Why tube amps?
- Thread starter ajay124
- Start date
bhagwan
Well-Known Member
Perfect Attitude - Stay with what you think is correct.
I too was in your boat. Hard core - SS guy.
There are some aspects of SS that tubes cannot get right.... :licklips:
So please do stick to your beliefs & go on....
@Gobble
With Suri,missing from the forum in recent times,your posts are among the very few which can raise awhile saying something which merits consideration.
Also....
Is the trend towards Tube/Vinyl merely a reflection of our yearning for the good old days (NOSTALGIA HIFI!) or do they really sound better?
Hi Ajey
I have never owned audiophile tube gear and yet to hear one that made me drop all other plans and say "I want" - yet I am a fan based on my Radio experience.
hyeah: What I recall is the emotional involvement - not the soap-opera type emotions 
but something much more subtle and deeper evoked from within the brains+senses+consciousness network. As I mentioned in another post, I acquired an admiration for valve gear not by listening to a music system but a Bush Radio - I heard immense musicality in the pitch and intonations of the spoken word of newsreaders and announcers. The spoken word on the Valve Radio was like a revelation pronounced from the skies everyday!! It was that compelling!! I would say the memory of the emotions makes want to take that path. From emotions (and not through any knowledge of electronics) I know already there is no substitute for a valve in the power stage driving and interacting with a speaker.
hyeah: based on sheer conviction from memory!! What I mean is - it is part of nostalgia but should not be confused with it totally!! Clouded thinking? Maybe. but this "cloudy" thinking is ultimately a journey of discovery - of upgrading myself with new knowledge of electronics as well. And this journey cannot be clipped because somebody believes otherwise. Musical reproduction and its enjoyment is ultimately a human endeavor and where the hell do we draw a line to separate scientific knowledge from the spiritual and emotional?
Or to paraphrase one can only draw such a line (leading to Hell?) - and one is likely to stay there if he chooses to draw and follow that line hyeah:Yes the nostalgia aspect with the romance of visualizing glowing tubes is part of the game. If it adds to enjoyment of music why not? It may be a failure of the mind to separate the visual senses (glowing tubes) with the auditory senses and the subjective pleasures it has evoked in the past - show any tube fan a piece of SS gear that gives the same and the mind will soon dissociate the visual senses with its tubes from the equation. Ultimately it is subjective enjoyment we want - if an old painting on the wall from your much adored grandma's home makes you feel warm and cosy and good about your current home and makes it more liveable why not?
One more link with the technical differences between tubes and SS Lenard Audio - Education - Valve Amps
Yet to read it myself but looks like a good read ...
Cheers
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Duplicate post. Deleted.
@Stevie, it was a stereo post actually one for L and one for R channel
cheers
As you can see Ajay, tube lovers and distortion go quite hand in hand
eh gobble?
@Stevie, it was a stereo post actually one for L and one for R channel
cheers
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Malvai, what tube amps have you auditioned so far ?
I may be wrong, but going by my common sense understanding, even if you play a 100W SS amp - the first 2 to 3 watts of power are sufficient to fill the room at say at 9'o'clock volume? That makes the perceived low power of tubes actually adequate - provided you dont have very inefficent speakers.
Cheers
I have heard the cadence's, ARC Classic 60, Romulus Integrated amp and one or two brands that I don't remember. All sounded very good.
But, somehow, I prefer the sound of a good SS amp. The Krell gives me solid bass slam. The music is nice and airy. Humungous soundstage etc.
The tube's do many things right except for the bass slam. I might be wrong here or the set up wasn't right or whatever. . .
I asked the question because I had a hunch you have not heard some of the better tube amp implementations. The reason is also obvious, the lack of tube equipments around us. Even today we have only a handful of dealers doing tube and very very few audiophiles owning the higher breed of tube equipments. It is natural that most of us (including me) have hardly seen the tube world close enough to come to a conclusion. Fortunately I have heard some very good implementations of tube amps and following those designs I have learnt that a good tube amp can do everything (almost). However I am yet to verify the same in my own system hence I consider myself a newbie in this regard. But I have kept my window wide open considering the prospects of good tube designs. May be one day when I have heard a lot of these equipments I would be able to say if I belong to any particular camp.
