trying to figure out how to source modern replacement devices because original replacements are not available or knockoffs that do not work. You can still find almost any tube going back to the days of the caveman but, may cost. More popular audio tubes are being made again and that list is growing. Also, if someone wants to go to another tube, there are others from direct fits to will work but the socket needs rewiring or with some circuit change an entirely different tube will work as well or better.
The truth be told, a tube amp, preamp, etc. is easier to fix, generally parts more easily obtained and as reliable or more than ss gear. Yes, with vintage tube units, it usually requires some upfront investment to get to a reliable daily driver but, this holds true even of older ss units. Caps, resistors do not discriminate.
Having said that I did finally cycle out of my tube systems after decades running it along side my SS systems. It was a decision more related to my age and future travel down the road of life than anything else. As for improvement, nothing. As for loss, definitely not, tolerable and acceptable for my future needs and wants. The last tube system sold was my Sherwood S3300IV tuner and S5000II. The replacement permanent system was a Sherwood S9500c amp and S3300 tuner, their 1st gen units. Differences in sound satisfaction is zip, nada. Sherwood did an excellent job with their tube units and needed little or no voicing of their SS to emulate the older units. The tube units are closer to what we call a modern tube sound than the older classic tube sound many think are poor sounding while most of my crowd finds better than the harsh,.sterile, emotionless, uninvolving transitory sound from the early ss days. As for new ss, I can not find a really good sounding unit that is reliable, well engineered, well built, not even the new McIntosh. I doubt I could today buy something like the old Sherwood units or McIntosh and 50 years later still have it running. Of course, I will be long gone so long term reliability is no longer as near the top of my list as it was when I was 22.
Don Brian Levy, J.D.
Toronto ON Canada
Follow Ups:
The only thing worse than a new tube amp is a secondhand one. .
I have been wracking my brain trying to come up with a response to your post that is articulate, thought provoking, and gentile. After all this speculation I can only come to one conclusion.
You are an idiot.
Sorry, but that is the only response that fits the situation. I wish I could offer you more, but I think you will understand completely.
Oz
Don't worry about avoiding temptation. As you grow older, it will avoid you.
- Winston Churchill
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