Click to view our Accessibility Statement or contact us with accessibility-related questions
What's the difference between regular amps and tube amps? Which are better? I'm new to audiophile world. Heard that the k7xx only sound good if you have an amp. What's the best amp out there? Or best affordable one.
LxJLthr
451
Sep 30, 2015
BEARSxARExPEOPLExTOOYou mean solid state amps versus tube amps? Very very generally speaking, tubes tend to give more colored and warm sound compared to solid state amps, which tend to be more transparent. Tube amps also allow you to play with the sound signature by switching out various tubes. Tube fanboys will rip solid state for being cold and impersonal while solid state fanboys will rip tubes for being imprecise and colored.
Again, before I get ripped to shreds, this is very generally speaking. Certain amps compliment certain headphones or sound signatures better than others (and vice versa). There is no way of knowing what's "better" for you without trying different gear combinations.
chakku
58
Sep 30, 2015
LxJLthr"tubes tend to give more colored and warm sound" Yes "which tend to produce more balanced neutral signature" Unless you have some treble happy headphones where the tubes will roll off in the high frequency region to 'tame' them, this can't make sense.
I personally don't understand people who can have the audacity to 'rip' solid state users, if they don't like the experience of their headphones from a transparent source, they don't like the headphones and clearly need some high levels of distortion and coloration to make them likable. At that point it really makes more sense to get better headphones.
And to anyone even thinking of responding with something stupid like "Tubes can be transparent too!", please don't waste my time. If you were after transparency you wouldn't be buying tubes in the first place.
PS. This is not directed at you LxJLthr I'm just using some of the points you made as I imagine these are simply observations you've made
LxJLthr
451
Oct 1, 2015
chakkuTransparent! Thank you! That's the word that was escaping me.
Unfortunately every brand and product has their fan base that can get very exuberant and protective of their preference. I think about it in terms of sports teams rivalries. No love lost between SF Giants and LA Dodgers LOL
Zer0lag
54
Oct 1, 2015
LxJLthrDon't forget to mention that there are real tube amps and although they still use tubes (albeit improperly) fake tube amps, or improperly powered tube amps. This amp being the former of the two.
CardMe
26
Oct 1, 2015
BEARSxARExPEOPLExTOOI think LxJLthr and chakku have covered the differences in tube vs solid state pretty well. In general (though, not as a rule) solid state amps will be more transparent and tube amps will have more of an effect on the output. But that's not to say that there's any "right" or "wrong," because it all depends not just on what you prefer, but what you're trying to do with the amp. Many audiophiles will place absolute transparency above anything else because they want to hear the music "as intended," while some people prefer the warmer, fuller-bodied sound provided by tube amps and are more concerned about enjoyment than accuracy, and there's nothing wrong with that. Now, on the other hand, if you're mastering music or audio, you should generally be striving for your audio equipment to be as neutral as possible. You don't want to master using really warm equipment because you run the risk of the output being too thin and/or "shimmery" for the majority of listeners of the final product that aren't using tube amps (or vice versa).
The other thing to consider is the choice of headphone, which will also affect the tone. My two main headphones right now are Sennheiser HD650s and AKG 7XXs. The AKGs tend to be brighter and have a larger sound stage, which I really like, while the Sennheisers tend to have a warmer, thicker sound with a slightly more compressed sound stage. I personally prefer to have my headphones create the difference in sound, and prefer neutral solid state amps, but there wouldn't necessarily be anything wrong with pairing the AKGs with a tube amp to get some of the warmness of the Sennheisers to go with the sound stage of the AKGs. I tend to prefer tube amps for creation (i.e. tube guitar amps) and solid state amps for recreation (i.e. music-listening), but that's me.
Also, solid state amps tend to be more affordable than tube amps, which is another thing to consider. This isn't universally true, of course, but you can get a really good, neutral, solid state amp for a decent price, while tube amps tend to start at a higher price. The Objective O2 amp is a very widely appreciated amp, and can easily be bought for less than $100 (Massdrop's version was $69 I think, but still hasn't shipped). Fiio also makes some decent amps for affordable prices if you're looking for something portable (which is another thing to consider - tube amps aren't portable).
LxJLthrHmm. I heard the AKG K7xx's are coming back soon, and I've been told that they need a good quality amp to sound good. You think this amp is good for those AKG's? And what do you mean by tubes being imprecise and colored? I'm not familiar with the audiophile vocabulary yet :P
LxJLthr
451
Oct 4, 2015
BEARSxARExPEOPLExTOOI will try to give an analogy...Imagine a B&W pencil drawing on plain while 8.5x11 sheet of paper. Now imagine solid state and tube amps as Star Type type teleporter devices. Solid state amp will reproduce that drawing in as close to its original intended state as possible with very minute, if any, variation. On the other hand, tube amp might give you something as extreme as a 6.75x13.4179 sheet with purple background and orange image that's upside down and backwards. It will never reproduce a result as close to the intended design as a solid state amp.
That said, there is NOTHING WRONG with either of those results. Their synergy as part of the overall system will depend on other components, music genres and personal preferences.
I suggest you think about what type of sound do you enjoy the most...Enveloping and energetic? Precise and analytical? Foundation cracking bombastic bass? Ear piercing hot treble? Jack of all trades master of none balanced? That will help you narrow down your choices or at least start asking the right questions.
CardMe
26
Oct 4, 2015
BEARSxARExPEOPLExTOOHonestly, if it's your first amp, I would recommend just sticking with a solid state amp. Tube amps are a whole different beast and can get quite complicated, and if you get one that doesn't have the sound signature you ant, it could ruin your enjoyment of your new headphones. Massdrop has solid state amps on here pretty often, so I'd just get one of those. I'm personally using a Fiio E17K/E09K setup with my AKG7XX and it sounds good.
jackymurda
7
Dec 24, 2015
LxJLthrThe differences i've noticed between Tube & Solid State amplifiers is the flavor of the distortion artifacts generated when the circuit is pushed. Transistors (with the exception of MOSFET and FET designs) add odd harmonics, Tubes add even harmonics. :D
Nams Seleman
34
Apr 3, 2016
chakku"I personally don't understand people who can have the audacity to 'rip' solid state users, if they don't like the experience of their headphones from a transparent source, they don't like the headphones and clearly need some high levels of distortion and coloration to make them likable. At that point it really makes more sense to get better headphones."
Given this statement I can't help but wonder if someone wrote an audiophile bible that I'm unaware of. No ill feelings here.... I'm just a bit puzzled by such a blanket statement.
chakku
58
Apr 3, 2016
Nams SelemanIt's definitely appropriate to compare audiophiles to religious zealots as they both believe anecdotal evidence is equivalent to 100% fact.
Nams Seleman
34
Apr 3, 2016
chakkuI was totally unaware of that. Thank you for informing me. That is to say... I am no audiophile.... or a religious zealot (I should add).
gg0042
1
Apr 26, 2016
chakkuStating that all audiophiles "believe anecdotal evidence [etc]" after hearing a number of them express such beliefs, is ALSO "believing anecdotal evidence is equivalent to 100% fact" ;)
PRODUCTS YOU MAY LIKE
Trending Posts in Audiophile