How does a ~$50 tube amp sound?
Nov 29, 2010 at 8:03 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 16

jjmai

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I am considering getting a really cheap tube amp just to see how it sounds.
I see some going for around $50 on eBay. Are they worth it?
 
Nov 29, 2010 at 10:44 AM Post #3 of 16
I like my Bravo V2 very much. It's a very nice sounding amp for the price with just about all of my headphones (except the ATH-M50).
 
Nov 29, 2010 at 11:31 AM Post #4 of 16
Haha I had a bravo, I sold it for $35, I thought it was weak, like a radio-shack experiment type amp, it offered very little improvement over my laptop soundcard if any so it gathered dust rather quickly in favour of a real amp which should sound transparent and high resolution and improve the audio-signal, this the bravo does not do.
 
The new owner says it has sweet smooth mids and rolled off highs, he seems to enjoy it, if only for the sake of finding out what a tube sounds like, which is the point in the bravo, ~$50 for a demo of a tube sound, if you want real Hi-Fi sound for cheap or just a simple device with lots of power, I'd look elsewhere, such as a second-hand receiver or a second-hand vintage amp.
 
I haven't heard the bravo in a long time, but I remember I was using a CD player -> bravo -> Fostex T-5 headphones listening to some rock CD's and my housemate was really getting into it, so I suppose a little Bravo and some Fostex HP's could be an ok investment, but once again I'd look elsewhere, from what I recall I just thought it sounded "radioshacky" and "dusty" and my soundcard directly to headphones was a purer signal.
 
Nov 29, 2010 at 2:02 PM Post #6 of 16
How much of an improvement or difference in sound is Bravo v2 over Fiio E5?
 
Nov 29, 2010 at 3:13 PM Post #7 of 16
I haven't heard the E5 in a while but I'd say the Bravo is a very significant improvement over the E5.
 
Nov 30, 2010 at 3:10 AM Post #8 of 16


Quote:
I like my Bravo V2 very much. It's a very nice sounding amp for the price with just about all of my headphones (except the ATH-M50).



And why is that? I haven't tried the M50 yet with the V2. I'm too lazy to take the M50 home from work
redface.gif

 
Nov 30, 2010 at 4:00 AM Post #9 of 16
Thanks I've always been skeptical about those cheap Fiio amps and if they sound worse than the Bravo they must be horrible Lol.
 
Seems like most people happy with their Fiios are just using a 150ohm earbud or don't have a bass-boost feature on their DAP.
 
Nov 30, 2010 at 8:50 AM Post #11 of 16
The Fiio E9 is a pretty beefy amp. Pretty solid for the price ($130)
 
Dec 2, 2010 at 6:24 PM Post #12 of 16


Quote:
And why is that? I haven't tried the M50 yet with the V2. I'm too lazy to take the M50 home from work
redface.gif


 
Quote:
What's the issue with the M50? I was going to buy a pair of those.


The M50s feature emphasized upper mids and treble which became harsh and grating when used with the V2, at least with the stock tube. As I said in my review, it wasn't a problem of the amp or the headphones, themselves, they just didn't mate well together. I've been using my Fiio E9 as my primary amp for a while now and haven't yet tried the M50s on the Bravo V2 with an upgraded tube (eBay seller said it was an RCA Black plates tube but I honestly have no idea) that sounds smoother to my ears but once I do, I'll report back.
 
Dec 3, 2010 at 2:30 PM Post #15 of 16
darn it, after some further research, looks like most of the bravo & indeed tube amps now cost $60~$100, or I have to get the cheaper 6N11 versions from other sellers.
Guess I'll just play the waiting game for bidding or second hands...
Thanks for all the replies.
 

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