Tube or Solid State?
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New member Username: Lockaudio801Post Number: 6 Registered: Apr-04 | Some people love tube amplification mainly because of it's generic warm sound.Other's feel solid state is better mainly because of it's hard hitting slam.I personally tried using hybrid equipment to get the real deal.Unfortunately I felt there was no grey area in between.In this scenario after much evalution which involved associated analog and digital sources and room conditioning I felt inclined to favor the tubes. How do you fella`s feel about this issue? Lemme know your thoughts please. |
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Eric J. Unregistered guest | I would also like to hear opinions on this subject. Heard an Antique Sound Lab AQ-1001DT tube integrated and both the NAD C352 and C320BEE solid state amps at the same shop on a pair of Rega R5 speakers and hooked to an NAD C542 cd player. The sound of the tube amp was much less fatiguing to the ear; I found myself just listening to the music naturally, whereas the NADs I felt were straining to the ear. I'm not certain, but the tube amp seemed to have a rounder, lusher sound and lacked a harshness compared to the NADs. I thought I heard more detail with the NADs, this may be why I felt I had to work more when listening. Perhaps I simply enjoy a sound that is not "overdetailed". Hard to say with only an hour of listening to each. I'd like to know the thoughts of tube vs. solid state, and what the "tubefiles" like about their tube amps. |
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Bronze Member Username: TevoChicago, IL USA Post Number: 97 Registered: Feb-05 | Food for thought: Amplification articles http://sound.westhost.com/articles.htm Or for more extreme view: "Top 10 Audio Lies" http://www.theaudiocritic.com/cwo/Sample_Articles/  |
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Bronze Member Username: EllisonPost Number: 15 Registered: Mar-05 | I've hear Musical fidelity tube solid hybrid. Its also rated by many magazine. I find it bland and so soft. |
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Bronze Member Username: TevoChicago, IL USA Post Number: 98 Registered: Feb-05 | Interesting. I found their hybrid gear to offer best of both worlds- liquidity, imaging, and openness of valves but with the resolution, power and drive of SS. To some it seems, MF has sort of boutique-ness to their product lines (limited production runs & overlapping models) but of their kit seems to restrict the use of tubes to the output stage of their sources (exception being the X-CAN headphone amp). Their high end amps and int. amps are as solid as solid state comes. Too bad this kit is beyond my price range. MF has made me a believer in putting valves as close to the source as possible- not at the amplifier. |
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J. Vigne Unregistered guest | Much of what MF has produced lately has employed nu-vistors and not (striclty) vacuum tubes. While enjoying much of the benefits of tubes, the nu-vistor was designed at the time transistors were replacing tubes and has qualities of both technologies. Whether you like the sound of MF is hardly a convincing argument for tubes or solid state. If someone didn't care for Sony ES, that would hardly amount to an example of what transistors can do. Not everyone will care for one or the other technology. That is what keeps the hifi companies in business. If you want to hear tubes at their (possible) best, find a McIntosh dealer who has their current tube gear. Here's a thread that has dealt with tubes lately: https://www.ecoustics.com/electronics/forum/home-audio/119397.html |
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Bronze Member Username: EllisonPost Number: 16 Registered: Mar-05 | Well maybe the MF setup of my friend is not configured or match correctly. The model number has an "X" and the casing is circular. Well I don't bother now coz my friend sold it out already and he doesn't want any Hi-end hifi anymore. He just wants to buy an ordinary Mini Compo. One of the reason is disappointment and frustration. He buy that in year 2000 and listening it for about few months and it become wallpaper since. He sold it one one by one speaker 1st then Cd player. The MF Hybrid pre & Amp combo is still not yet sold in the hifi store. |
