I think the word used here should be hard on tubes, not harsh on tubes. Yes, some preamps put a tough load on their tubes, which means that these tubes will have a shorter lifespan than normal.
Should you avoid them? That's up to you. Some of the finest sounding tube preamps for the money are hard on tubes. If you want piece of mind over and above sonics, then perhaps it is best that you avoid such preamps though.
Cheers,
John
Should you avoid them? That's up to you. Some of the finest sounding tube preamps for the money are hard on tubes. If you want piece of mind over and above sonics, then perhaps it is best that you avoid such preamps though.
Cheers,
John