How Important is Tube Matching?


I was wondering how important tube matching is for a preamplifier. I had read somewhere that tube matching is extremely important if the tubes were used in an amplifier but was less critical for the preamp. Is this true? I've recently acquired a tube preamp and want to upgrade the tubes but wasn't sure it was worthwhile to pay the big dollars to get matched set(s)...It's a six channel preamp! Any advice would be appreciated.
Thank you!
calgarian5355
calgarian5355

Showing 1 response by sdatch

The best thing to do is consult the product documentation or simply ask the manufacturer. There are varying approaches in the industry as some amps and preamps have autobias features while others do not, not to mention differences in circuit implementation...