Are the type of tubes used really what makes the sound of the amp?

[Loftprojection]

Hello, I don't have any technical audio knowledge but I was wondering what really makes the biggest difference in a tube amp design, from what I can see, the biggest bottles amps produce the biggest quality sound.

Entry level and cheapest amps from manufacturers are mostly using smaller bottles.

We keep reading mid size tube, EL34, are very smooth, musical tubes for beautiful audio applications, like many integrated amps use this tube. Same goes for EL84 that are said to be great for a entry level musical headphone amps, probably less powerful which is why it's used more in headphone amps but not speaker integrated amps.

Top sounding (and $$$) amps are mostly based on the big and ubber expensive 300B tubes. Though there is an exception, the Manley Absolute tube amp with is ubber expensive but based on small and cheap tubes, the EL90! haha

Any thoughts to share with me?

 

[helljudgement]

The transformer usually plays a big part in the sound of the amp as well and some might say it matters more than the tubes. Ampsandsound and DNA places a ton of emphasis on the transformer used for their amps and the results speaks for themselves. I've own the DNA Starlett which uses a lesser known 6w6 output tubes and it is one of the best sounding amps I've heard. Another amp I've been looking to try recently is the Ampsandsound Kenzie Ovation which also uses a lesser known output tube 1626. From my experience, Bigger triodes like 300b does offer a more immersive soundstage but the implementation of those tubes with the transformer is more important than the tubes themselves. I'd also think that the power supply, caps etc all plays a part in achieving the overall sound rather than just the tubes hard carrying the load.

 

[Loftprojection]

The transformer usually plays a big part in the sound of the amp as well and some might say it matters more than the tubes. Ampsandsound and DNA places a ton of emphasis on the transformer used for their amps and the results speaks for themselves. I've own the DNA Starlett which uses a lesser known 6w6 output tubes and it is one of the best sounding amps I've heard. Another amp I've been looking to try recently is the Ampsandsound Kenzie Ovation which also uses a lesser known output tube 1626. From my experience, Bigger triodes like 300b does offer a more immersive soundstage but the implementation of those tubes with the transformer is more important than the tubes themselves. I'd also think that the power supply, caps etc all plays a part in achieving the overall sound rather than just the tubes hard carrying the load.

Ya I get what you say and you are right that all the components and transformers play a big role but I then why would all the top amps from manufactures be based on the most expensive tubes, 300B, aside from Manley with there Absolute which is based on a small and cheap tube.

Feliks (OTL) as an example, output transformer less but they have an entry level amp with small cheap tubes then they go higher with bigger tubes and their latest top gun amp is a big expensive bottles amp, 300B. Many other manufacturers, with or without transformer, seem to have the same pattern.

That's why my conclusion that the bigger the bottles the bigger the quality sound produced! hahaha

 

[Ufanco]

Don’t have much experience with high quality tube amps. Currently using xDuoo ta20 and have bought a bunch of 12au7 tubes. I later found out that I can also use 12bh7 tubes with it. The tubes are larger than 12au7 tubes and there was a large jump in sound quality with the larger tubes. So for what it’s worth I feel the larger tubes make a big difference in my setup.