Is There A Point When You Become Too Old for Tube Amps?

[MylesBAstor]

Forget replacing tubes. Forget their heat. The weight of these suckers is killing my back! 🤕🤔

[defdum&blind]

I thought the reason for mono blocks was to make it easier to lift one channel instead of two. If they could make them so the transformers could be pulled out for transport or lifting it might reduce the sound quality. I can see those with bad backs buying Class D amps for that reason alone.

[Bill Hart]

As long as the nursing home attendant can handle the biasing, I'm good.

[MylesBAstor]

[Bill Hart]

I do wonder about this, though, in all seriousness. There will probably come a point when I am too old to deal with all the gear, the records, etc. At that point, I'll have to find a new hobby. Chasing women. Hanging out on park benches and muttering obscenities. You know, the usual old man stuff.

[mkuller]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhL6I5eeDaE

[Rob]

Forget replacing tubes. Forget their heat. The weight of these suckers is killing my back! 🤕🤔

dude, you lift weights for a living. c'mon besides you know to use your legs not your back.

[mkuller]

Yes there is and I'm getting close. In a couple of years we are going to downsize and move from our house to a condo so no more dedicated listening room for my big, tubed system. That will have to be downsized, too. But there are solid state amps where you don't have to sacrifice much, like the Pass X series.

[Analog21]

What about speakers then? I'd think you'd have to move speakers just as much as amps based on room configurations, moving, tinkering with room placement, etc. There's always your iPhone I guess

[MylesBAstor]

dude, you lift weights for a living. c'mon besides you know to use your legs not your back.

Yeah it's like lifting Atlas stones.

[rockitman]

You only have to deal with the weight once or not very often unless your a reviewer ....it's the heat whether tube or SS Class A ...
I almost think my Lamm LP1 phono puts off as much heat as my Pass XS 150's dual chassis class A monos.....lol

[Rob]

Yeah it's like lifting Atlas stones.

the heaviest amp ive owned was SS, the krell MDA-500. it weighed in at 140 lbs per side.

[rockitman]

My moniblock power supply chassis weighs in at 130lbs, gain chassis 110lbs x 2. I moved them myself. Careful power lift technique and appliance dolly while still boxed does the trick when no one is around to help.

[MylesBAstor]

It's getting them back in the boxes that should be an Olympic event! Best solution that I ever saw were this breakdown crates where say the amp goes on the bottom and you assemble the crate around the product. Audia Flight did that for their 250# stereo amp.

[MylesBAstor]

You only have to deal with the weight once or not very often unless your a reviewer ....it's the heat whether tube or SS Class A ...
I almost think my Lamm LP1 phono puts off as much heat as my Pass XS 150's dual chassis class A monos.....lol

How many tubes? My friend's all tube Aesthetix phono put out a lot of heat too.

[JackD201]

Never!

Besides, my SS amps are twice as heavy as my heaviest tube amps LOL

[rockitman]

How many tubes? My friend's all tube Aesthetix phono put out a lot of heat too.

The allnic is one ps. Lamm is two...twice the heat.

[Bodhi]

I'm admittedly more of a solid state guy. When I previously owned tube equipment I always felt like I was babysitting the tubes, if only at a subconscious level. And you feel like you have to 'keep up with the joneses' by buying exotic (and very expensive) NOS tubes. Then there are the thermal issues. Some tube gear runs pretty hot! Don't get me wrong though, I enjoyed my time with my tube equipment, but I prefer the convenience of ss.

I see some of the bigger tube amps are getting up there in weight compared to high end ss amps. The CJ Art 150 for example weighs in at a fairly hefty 80lbs compared to my Vitus Integrated (92.5lbs). Now as I approach my 50's my solution to avoiding back niggles is to buy a new amp I love & intend to keep for many years. Though I know a lot of audiophiles regularly flip amps on the used market.