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Preference Poll: Cover or No Cover

Do you like your tube gear with cover/cage or without?

  • Total voters
    121
captouch

captouch

Addicted Member
I have three tube integrated and one tube tuner. Two have covers and two don't. Not really a conscious choice - the two that have covers I was able to get for free/cheap, so they're on there.

I've been casually on the lookout for a covers for the others, and just missed out on one for a nice price. . .but I realized I wasn't too disappointed.

I've come to think that these tube units look great, unique, and arguably better without covers. Assuming the chassis isn't in too bad shape, you can see the tubes glowing, you can polish up the can caps and tube shields to a chrome like finish, etc. Plus ventilation is better.

Now, for SS gear, no question (for me), a nice wood case dresses it up nicely.

But for tube gear. . .to me it almost makes the gear look SS like.

I'm wondering (and thought it was a good opportunity for a poll) - what do you other tubeheads think. Do you like your gear better with cover or sans cover?
 
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For integrateds, I always use the cover or try to find one. Where I can see the beauty of some power amps uncovered, the integrateds just don't do it for me.
 
To me it depends a lot on the particular unit. Most tube integrateds look better with the covers. I like a lot of tube power amps without covers. I agree that most solid state units look good in a box, but there are many McIntosh SS units that look equally glorious without the wood box. Just my humble opinion of course.

Marc
 
In my humble unbiased opinion, covers look good on all gear SS and tube.
But SS has no heat to deal with like tubes. so I like tubes sans covers. I like the ''looks'' of the tubes and misc things sticking up here and there. Theres a visual interest to me. Altho, smoe SS stuff has beautiful PC boards stuffed with all kinds of facinating things and pretty colors, so there also is visual interest.
I have covers for my tube preamps and use them but only 1 for my ST70, the cage it came with. None for the fisher. One of these days when got I nuthing else to do I mite try installing the cage to see how it looks. Gotta paint it first to match the rest of my stuff with nice painted transformers and shiny chassis and can caps. I like makeing these things look spiffy, wether they ara factory correct or not. I make em look like I like em.
I know full well that is spoils the ''Purist"' valeu of the piece but so does recapping or anything that takes away absolute originality. So be it. thats a different aspect of this hobby.
 
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No kids around, no covers. Otherwise definitely need to cage the power tubes...what, with the skin removing temperatures and possible access to lethal voltages.
 
On a practical note, you can't stack without a cover. You probably don't want a CDP or anything else like that on top of a hot tube amp, but maybe some decorative items, like a Nipper dog or two.
 
what was ''ment'' and what is aint the same today.
Man wasnt ment to fly either.
I'll see my tubes if I want to.
 
In lieu of a cover I use stainless steel screen at each end. This keeps cats away and my hands as well.

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I like them topless, but I have been thinking about building some sort of support mechanism to hold a skillet just above my power tubes. I just finished a pair of sweep tube amps and they throw off lots of heat. It is 105 in the shade here in chico ca, so no covers, and no tube amps during the day time, tempting as it may be i really dont need 2 $pace heater$ running today. Lol all my tube gear is topless, something about those tubes makes me want to stare into the electron cloud.
 
Like most others i like the case on my scott integrated but the power amps look better without imho.
 
On my tube amps I have the cage off. Half of the fun to me is watching the tubes glow.. With that said if I had young kids I would put the cage on mine are old enough to not botgher it.
 
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