[rockytopwiz]

I have no idea what OTL means but it sounds like a hybrid is better. Since it still offers that tube coloration to the sound. Any ideas why people won't go for hybrids and why OTL tube amps are still being made?

If you have heard a decent SS before, you will "get it" as soon as you hear a hybrid. It's a SS with just a touch of magic. Where the output transformerless is all magic, smoothed over sound with less Dynamics and punch but with an overall warmer tone.

 

[Schwibbles]

I have no idea what OTL means but it sounds like a hybrid is better. Since it still offers that tube coloration to the sound. Any ideas why people won't go for hybrids and why OTL tube amps are still being made?

OTL means output transformerless. OTL tube amps do not use an output transformer. Generally, OTL tube amps are cheaper than ones that are transformer-coupled because a high quality output transformer is expensive. OTL tube amps can still sound really nice - look at the Glenn OTL or the Bottlehead Crack - but they work best with headphones that have a high impedance. Generally speaking, transformer-coupled tube amps do better with low impedance cans than OTL do because the output impedance of the amp can be changed. Some examples of transformer-coupled tube amps that have a variable output impedance are the AmpsandSound Kenzie and Woo Audio WA6.

Much of the time, tube amps give more of the "tube" sound than hybrids but a lot of it comes down to the design of the amp and what tubes you're using. Hybrid amps are made to be the best of both worlds. You get the output power and versatility of a solid state amp but with a little bit of the tube sound that you get with a full tube amp.

You could go pretty deep with research on the differences but I'm just trying to give a generic, high level response. Hopefully that helps.

 

[Thenewbie76]

If you have heard a decent SS before, you will "get it" as soon as you hear a hybrid. It's a SS with just a touch of magic. Where the output transformerless is all magic, smoothed over sound with less Dynamics and punch but with an overall warmer tone.

Well I GOT a THX AAA 789 AMP but I get the idea . Thx for the info

 

[Thenewbie76]

@Schwibbles wow dude. That's a lot of info. Thx for teaching me . Now I'm torn apart between getting the liquid platinum or a full tube design . Any recommendation for a full tube recommendation ? I only know that woo audio makes tube amps and maybe ZMF from their website. Edit= will reply later going sleep btw .

 

[rockytopwiz]

Well I GOT a THX AAA 789 AMP but I get the idea . Thx for the info

I've been wanting to snag one of those thx to mess around with. If you happen to get an LP let us know what you think about the two.

 

[Schwibbles]

@Schwibbles wow dude. That's a lot of info. Thx for teaching me . Now I'm torn apart between getting the liquid platinum or a full tube design . Any recommendation for a full tube recommendation ? I only know that woo audio makes tube amps and maybe ZMF from their website. Edit= will reply later going sleep btw .

No problem!

I haven't owned many tube amps but I've heard my fair share of them, including all the ones I mentioned before (except the WA6). Shoot me a PM and we can discuss it more without thread-jacking.

FWIW, the only other hybrid amp I've owned is the Garage 1217 Project Ember 2.1. The LP definitely sounds warmer/"tubier" than the Ember which was more solid-state like.

 

[Schwibbles]

Well I GOT a THX AAA 789 AMP but I get the idea . Thx for the info

I've been wanting to snag one of those thx to mess around with. If you happen to get an LP let us know what you think about the two.

I just got to hear the 789 on Saturday! It's a much different experience from the LP as it sounds very sterile in comparison. Unfortunately I didn't get to hook it up to my DAC or spend a lot of time with it to do an in-depth comparison but the LP sounded much more natural and lifelike; especially across the treble.
I usually use my Aeon closed to compare new gear because I have spent a ton of time with it and know what it sounds like. I'm more used to how it sounds out of the dac1541, LP, micro iDSD BL, and LS (spark) but in comparison to the 789, the 789 sounded brighter up top. Normally I don't hear any sibilance with the Aeon (with any of the other gear I mentioned) but the 789 brought out a little bit of it with certain tracks.

 

[kumar402]

Good to know that 789 is brighter. Now I have no qualms of missing the drop as I own 800 and 600 both are more suitable for warmer amp.

 

[LCMusicLover]

Good to know that 789 is brighter. Now I have no qualms of missing the drop as I own 800 and 600 both are more suitable for warmer amp.

X-post from somewhere else:

I continue to be amazed how much better my HD-6xx sound out of this amp (running Siemens NOS E88CC, balanced output) than from the other amps I've tried with them (all SS: Bryston BHA-1, Violectric V280, Massdrop LC-X, Soundaware P1). I bought them mostly to have as a reference, since so many folks use them (or 650) as one of their 'comparison' sets in various reviews, but they never seemed that great. I got the whole '...they don't do many things very wrong', but the veil and the lack of bass impact made them seem ... lesser.