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Tact Unregistered guest | I'm listening two kind of tube amps these days, and neither of them makes me happy. the first one was push pull design, class A 15 watts with EL84. the sound was too much forward and in your face. some details in music are taken out from the mix in a strange way, at first it could be interesting, but after a while it is simply too much. also, despite of all 'tube warmth' the sound of strings and such was too bright and edgy. the later one was Unison Research Simply Two, higly praised Single ended design, with 12 watts out of EL34. things were even worse. this unit looks like an aneamic supermodel on a bad day. thin, shallow, with limited headroom,you have constant feeling of pain of reproducing music in a natural way.3-D feeling of music which people craved about SET's are tottal BS! for no more than ONE musician on record, maybe it could do the job. so, be carefull, things are not so sweet as it seems to be. |
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J. Vigne Unregistered guest | There are some bad tube units just as there are bad solid state units. The output device alone does not insure good or bad sound. 15 watts is meager with most speakers today. Even a fairly efficient speaker (88-90dB) can be an unforgiving match with a small amp of any type depending on the impedance swing and complexity of the X-over. Certainly when using a single ended amp the loudspeaker load can be a vital factor in the over all performance. Since there is (typically) no feedback in a SE amp, the loudspeakers impedance swings will affect the frequency response of the final output causing fluctuations in response that may be less than desirable. A complex X-over can suck up lots of the small amount of power you have available. It should be understood, that unless you begin with high efficiency speakers utilizing a X-over designed for small wattage amps (or better yet no X-over) you are not going to get loud listening levels out of 12 watts of tubes or solid state. The writer did not make a comparison against an equally small transistor amplifier to make a valid conclusion it was the tubes themself that were at fault. Not all that is old is magic (though pentodes [the EL34] and SE were never meant to be together, they are a marketing scheme in may ways); and, if you decide to use tubes, you should thoroughly understand the pitfalls you might find along the way. A good dealer can be a immense assistance in this regard. Just buying product off the internet based on reviews can lead to some expensive mistakes and (hopefully) lessons learned. |
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Unregistered guest | The bottom line is that ure going to get ignorant tube purists, and ignorant solid state purists. SS & Tube both have there stong points and weak. It also depends in what SS & Tube amps your talking about. Most solid state amps I have played lack atmosphere. But some people may like the atmosphere of a solid state. They both give off a atmosphere or(warmth) no matter what, in which your going to like or hate. Line6 amps seem to be copy cats. But ive noticed that there tones have greatly increased over time, such as the flextone III. (I still call them copy cat amps) but there very much affordable rather then buying a Mesa tripple rectifier. I own a flextone II plus for recording and practice purposes. And a Mesa III rectifier for Band Jamming and gigs. If your in limbo wondering what type of amp to buy (solid.s vs tube) Really take your time and figure out what suits your needs and what u can afford. If you cant make up your mind, you can get a POD or some other amp modeling device, hook it up to a tube output device, then you can have the best of both worlds.... |
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Unregistered guest | I've had the same questions regarding the subject. While I like warmth, richness, soundstage, timbral accuracy - all that stuff - when I put on The Who - I want my butt kicked, up front, proper! (I feel the same standard of reproducing Mahler also applies to Keith Moon.) I'm not an audiophile, but a music lover - my intention to ge the best system I can for what I'd pay for mass market junk at Circuit City. I've done a ton of homework, read tons of reviews, gone back in forth with many in forums. Essentially, what I wanted to do (and have more or less done) was to narrow it down to a few well-reputed contenders,(a few SS, a few tube, and a hybrid - all under $600 or so used), and try them and see what strikes me best. (Any suggestions are appreciated. Same with speakers. Will most likely start with Klipsch KG4's - an efficient full-ranger that demands warmth. Reynaud Twins also on the list as they're supposed to be a great monitor.) I look forward to that. And in that I'll be getting everything 2nd hand - I only expect to eat the shipping at worst. In finding my ideal - I consider it a small amount to lose. |
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pattyboy Unregistered guest | Im looking at buying a new amp and its come down to a fender deville 212 reissue or a line 6 flextone III im so confused please leave me some input |
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