From what I understand, amp design can have a pretty significant impact on tube life. The harder the tubes are driven, the more often they’ll need replacement, so the amp tubes (the large 4) will need to be replaced probably twice as often as the pre-stage (the smaller ones in front). Considering this only puts out 75 watts per channel, it’s a pretty conservative design.

I can’t speak for other tube amps, but there is no recommended service interval for these. Replace the tubes when they burn out, and repair things as they break (as with anything else). I’ve had this amp 16 years now, and I’m still running the original tubes. They’ll likely need to be replaced soon, but that’s not a bad run

About 65 pounds I believe. Lots of copper in there!

That’s a great setup! I love the 702s. I’m using a REL sub which is fantastic.

Recapping shouldn’t be necessary for a long time, if ever on a modern unit (gen 4 and newer). Yes the tubes need replacing eventually, but I’ve got 16 years on mine so it’s not like it’s common, and they’re obviously user replaceable.

KT88 are relatively commonplace, and those are the primary tubes that will need to be replaced. I would hope someone would step in to continue manufacturing them if it came to that but who knows.

Yeah. I miss the way audio used to be. The mid-tier is gone. Everything now is either high end or bargain basement.

Ha. I don’t think they judge.

That’s a shame. So many great audio brands died as consumers chose convenience over quality.

It takes the line level signal from a pre-amp and amplified it to play through speakers. Prior to the 60s, you needed an amp, pre-amp, and speakers to play music. Today all of that fits in a small bluetooth speaker.

That’s awesome. Are they still around?

Be not afraid! Dive in!

It is a speaker amplifier. In the world of traditional stereo setups, most people connect speakers to a receiver, which is essentially a pre-amp and amp combo. The pre-amp let’s you select source and set volume, and the amp takes that information and amplifies the signal to play through the speakers. In this case the amp is not built in to a receiver but is a separate item (as pictured)

Pretty much anyone can hear the difference. It’s a completely different technology versus FET driven amps and has an inherently different sound. Whether or not the difference is worth the cost is up to the individual, but the difference is profound.

Looks great with the lights in the room low as well. McIntosh running, lights down, and a glass of wine is a great way to unwind.

Thanks! I can’t justify any of their other products, the MC275 is a bit of a bargain compared to most of their catalog.

Fair point!

Absolutely. I use it about 2-3 hours a day, so I’m prepared to replace them any day now.

I love Sonus Faber. They sound incredible and look amazing.

Indeed!

A very heavy tank!

Sounds like he gave you the bug!

It’s relatively low power by modern standards, putting out 75 watts per channel, but I’ve never noticed any shortcomings.

Old pioneer gear was incredible, I’d say it’s absolutely worth getting yours back into operating order!

Quite true.

Yup! NAD made some amazing stuff in the 90s. I love the convenience of “modern” audio (iPhones and such), but nothing beats the stability and performance of quality audio gear