Do blown preamp tubes cause other issues?

I've never had any problem with damage after losing a tube in an ARC preamplifier, and I've used ARC preamps for decades. I'm currently using a Ref 5SE.

very glad to hear.

If you have a solid-state amp with tube pre it can take out your speakers .

I'm not sure how a tube preamp hooked to a SS amp can take out your speakers, but I guess anything is possible…it would seem that the preamp just stops working when a tube blows, and isn't likely to dump anything beyond (maybe) some noise into the amp which I suppose could stress the speakers…still…hmm...

schubert

If you have a solid-state amp with tube pre it can take out your speakers .

I have never, ever seen that happen. In the case of ARC, where I have the most experience, the preamp will go into automute at the slightest malfunction.

I suppose if a preamp tube arced and caused fire and burnt down the house, one could argue it can take out the speakers. But that should not be limited to only solid state amps. Just saying...

Seen it happen twice .

Schubert please elaborate.

Wolf_Garcia 4-5-2017
...it would seem that the preamp just stops working when a tube blows, and isn’t likely to dump anything beyond (maybe) some noise into the amp which I suppose could stress the speakers.

Regarding the latter possibility, I once had a small signal tube in my VAC tube power amp suddenly short out (as I subsequently determined with my tube tester), while I was listening to music. The result was a fearsomely loud static-type noise. I shut down the amp within about 5 seconds, with no harm done to anything. But if I had not been in the room and able to take quick action at the time, and if my speakers were not rated to be able to handle much more power than the amp is capable of delivering, it certainly seems conceivable to me that a tweeter could have been taken out.

And it would seem conceivable that something similar could happen in the case of a tube preamp/solid state amp combo, unless an automute function in the particular preamp design would be protective as Cleeds mentioned.

Regards,
-- Al

A tube went out in my pre- forget  the brand, passed DC(i was told) to my Belles Amp which blew up and fried my Linn speakers.

Similar event with Van Alstine Amp and bottle neck pre  blew tweeters and 1 mid on Rega RS-3 speakers which i liked .

out put transformers stop DC always a good thing to have in a tube amp, Pre/amp