Topic: What is the average lifespan of your tubes?

[tanrover]

What is the average lifespan of your tubes? Are replacement tubes easy to get?

[KD]

I have been tubing for more than two years, and I have yet to replace any tube in my equipment due to it dying on me.

I replace tubes to change the sound (tube rolling) but those tubes that are removed are still fine.

The shortest-lived tubes I have come across are the EL34s in my Dynaco ST-70. 2,000 hours daw ang buhay. At 20 hours listening a week, that would be a lifespan of roughly two years. But they are still working! EL34s are very easy to get and are relatively cheap, if you buy new production, not NOS.

Other tubes (preamp, etc) are rated up to 10,000 hours. That would be 10 years at 20 hours a week.

[markmlists]

Sabi nila, driver tubes last a long time; power tubes relatively long din.
But how about rectifier tubes like 5U4G ?


Thanks.

[markmlists]

anyone? Thanks!

[shogunn]

knowledgable topic to for the newbie like me bakit konti lang nagreply.

[eXg]

i have no specifics (read or tested) about life of rectifiers but from experience, i have these for over 3 years.  as far as i recall, nothing died on me yet.  my GUESS would be to equate it with power tubes (relative to driver and input tubes).

i do not have concerns with (longevity) life of tubes. They're durable, they last longer than my car parts  .

[arnoldc]

re: tube rectifiers- just like any other tubes, as long as they're operated within limits can last very very long, like 5 years to 8 years.

what is a badly designed PSU? say 5U4-G -> 100uF - choke/resistor -> next stage

why? the 5U4-G in a capacitor-input design requires a MAXIMUM of 40uF input capacitor.

[Dracula]

I have been tubing for more than two years, and I have yet to replace any tube in my equipment due to it dying on me.

I replace tubes to change the sound (tube rolling) but those tubes that are removed are still fine.

The shortest-lived tubes I have come across are the EL34s in my Dynaco ST-70. 2,000 hours daw ang buhay. At 20 hours listening a week, that would be a lifespan of roughly two years. But they are still working! EL34s are very easy to get and are relatively cheap, if you buy new production, not NOS.

Other tubes (preamp, etc) are rated up to 10,000 hours. That would be 10 years at 20 hours a week.

Same here purchased the tube amp in 2004 and the stock tubes are still working.......