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Preference Poll: Cover or No Cover

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

  • Total voters
    121
I actually have the cages on my amps, though I did have them off for awhile. In that case, if the cage is off, all you see is tubes - no can caps, transformers, etc (they're in their own cage on the other side - that cage isn't so easy to remove). Mostly I have them on because I got tired of seeing the cages in my closet and they were kind of in the way.

But all things being equal, I like seeing my tubes too. I think can caps and tube covers are pretty cool too. . .
 
It depends... one great thing about covers is they reduce the urge for "tube rolling" and fiddling... my Dynaco ST-70 has had the cover on for years already without incident.
 
I keep the cage off most of the time. It only goes on when my nephew visits.
He's been told of the dangers of the amp and keeps well clear but I don't want to take chances. Never forgive myself if the wee spud got hurt.

Cheers,
Alistair
 
Visual enjoyment is part of the romance of tubes.

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Depends

Om some amps such as a Dynaco SCA-35 the cover not only provides shielding, the insides looks lousy.

A Fisher 400 has phono amp tube shields and all wiring is under the chassis. I can take this Fisher either way.
 
Vincentz; TMI and I'm gonna have NIGHTMARE's NOW......:naughty:

I've got 4 receivers with the option of off/on. The Sansui 1000A absolutely OFF as it put's out enough heat to char steaks. One 800-C with the optional cover (on) and one 800-C in the console. The TA-600 is nude all the time(no cover). Nice light show on that one.
 
My one tube component, (Jolida 302 integrated), is without a cover/cage and not sure they even offer one for it, I voted without.
 
I've got two former console Motorola tube amps; since there was never an option for a cage..I don't have one.

But, for me, it'd depend on the gear. Did it come with one? Does it happen to look more "together" with it? If the tubes are nicely visible, I'll run it topless; I like tubes. I can see where some gear would just look horrible topless.
 
I don't use covers on any of my tube equipment, since they run cooler with the covers off. And some covers, such as those of the Dynaco PAS2/3 preamp and the FM3 tuner, are unventilated. For tube life, I assume that "cooler is better". As for stacking, who would want to stack tube equipment anyway?
 
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