Till then I belong to the neutral camp and my quest to find the most real and natural sounding gear continues.
This is just to say the idea of categorizing yourself so early may not be a good idea
.
Gobble that link is just superb. Thanks.
This is just to say the idea of categorizing yourself so early may not be a good idea
No man... am as neutral as you! It just that I haven't heard a toob set up that has made me want it baaaaad...
Plus the fact that I have finally optimised my analogue/ss rig. Just want to sit back, relax, listen to loads of good music. I'm sure, there is something about tube amps that makes people so passionate about them. Believe me, I recognize it, respect it, coz I am that way about analogue sound...
But, I'm gonna move to it only when something really touches my soul. It not happened yet. But, I'm open to it.
psychotropic
Well-Known Member
at the end of the day it's a preference right? There are two very distinct sounds, as everyone here seems to agree. The distinction can either be great or small depending on the iterations of the tube/SS philosophy that you're talking about, but at the end of the day it's impossible to state that one or the other flavour or philosophy is intrinsically superior or inferior to the other right? I think this thread discusses the various differences between tube and solid state in some detail, without any mudslinging, and with only the bare minimum of fanboyism, which is shockingly impressive . It's probably futile to seek a 'final answer' to the choice between tubes and solid state, but the question of "why tube gear" has been answered in great detail by the tube fans, and the counterpoint has also been put forward, if in slightly less detail, by the others. So let's all celebrate and turn on our stereos and listen to the music (and forget the equipment for a bit )
. It's probably futile to seek a 'final answer' to the choice between tubes and solid state, but the question of "why tube gear" has been answered in great detail by the tube fans, and the counterpoint has also been put forward, if in slightly less detail, by the others. So let's all celebrate and turn on our stereos and listen to the music (and forget the equipment for a bit )OT but made for Stevie ...
Although I'd have to play wearing gloves so as not to leave fingerprints on the tubes
Quite an experience that would be. Methinks it's popped up on the forum before but always glad to eyeball it lustfully again!
:cheers:ajay124
Well-Known Member
'Something to come and touch our soul so that we are sold to it for a lifetime'
For a soul stirring experience,I believe,it's not enough to have a great tube or ss set up.For me,music will always be primary,the equipment,significant,but a little less important.
While reading the knowledgable and passionate responses on this thread,I am always curious about what kind of music the 'poster' listens to.
Dr.Bass?Stevieboy?Shanti?Gobble?Others? Manav's music I know a little bit about.But,would appreciate some info about musical preferences to add 'colour' to the individual comments.
Imagine a longish,late night,3-4 hour solo session of one's favorite music.What would it be?And would the choice/preference of music affect one's choice of opting for a tube or ss amp?
For a soul stirring experience,I believe,it's not enough to have a great tube or ss set up.For me,music will always be primary,the equipment,significant,but a little less important.
While reading the knowledgable and passionate responses on this thread,I am always curious about what kind of music the 'poster' listens to.
Dr.Bass?Stevieboy?Shanti?Gobble?Others? Manav's music I know a little bit about.But,would appreciate some info about musical preferences to add 'colour' to the individual comments.
Imagine a longish,late night,3-4 hour solo session of one's favorite music.What would it be?And would the choice/preference of music affect one's choice of opting for a tube or ss amp?
Absolutely Ajay!
