Why tube amps?

[gobble]

the toxicity of TV can be mitigated to a considerable degree by muting it..do that especially when a hotshot commentator is dispensing his pearls of wisdom..the face looks serious but since no sound is forthcoming 'the blabbering person looks ridiculous'.....as one book put it, muting the TV has the effect of making " Television pundits lose their intimidating effect; they even look ridiculous. They seem to be excited about something terribly unimportant. Suddenly pundits become clowns...."

Even more fun with song and dance sequences from movies ....

Cheers

 

[ajay124]

@Ajay, once you add a tube amp.your SS set up will remain untouched.

Regards
Rajiv

Thanks for the humour Rajiv.Really appreciate it.
At the moment I am not too sure that a sub 200 K Tube amp,can compete or beat the Bryston BP6/3B SST.But sometimes in the future I would be willing to commit the funds to find out.
I wish I was living in Bangalore/Bombay/Chennai and knew some friendly dealers open to the idea of home auditions.That would be the best way to go about buying a tube amp.Starting a thread on the forum is a substitute(a good substitute) for that.
In Chandigarh we have just 3 dealers selling 'Hifi'.One keeps Yamaha AVR's,another Denon AVR's and the third actually has a Marantz 6003 integrated for audition!And this in a city where BMW's/Audi's/Merc's are more and more visible on Madhya Marg!

 

[hifiashok]

Thanks for the humour Rajiv.Really appreciate it.
At the moment I am not too sure that a sub 200 K Tube amp,can compete or beat the Bryston BP6/3B SST.But sometimes in the future I would be willing to commit the funds to find out.
I wish I was living in Bangalore/Bombay/Chennai and knew some friendly dealers open to the idea of home auditions.That would be the best way to go about buying a tube amp.Starting a thread on the forum is a substitute(a good substitute) for that.
In Chandigarh we have just 3 dealers selling 'Hifi'.One keeps Yamaha AVR's,another Denon AVR's and the third actually has a Marantz 6003 integrated for audition!And this in a city where BMW's/Audi's/Merc's are more and more visible on Madhya Marg!

You may like to look up Cocoz in Ludhiana... and, ab dilli door nahin!

 

[ajay124]

You may like to look up Cocoz in Ludhiana... and, ab dilli door nahin!

Apart from Lyrita/Sound of Music (have already visited) where can you audition tube amps in Delhi?Cocoz may have the Cadence integrated for audition but probably nothing else.

 

[bhagwan]

Apart from Lyrita/Sound of Music (have already visited) where can you audition tube amps in Delhi?

I do not know the current scene that well, but to the best of my understanding, tube gear in India is not sold. ARN in Bangalore is the only D & D I know that gets tube gear [Laben / Shindo / Ayon] into the country. Audio Vision [Mumbai] sells Audio Research. Jochen in Bangalore sells Einstein. Marbin Colah in Mumbai sells Jadia. SOM in New Delhi sells Nagra & Conrad Johnson.
I do not know of any other tube gear that may be represented in India.
So auditions @ dealers place is very difficult.
However you sure can visit audiophile houses for demo and that will be a good exposure. In my humble opinion....
Amritsar / Pune / Mumbai / New Delhi etc.
You may have to make the effort - but that is the only way out...

I am so sure of stock positions either - who [D & D] carries what ? How much they have to give a demo with ? This is a contentious issue & would love to stay away from it.

 

[bhagwan]

In Chandigarh we have just 3 dealers selling 'Hifi'.One keeps Yamaha AVR's,another Denon AVR's and the third actually has a Marantz 6003 integrated for audition!And this in a city where BMW's/Audi's/Merc's are more and more visible on Madhya Marg!

You see, Chandigarh is a superb city. I really love it.
Have been there 2 times & really liked it a lot.
You have observed most appropriately, Audi / BMW / Mercedes etc. are in ample number, but I could never find a wine shop that sold wine !
My point being, all things that are flamboyant & do not need to be understood are very very easy to get in Sector 17. Cars / Clothes / Shoes / Restaurants etc. etc. However good quality hi-fi gear [2 channel] wine etc. are not available. That is because the 'finer' tastes of persons has not evolved. It takes time. It will happen. Just need to spend so time and some person has to expose them to it.
It is a bug, one you get bit, there is no looking back....
p.s. I really love your city - was last there in July, 2010 on my way back from H.P. Lahoul & Spiti & Amritsar [Punjab]

 

[ajay124]

You see, Chandigarh is a superb city. I really love it.
Have been there 2 times & really liked it a lot.
You have observed most appropriately, Audi / BMW / Mercedes etc. are in ample number, but I could never find a wine shop that sold wine !
My point being, all things that are flamboyant & do not need to be understood are very very easy to get in Sector 17. Cars / Clothes / Shoes / Restaurants etc. etc. However good quality hi-fi gear [2 channel] wine etc. are not available. That is because the 'finer' tastes of persons has not evolved. It takes time. It will happen. Just need to spend so time and some person has to expose them to it.
It is a bug, one you get bit, there is no looking back....
p.s. I really love your city - was last there in July, 2010 on my way back from H.P. Lahoul & Spiti & Amritsar [Punjab]

I am happy to tell you that the wine situation has vastly improved over the last couple of years.Most departmental stores stock wines/single malts and though a good Pinot from Bourgogne or a Paul Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle is a distant dream,a lot of entry level 'gulping' wines from Australia,South Africa,Chile,Argentina are available in the 500-700 bracket.Personally I don't like new world wines.I prefer the Rioja/Ribba Del Duero from Spain,Sangiovese and Nebbiolo from Italy,Rieslings from Germany and plenty of French wines-Pouilly Fume,Sancerre,Vouvray,Chablis,the magnificient reds from Medoc,Bourgogne and the Rhone valley.
Unfortunately the only 'french' wines you get at the moment are the Vin De Pays from the Languedoc(d'Oc) Region and these wines IMO will destroy the reputation of French wines....they are so bad.

