Whats a Tube Buffer

[Zwischen]

Was wondering what a Tube buffer is ?

 

[grubyhalo]

Here's a stupid version of the answer till the knowledgeable ones show up:

When you connect an audio source to a pre or a pre to an amp, the impedance of the 1st stage (o/p impedance) should be considerably lesser (by atleast 10 times as per an old jungle saying ) than the impedance of the 2nd stage (i/p impedance). Using a buffer between stages 1 and 2 helps you achieve this without increasing the gain of the signal. A tube buffer is just a buffer that use tubes to get the job done.

However, a tube buffer these days is also (mainly) used by people to infuse 'tube' flavor to a solid-state source, something akin to artificial sweeteners.

 

[pankaj.t]

Here's a stupid version of the answer till the knowledgeable ones show up:

When you connect an audio source to a pre or a pre to an amp, the impedance of the 1st stage (o/p impedance) should be considerably lesser (by atleast 10 times as per an old jungle saying ) than the impedance of the 2nd stage (i/p impedance). Using a buffer between stages 1 and 2 helps you achieve this without increasing the gain of the signal. A tube buffer is just a buffer that use tubes to get the job done.

However, a tube buffer these days is also (mainly) used by people to infuse 'tube' flavor to a solid-state source, something akin to artificial sweeteners.

I was haunted by the same question some days back and your answer is of immense benefit to me.

 

[technobhatt]

Here's a stupid version of the answer till the knowledgeable ones show up:

When you connect an audio source to a pre or a pre to an amp, the impedance of the 1st stage (o/p impedance) should be considerably lesser (by atleast 10 times as per an old jungle saying ) than the impedance of the 2nd stage (i/p impedance). Using a buffer between stages 1 and 2 helps you achieve this without increasing the gain of the signal. A tube buffer is just a buffer that use tubes to get the job done.

However, a tube buffer these days is also (mainly) used by people to infuse 'tube' flavor to a solid-state source, something akin to artificial sweeteners.

Never mind, my total ignorance on this subject ! Time to learn from scratch now.

What is this 'tube' flavor ? What's it adding to a solid-state source? and what is actually solid state source? what's artificial sweeteners ?
and most importantly... I would like to know, is 'Tube Buffer' some device to play music or distribute audio or what ?

Please guys, try to answer me in simple English ! Thanks in advance.

 

[arj]

Simply speaking it is an Impedance Matcher.

If you connect a CD Player to an amp the CD player actually takes thevariable Load of the System. Most Cd players do not have the power supply capabailty ie basically the CD player should be a constant current source and a tough load makes it difficult to act as unless it has a Robust PSU.

a Good Buffer presents a easy load and uniform to the CDP and tkes on the tough lead itself..there is usually some gain in it but it the idea ias not to have a gain. but end result is smoother sopund especially in theBass/Lower bass.

It is useful only in entry level CDPs .but definitely useful for most DVDPs . And after a certain level, it can become the bottleneck in terms of resolution.

 

[metalmickey]

@technobhatt-tube flavour=warm sound with fat mid range and wide soundstage..more mellow..atleast thats what my tube integerated amp does...need to listen to it yourself to actually understand

 

[grubyhalo]

...What is this 'tube' flavor ? What's it adding to a solid-state source? and what is actually solid state source? what's artificial sweeteners ?...

I don't know. That's precisely why I had put tube in quotes. The rest are just some of the adjectives regularly thrown around quite frequently by users. With the little experience I have listening to tube-based equipment, I am unable to state the exact difference except to say that tubes seem to do a lot of things better than SS. Without knowing what I was listening to, I would not have been able to guess that I was listening to a tube or an SS amp/source. I did find tube amps to be a tad sluggish on the lows with 'some' of the music I listen to and hence, at best, I may throw my lot in with the hybrids and not a complete tube setup...

 

[ranjeetrain]

A buffer is something that is used to connect two devices of different impedance, so that it doesn't overwhelm the device with the low impedance. It can be a voltage-buffer or a current-buffer. If the gain of such a buffer is 1, that is it doesn't change the output voltage/current, it's called a unity gain buffer. This is the type of buffer that is mostly used in audio applications.

A tube buffer is a buffer which has been implemented using a tube. More people use a tube buffer more to add a tube warmth to the their sound than to balance impedance mismatch.

 

[Petrus]

Re: Good schematic for a Tube Buffer

Hi guys!
If anyone has some good schematic for a tube buffer is inserted here, because I want to connect my CD player to the amplifier via high-quality tube buffer.
Thank you for your cooperation!

 

[grubyhalo]

Rev A Octal CCDA Line Stage Amplifier