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What is the difference between tube amps and desktop amps?

post #1 of 5
11/24/10 at 5:50am
Thread Starter 

I want to understand the difference between tube amps and other amps that have no tubes, like desktop amps? I'm a newb so i'm unsure about it and its all new to me. I used grado sr80i on lossless.

 

http://www.littledot.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=815 - does any body own this Little dott MKIII or a MKII? what does it compare to that is non tube? 

 

Thanks

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post #2 of 5
11/24/10 at 8:21am

There's a subtle sound difference; most people will say that a tube amplifier generally sounds "warmer" than a solid-state amp. I own a Little Dot MKIII and enjoy the sound of my music much more with it.

 

Better or worse? Only way to find out for yourself is to try them out and see if you can tell the difference. It's a debate that has been going on for many many years and always falls back to personal listening preference.

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post #3 of 5
11/24/10 at 8:41am
Thread Starter 

Thanks alien I'm getting more and more inclined towards buying a Little dot mkiii- what headphones do you use with it?

 

Would you notice considerable difference with sr80i's?

 

Also what are the alternative or rival tube amps for little dot mkiii?

 

Thanks

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post #4 of 5
11/24/10 at 9:55am

I mainly use Beyerdynamic DT-770 Pro or Sony MDR-V6. I don't own any Grados, and they're much different than the headphones I use, so I can't comment on that. But my Sony's benefit greatly from the tube amp and it helps alleviate the bright/synthetic feeling while still maintaining a reference-quality sound. And I'm almost always wearing my DT-770s which are very bass-heavy, and the tube makes its sweet bass a little bit sweeter.

 

I was looking at all amps in the $200 pricerange when I bought mine. With audio equipment, you can spend anywhere from $5 to $5000, and the money will match the quality. So I just set a price and seek the best quality at that price.

 

(also you don't have to make 3+ threads for the same general topic)


Edited by alien3456 - 11/24/10 at 9:58am
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post #5 of 5
11/24/10 at 10:10am
Thread Starter 


Thanks for the insight man much appreciated! As for the three discussion topics, im sure they all differ slightly and anyway thanks to help of other posters and yourself ive narrowed down to only a few tubes/ SS now! Expect one or two more threads surrounding this subject before i make a final decision!

Quote:
Originally Posted by alien3456 View Post

(also you don't have to make 3+ threads for the same general topic)

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