Spot on for me too. The music always comes first, the system second. As far as listening goes, its quite varied, in the last couple of days I've been through Deep Purple, Led Zep, Satriani (cos I was ripping them for the ipod), blues through net radio, classical and flamenco guitar through net radio, a spanish group La Shica, various spanish podcasts that I've downloaded, Segovia, oldies from the 50s/60s, some instrumental classical piano again net radio, one Journey lp. Lps have taken a backseat cos right now need full attention on something else and background music playing. But that's a fair enough spread. Depending on mood the above net radio stations include vocal jazz and a french radio station.
regards
edit: a late night session would depend on the mood I'm in, if it's lps, its lps all the way or late night would prefer between the classical and flamenco / vocal jazz, or the classical piano station. normally don't listen to rock in the night beyond 12. And no, choice of music wouldn't affect my choice of equipment, but the mood I'm in would dictate my choice of tubes
Spot on for me too. The music always comes first, the system second. As far as listening goes, its quite varied, in the last couple of days I've been through Deep Purple, Led Zep, Satriani (cos I was ripping them for the ipod), blues through net radio, classical and flamenco guitar through net radio, a spanish group La Shica, various spanish podcasts that I've downloaded, Segovia, oldies from the 50s/60s, some instrumental classical piano again net radio, one Journey lp. Lps have taken a backseat cos right now need full attention on something else and background music playing. But that's a fair enough spread. Depending on mood the above net radio stations include vocal jazz and a french radio station.
regards
edit: a late night session would depend on the mood I'm in, if it's lps, its lps all the way or late night would prefer between the classical and flamenco / vocal jazz, or the classical piano station. normally don't listen to rock in the night beyond 12. And no, choice of music wouldn't affect my choice of equipment, but the mood I'm in would dictate my choice of tubes
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bhagwan
Well-Known Member
hmmm....yea, that is one thing we all are waiting for. Something to come and touch our soul so that we are sold to it for a lifetime
This will 'never' happen.
You will have to make the effort.
Go out & listen to various set ups.
That is the only way that any change can ever come.
The more you listen the more you will learn & the more changes you will try. Not in your hardware but in your equipment positioning.
Keep your ears open & your brain on - always analyse & take audio set ups @ their face value - no pre conceived notions - please...
For me it is Carnatic and old B&W movie songs on radio.
In the last two years I have done a personal survey and spend close to 8K on purchasing carnatic fusion CDs of local no-name artistes or only locally famous composers. Only less than a handful CDs and maybe two artistes make the cut. Now I am beginning to move away my buying preferences even from authentic carnatic compilations of the more famous artistes and prefer only live kutcheri recordings. The next year will be spent mostly on picking out kuthcheri recordings. Only the live performance captures the essence of Indian classical music that goes beyond mere sound and music.
I also have a small and earlier collection of 40s and 50s blues and the stray jazz cd or recordings from the 70s like cream of Jefferson airplane. Never listen to them much but again partly because my budget NAD is killing the excitement and involvement to a degree. Like some others on this forum I have discovered you automatically tend to enjoy other music not part of ones mainstream tastes if the system is involving and delivers the goods.
Hopefully the GC will bring it on ... :licklips:
Cheers
bhagwan
Well-Known Member
Ajay this is very day dependent;
I listen to lots of different genres.
It just depends what my mood on that day is.
Indian Classical - Drupad - 3 hour sessions are common....
Piano Sonatas - once in a while.
Orchestral pieces - more often than not.....
Alan Parsons / Pink Floyd / Dire Straits .....
80's pop - PSB [Pet Shop Boys] Kool & the Gang / Baltimore / Kim Kanes etc.
Michael Jackson / Prince / Tina Turner / Sting / Police etc.
Female Vocal [audiophile mood] Mary Black / Diana Krall / Kari Bremnes etc. etc.
Male Vocal - Harry / Ali Farka / Bruce Springsteen / Seal / George Michael / Elton John / Billy Joel / David Roth etc.
I could go on and on & on....
The name of the game is to meet & listen together.
So we can experience our music in different audio set ups @ different rooms....
To me audio is like visiting an art museum. You can see so much & appreciate it all & the cost involved is zilch... so with audio visits. Go & listen / enjoy & spend nothing...
All the works of art in a gallery are not always nice but some do touch you & make you sit there just to admire it...
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