[pearljam5000]

Sadly i haven't had a chance to listen to a tube amp yet....and i do not know how it sounds,i am saving money for an amp,and i cannot decide if i want SS or tubes.
are tubes good for rock and metal?(that is what i listen to most)

 

[PFKMan23]

In my opinion, they can be, assuming you have the right amp and tube set.

 

[jpr703]

Depends on configuration and the tubes used; but yes, they can be REAL good with rock music.

 

[krmathis]

Tube amplifiers can be really great on all music, including rock.
A bit dependent on the configuration (which tubes, amplifier, etc.) and the headphone of course.

 

[gundam91]

I think it is a matter of taste and preference. In general, SS is more dynamic and has better bass control. Not necessary more bass, but tighter bass. Tubes give you a more organic, romantic sound especially in the midrange.

If you are starting out and you listen mostly to rock and metal, I would suggest going to SS. If you listen more to vocals and acoustic instruments (non-amplified), I think you would get more benefits usually attributed to tubes.

 

[Zanth]

Tube or SS it doesn't matter it is all about the individual amp. I'd never buy an amp that couldn't do all forms of music equally well.

What is your price range?

 

[pearljam5000]

mm haven't decided yet,because i could go for something cheap like a darkvoice at the near future,or keep saving and buy something better like the SP EXTREME.
but for now i'd say around 350$
Quote:

Originally Posted by Zanth /img/forum/go_quote.gif Tube or SS it doesn't matter it is all about the individual amp. I'd never buy an amp that couldn't do all forms of music equally well. What is your price range?

 

[augustwest]

Tubes are good for all types of music.

Before solid state was anything but an idea, music of all types was played on tubes systems with great success.

Many guitar amps which the rock music many love are of tube design.

- augustwest

 

[gundam91]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zanth /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'd never buy an amp that couldn't do all forms of music equally well.

When you find one let me know. I like to buy one.

All equipment/technology have tradeoffs. Especially at the lower price ranges. Tubes are not perfect, they introduce some type of harmonic distortion to the sound. So from a technical point of view, they are not "pure", meaning they do not faithfully reproduce the information. Solid State is not perfect either. Otherwise one technology would have taken over the other. SS has been around for what, 30 some odd years? Tube based audio equipment did not simply become obsolete and vanish, but is still going strong.

I'm not saying that one will be good at something, and totally suck at another. Each amp/technology has areas where it shines, and other areas where it may be just a notch below another.

Music is produced by all types of instruments, and there are thousands of them. What we are asking our systems, including speakers/headphones to do is to be able to mimic ALL of these sound-producing instruments including human vocals. And everyone has an opinion on what is the "right" sound. I was at RMAF a few weeks ago, and just speakers along, there were at least 10 to 20 vastly different approaches/designs. And some can reproduce certain types of music better than others.

OK, I better shut up before getting myself into trouble....

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Duggeh]

There shoudl not be a difference in the sound of any amp within its drive capabilities on any given load, I simply cannot abide the stupid caracatured differences that people drum up about tubes vs solid state. The point is moot, a better solid state amp is better than a worse tube amp, even if that tube amp is twice the price.

What types of music are tube amps good at?

As long as its a good amp for your needs, all of them, same as the solid state option.

 

[Fing]

Tube amps are good for classical because when people still listened to classical, tubes were all that were there to drive the amps. So the tubes were made to listen to classical with.

But rock music, made with rock guitars sound better with solid state because they took the tubes they used to listen to classical for the rock guitars and make them distort in that waaah waaah wibbly wooo kind of way so now tubes are very expensive. So solid state is better for non-classical music.

because of the wibbly woo.

 

[Sarchi]

With headphones, I would guess sufficient drive is the only issue, and it's an easily solved one in most cases (good synergy between cans and amp).

For speakers, I've found very few tube amps/speaker combos with enough drive to recreate heavy music - i.e. dance hall, club, metal, Wagner, etc. Most of those are not "natural" scenarios, and it takes a lot of sand power to reproduce them in the home convincingly. But if this is an issue for you with headphones, you're probably already 3/4 deaf.

 

[gundam91]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duggeh /img/forum/go_quote.gif There shoudl not be a difference in the sound of any amp within its drive capabilities on any given load

I think that is more of an ideal rather than reality. As stated before, everyone's perception of what is the "right" sound is different, so every designer is "biased" and designs equipment towards what they perceive is the "right" sound. There are other variables to consider as well. Equipment used during the voicing of amps have personalities of their own. And music used. So, in a sense, during the development, designers are already compensating. So as much as we would like to think that amp should be neutral, or in that sense, all equipment should be neutral and reproduce faithfully the material. I just don't think that is achievable.

 

[Fing]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarchi /img/forum/go_quote.gif With headphones, I would guess sufficient drive is the only issue, and it's an easily solved one in most cases (good synergy between cans and amp). For speakers, I've found very few tube amps/speaker combos with enough drive to recreate heavy music - i.e. dance hall, club, metal, Wagner, etc. Most of those are not "natural" scenarios, and it takes a lot of sand power to reproduce them in the home convincingly. But if this is an issue for you with headphones, you're probably already 3/4 deaf.

I hear people overcome the speaker problem by using more sensitive speakers. Most high efficiency speakers are rated at greater than 90db+ per watt at 1 metre. Of course, it does depend on the quality of that watt or watts. A lot of solid state watt is wasted on feedback and ensuring that it remains relatively free of distortions. Since tubes can handle distortion in a harmonic manner, they can be implemented in a feedback free manner. I'm not too hot on the electronic side of things All I know is that my 300B amp sounds fantastic and will blow the drivers out of my Monitor Audio speakers if I really cranked them up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gundam91 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think that is more of an ideal rather than reality. As stated before, everyone's perception of what is the "right" sound is different, so every designer is "biased" and designs equipment towards what they perceive is the "right" sound. There are other variables to consider as well. Equipment used during the voicing of amps have personalities of their own. And music used. So, in a sense, during the development, designers are already compensating. So as much as we would like to think that amp should be neutral, or in that sense, all equipment should be neutral and reproduce faithfully the material. I just don't think that is achievable.

"Right sound" can be pretty easily assessed by going to an acoustic concert. Once you know what a violin or a trumpet or a drum sounds like, then you can hopefully tell how accurately it is reproduced when you hear it again via whatever electrical means you choose to listen to it.

One hopes that audio engineers do this sort of thing as part of their design. Unless hearing is so subjective that we all hear different things when we hear a violin playing, I think that common concensus on what constitues 'good' or accurate sound can be reached.

 

[Zanth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gundam91 /img/forum/go_quote.gif When you find one let me know. I like to buy one.

Melos (though hybrid)
EAR HP4
Single Power amps are often said to be darn near the perfect headphone amps all around

As for speaker amps...Wyetech will do anything and are built like tanks.

The only loss one might take is in raw power when one deals with speakers, but then, one has the choice of the type of speaker as well. In the headphone world, tubes are not a tradeoff because barely any power is required to drive them.

Choices, tube rolling etc, tube amps offer quite a bit more to a user than silicon mainly because opamp swapping is not as easy nor are the choices as large.