[rockadanny]

For me they provide a more relaxing sound. Not missing detail, just more pleasantly presented. I don't have a tube power amp yet. Just one tube in CDP, all tube pre, and a hybrid power amp with one tube per channel. But I am giong to try an all tube power amp - 6C33 based - to see what all of the fuss is about. So I am very encouraged when I see y'all referring kindly to these 6C33 tubes. Can't wait to hear them!

[FullRangeMan]

I honestly don't know Gustavo. Perhaps we should ask the experts in the Lab Circle what factors determine tube life as it relates to particular circuit design. I can only guess that the OTL you mentioned has lower plate operating voltage than the BAT. Also I've read before that autobias amps eat up tubes faster. This is all second hand information but I'm sure the AC tech gurus can give us definite answers.

>> Also I've read before that autobias amps eat up tubes faster. >>  This is a very important point to clear to any music lover that want buy a tube amp (me too), as all famous amp tube makers today use autobias as Audio Research, PrimaLuna,  Mystere, ConradJonhson, etc... AtmaSphere used fixed bias, but now at the MK3 version I do not know, seems AS have changed this; and JouleElectra use all manual bias.
Thankyou for this detail, Gustavo

[Mariusz]

Musical Intimacy, Impeccable Realism, Emotional Involvement
Infinite Customizations
User-serviceable parts (tubes)
Low parts count
Resale value
Unbelievable design potential
Tube glow- visual effects, especially at night are a welcome sight.
Tube styles & variations (tube rolling)

There are many other things I cherish as well.

Nicely said.

I also can not explain its magic.
In most cases I trust my ears and spects are far secondary.
With that in mind - tube gear in general is my cup of tea (there are few exceptions tho)
Most appealing to me are simplistic designs with solid fundamental. Designs of that caliber are quite sophisticated from ideological point of view and reflect the hearth and soul of its creator.

Most of my gear got tubes in it and those which do not, were chosen for its signature sound (which resemble tubes) or simply convenience.

Mariusz

[Niteshade]

Tube life does depend on how they're biased. Something you may not have known: It is possible to gently run tubes with autobiasing configurations without sacrificing allot of power, if any. Some of the best amps made, past & present are cathode (auto) biased.

There is nothing wrong with DC biasing. In fact, it is absolutely necessary for tube amps greater than 40 watts per channel if efficiency is to be considered within the design.

There are some autobias systems that use a microprocessor to manipulate DC biasing on individual tubes. This is not to be confused with cathode biasing.  I dislike this level of complexity as it veers away from conservative, dependable designs.

[panomaniac]

I'm with Dangerbird on this one.  The nostalgia is a big part of the charm.
Sure, most of them sound very nice and they are fun to play with - but they just look so darn cool!

Magical, mysterious, musical.

[FullRangeMan]

Tube life does depend on how they're biased. Something you may not have known: It is possible to gently run tubes with autobiasing configurations without sacramenting allot of power, if any. Some of the best amps made, past & present are cathode (auto) biased.
There is nothing wrong with DC biasing. In fact, it is absolutely necessary for tube amps greater than 40 watts per channel if efficiency is to be considered within the design.
There are some autobias systems that use a microprocessor to manipulate DC biasing on individual tubes. This is not to be confused with cathode biasing.  I dislike this level of complexity as it veers away from conservative, dependable designs.

Dear Niteshade,
Do you think the output tube autobias keep self Biasing (calibrating) the tubes all the time ?   

I do not know what is this DC Bias output the tube amps makers always inform on the specs paper.
What this DC Bias output do after all ? 
Thankyou, Gustavo

[Niteshade]

There are two ways to bias power tubes: Cathode & DC.

Cathode biasing works by creating a voltage across a bias resistor. The voltage is dependent upon the current traveling through the tube. As a tube ages, there will be less current and less bias voltage. The voltage will be properly tracked the tube's entire life.

DC biasing allows the power tube's cathodes to be directly connected to ground, allowing greater current transfer. As a result of zero cathode voltage, a negative voltage must be applied to the signal grid. It's typically around -35V for 6L6's. It mostly depends on how much high voltage there is and a couple of other things.  DC biasing is traditionally not automatic. It has to be manually set and occasionally reset as the tube ages. As stated above, a tube draws less current as it ages and that has to be compensated for.

A good question that I feel might be asked: Is one biasing method better than the other? From my viewpoint, no. It's application specific. High power tube amps (above 30 watts/channel) should use DC biasing. Amps 30 watts and under can use either system. It is possible to make efficient amps using the cathode biasing method.