But out of my LP they are a revelation. Much better at both ends, without damage to the mids, which were always their highlight for me.

My ears, my chain (of course).

Similar results with your 600? How about with your 800?

 

[runeight]

OTL means output transformerless. OTL tube amps do not use an output transformer. Generally, OTL tube amps are cheaper than ones that are transformer-coupled because a high quality output transformer is expensive. OTL tube amps can still sound really nice - look at the Glenn OTL or the Bottlehead Crack - but they work best with headphones that have a high impedance. Generally speaking, transformer-coupled tube amps do better with low impedance cans than OTL do because the output impedance of the amp can be changed. Some examples of transformer-coupled tube amps that have a variable output impedance are the AmpsandSound Kenzie and Woo Audio WA6.

Much of the time, tube amps give more of the "tube" sound than hybrids but a lot of it comes down to the design of the amp and what tubes you're using. Hybrid amps are made to be the best of both worlds. You get the output power and versatility of a solid state amp but with a little bit of the tube sound that you get with a full tube amp.

You could go pretty deep with research on the differences but I'm just trying to give a generic, high level response. Hopefully that helps.

Also, the Platinum is a particular type of hybrid and this "difference" is what gives it much of its SQ.

Most hybrids (but not all) have a front end tube stage (which makes the gain) which is capacitor coupled to a SS output stage (often unity gain) which provides the power output for the headphones.

The Platinum is what I call an "embedded" or "blended" hybrid. This means that the 6922 triodes are blended into the circuit without any coupling capacitors. There is no "front end" and "back end". It's just one blended amplifier, DC coupled from front to back. No coupling caps.

This embedded topology tends to smoothly integrate the tube sound and the SS sound into a single blended sound. The first CA commercial amp that did this was the Liquid Fire, then the Crimson and now the LP.

This also means that the low voltage SS power and the high voltage tube power are all in DC contact with each other. And this means that the LP has a careful startup sequence so that all of the DC voltage differences are managed. And this is why it is BAD to defeat the startup sequence by powering up/down using an external supply with the LP power button turned on.

 

[rockytopwiz]

This is why it is BAD to defeat the startup sequence by powering up/down using an external supply with the LP power button turned on.

 

[runeight]

Good.

 

[GlenT]

Good to know that 789 is brighter. Now I have no qualms of missing the drop as I own 800 and 600 both are more suitable for warmer amp.

I am currently using a Topping DX7S as a balanced DAC/SS AMP, Paired with HD600 cans and a balanced cable. I also have a little LOXJIE P20 balanced tube amp to take the sharp edge of the SS amp in the Topping and using the DX7S to feed the P20. I am also using a Sony PSHX500 turntable which allows recording LPs to DSD and have been able to get my hands on some original half-speed masters to record. My favorite style of music is Blues, and I want to get as much isolation and definition as possible in the music.

I am looking to purchase the LP because of the balanced throughput and the tube aspect to tame some of the sharpness that can happen. I plan to add an HD800S (using the balanced cable) to help achive my goal.

My question is (due to cost) which would make sense to buy first, the LP amp or the HD800S. There will probably be months between purchases so I want to get the greater benefit first.

 

[rockytopwiz]

I am currently using a Topping DX7S as a balanced DAC/SS AMP, Paired with HD600 cans and a balanced cable. I also have a little LOXJIE P20 balanced tube amp to take the sharp edge of the SS amp in the Topping and using the DX7S to feed the P20. I am also using a Sony PSHX500 turntable which allows recording LPs to DSD and have been able to get my hands on some original half-speed masters to record. My favorite style of music is Blues, and I want to get as much isolation and definition as possible in the music.

I am looking to purchase the LP because of the balanced throughput and the tube aspect to tame some of the sharpness that can happen. I plan to add an HD800S (using the balanced cable) to help achive my goal.

My question is (due to cost) which would make sense to buy first, the LP amp or the HD800S. There will probably be months between purchases so I want to get the greater benefit first.

Have you heard the hd800s? The reason I ask is because it is a very different signature than the 600. I would be affraid with blues and using vinyl it may be too analytical.

That said, if you are looking for a different signature nothing will change it more than the headphones themselves.

Down the rabbit hole we go...

 

[Schwibbles]

Have you heard the hd800s? The reason I ask is because it is a very different signature than the 600. I would be affraid with blues and using vinyl it may be too analytical.

That said, if you are looking for a different signature nothing will change it more than the headphones themselves.

Down the rabbit hole we go...

Wow, beat me to it. I was going to say the same thing lol

EDIT: Wow I messed up my formatting.