 

[bhagwan]

Interesting..
Maybe, I was looking in the wrong places...
So next time I come to Chandigarh, I will get some table wines to get by...:yahoo:

 

[hifiashok]

The Audio People, Chennai also stocks tube gear. It is a relatively new setup.

They have some serious stuff.

 

[bhagwan]

The Audio People, Chennai also stocks tube gear. It is a relatively new setup.

They have some serious stuff.

Sir,
What tube gear does Audio People Stock ?
I am not aware of any.
Halcro / MBL / Accapella / Theil etc.
I never knew they carried any Tube gear; Please do correct me...
I have listed most tube gear in my earlier post. Wavac is the only one I missed out. Some one in Pondicherry - I think. Not sure. Please do fill in the details.
Thanks,

 

[ajay124]

Audio People has Pathos and I believe Absolute Phase has recently started stocking Unison Research after Sound and Vision became the distributor for the same.I'm not sure if Sound of Music is carrying fresh stock of Conrad Johnson.Lakozy has Jadis on their website,maybe in a tie up with Marbin.But earlier I was interested in a Naim amplifier but found Marbin's pricing too much on the higher side.

 

[bhagwan]

Audio People has Pathos and I believe Absolute Phase has recently started stocking Unison Research after Sound and Vision became the distributor for the same.I'm not sure if Sound of Music is carrying fresh stock of Conrad Johnson.Lakozy has Jadis on their website,maybe in a tie up with Marbin.But earlier I was interested in a Naim amplifier but found Marbin's pricing too much on the higher side.

Pathos I was not aware of;
So glad you did not go in for a Naim...
UN is done by Sound & Vision - Pune & Prithvi must be his dealer...
Jadis was with Sound of Music & now Marbin does it - hence La Kozy has it.

 

[Rajiv]

Wavac is the only one I missed out. Some one in Pondicherry

Audire, in Coimbatore has/had Wavac and Feastrex speakers.

Rajiv

 

[bhagwan]

Audire, in Coimbatore has/had Wavac and Feastrex speakers.

Rajiv

Yes;
I stand corrected.
Sorry, I am ill informed..
Thanks Rajiv !
:clapping:

 

[hifiashok]

Sir,
What tube gear does Audio People Stock ?
I am not aware of any.
Halcro / MBL / Accapella / Theil etc.
I never knew they carried any Tube gear; Please do correct me...
I have listed most tube gear in my earlier post. Wavac is the only one I missed out. Some one in Pondicherry - I think. Not sure. Please do fill in the details.
Thanks,

Pathos.

They had a dedicated room for MBL. And another had a Pathos based rig.

Seemed to be pretty well done up rooms.

 

[greenhorn]

just curious. Just asking from what I know in theory -
How would a pure Class A Solid State compare ? A lot of what people complain about Solid state amps are due to the linearity, which is not so bad in class A's, and conversely, Tube amps running in push pullclass AB have been described to sound just as bad ( or the same) as the run of the mill Solid state due to the lack of second order distortion

 

[bhagwan]

just curious. Just asking from what I know in theory -
How would a pure Class A Solid State compare ? A lot of what people complain about Solid state amps are due to the linearity, which is not so bad in class A's, and conversely, Tube amps running in push pullclass AB have been described to sound just as bad ( or the same) as the run of the mill Solid state due to the lack of second order distortion

I used to use a Pure Class A SS amp. No Super Slide Bias etc. This was Pure Class A - 150 Watts @ 8 ohms. All the way down to 0.25 Ohms and keeps doubling - so long as your wall can give the juice...
I have now - for the past 1 ++ year - shifted to Tube Amplifier - 50 watts pure class A.
I do not believe in theory nor do I base my results on what I read. To me it is only about the sound. If I like it, it is good, if I do not, it moves out. Simple...

 

[bhagwan]

Pathos.

They had a dedicated room for MBL. And another had a Pathos based rig.

Seemed to be pretty well done up rooms.

Pathos is mid fi.
Since AP [Audio People] carries top end gear - Halcro [for SS] & Accapella for [Horns] & MBL [style + build + finish] he should also carry a top end tube product.
I do feel that the product portfolio of AP is a bit 'wierd'
No Top end CD Player / No top end TT & no Top end Tube Gear. Most strange...
I wonder who suggests the product mix to Mr. Jalal ?

 

[Rajiv]

I do not believe in theory nor do I base my results on what I read. To me it is only about the sound. If I like it, it is good, if I do not, it moves out. Simple...

:clapping::clapping::clapping:

I follow the same philosophy.

Rajiv

 

[hifiashok]

Pathos is mid fi.
Since AP [Audio People] carries top end gear - Halcro [for SS] & Accapella for [Horns] & MBL [style + build + finish] he should also carry a top end tube product.
I do feel that the product portfolio of AP is a bit 'wierd'
No Top end CD Player / No top end TT & no Top end Tube Gear. Most strange...
I wonder who suggests the product mix to Mr. Jalal ?

I'm certain more pure 'business' sense than AP (audiophilia) reasons....