NOTE: One of the major reasons why tubes fail is the accumulation of gas.  That's why plates can start to glow red (at normal bias levels) as the tube ages.  Keeping your amp cool via forced air cooling will greatly reduce or at least delay that kind of problem. (There is another thread dedicated to the subject in this circle.)

[Kpt_Krunch]

What attracted me  were all the options (tube rolling) to change the characteristics of your tube source without buying new equipment. I'm also impressed with the lushness of it, to me the music seems more natural, Solid State has more of a sterile quality to it, especially the cheaper ones. In fact, any solid state piece I've ever heard under a couple of grand MSRP pretty much sounds the same to me.

I haven't heard a lot of different tube amps, I've auditioned maybe 3 or 4 at B&M's, and own two amplifiers and one head phone amp and they all have different sound characteristics (and all cost less than a grand, each not total ) so it makes it nice.

I also purchased a tube buffer to put on my cd player ($80 player) on my H/T system (all Solid state) and it does improve the sound of that CD player, it makes it fuller, with more detail and more focus.


Although my head phone tube amp just died, so I'll have to send it back for some possible repairs. It may be the power tubes but I've only got about 150 hours or so at the most on it and the tubes are (were new) with the amp so i think something else may have happened to it. Oh well

[KimKman]

A short time ago I made an attempt to move away from tubes. My old amps, VTL MB450's were excellent but after a move and new setup were in need of a bit of work. I dreaded the thought of packing up these amps to send off to VTL and even more the repair cost involved. So I decided let's give solid state another go. It had been about 13 years since I had a SS amp in my listening room. OK, trying a fairly expensive set of mono blocks worked out pretty well. I suppose I could have lived with them if I had to but something was missing. So I started to explore some tube amps with a couple thoughts in mind. One I did not want to spend a ton of money and the other I did not want any more boat anchors. Well, after a few months I am now setup again with tubes and happy as heck with it all.  Also discovered a few things along the way. One I do not need a ton of power and two you can find excellent sounding equipment out there at a reasonable price. My main amp now is a push pull design 25 watt per channel Class A and my office amp is a 6 watt per channel SE pentode design. Efficient speakers are the key here also. Anyway, happy as heck to be back with a system that is toe tapping good and will melt you right into the sofa. 

[decal]

THAT sound !! 

[Steve]

The same for me. Tubes just sound more natural to me. Of course one could get into dielectric constants of vacuum vs solid state insulating materials or lower esr than solid state etc. One could also delve into the complexity of SS designs vs tube designs.

Just my take.

[Thebiker]

Musical!  I can listen to a good tube system for hours.  If I try that with solid state, it drives me out in under 2 hours.  Just the way it is.  I had a set of Mac separates at my home before I bought my Cary.  The shop owner was a friend and made me a SCREAMING deal on the Mac's.  Took them back and got the Cary from him.

No rough edges unless the artist put them there and when spinning vinyl .  Sounds like in the hall or club. 

Spinning Crosby, Stills and Nash from 1969, all acoustic and they sound like they are in the room.
Walt

[jeenie67]

....It don't have a remote!     

[aerius]

I like tube amps since I can understand them and build them.

I'm totally lost when it comes to solidstate, my knowledge ends at what a transistor is and which way to solder it into the board, and I've been known to fail at the latter.

[doug s.]

....It don't have a remote!   

except for the tube gear that do have a remote!    like my modded melos ma333r - been in my rig for ten years, longer than any other piece of gear, and not going anywhere, any time soon.   

[twochannelman]

I'm new to the Circle here but felt inclined to respond to this thread, hope no one minds.  I haven't read all the responses here and likely mine is similar to another but my attraction to tube gear is how it allows me to be closer to the music.  Or to say I get more involved with it at an emotional level.  From the very first tube amp, an old push pull Dynaco ST70 dropped in my lap some 8 years ago, to the journey that has brought me to a point to point wired tube preamp and SET mono blocks...music is magic to me through the bottle and I couldn't live without it.  Solid scrape is background noise anymore...

[Quiet Earth]

  Amen to that!

Welcome aboard twochannelman 

[mgalusha]

Welcome to the site and very nicely put. Your post also gives new meaning to the old quote "I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy". 

music is magic to me through the bottle and I couldn't live without it.  Solid scrape is background noise anymore...