drarthurwells
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2005
- Posts
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Quote:
Art: I find your equating the sound of solid state and tube amplification amusing.
They are basically different animals. They each emphasize harmonics differently and this has a big effect on the sound signature.
Solid state yields a sharp edge to the tone image at the expense of leanness in the body of the tone image and tubes do the opposite.
Sure tube amps can be set up to give a hard sound that emulates the SS sharp tone edges, but this turns out to be slightly harsher than the SS sound.
It is simply not the same. This why people eventually reject tube amplification that gives sharp tone edges that solid state amps give - a tendency to slight harshness in bright lean tones, mostly noticed in the treble range.
Some SS amps do better with tone richness than others, but none can quite match the tone body of a tube amp with the right tubes. Even the most expensive solid state preamp and amp combinations fall slightly short. I like tube richness but eventually the coloration in timbre, from overemphasis of the tone body relative to the tone edge, turns me off.
A tube preamp and solid state amp is the best way to combine the best of soldid state sound with the best of tube sound. But it must be an excellent tube preamp and solid state amp, or it can produce new problems.
I didn't really get the best sound until I understood this and incorporated it it my system, and more importantly, I didn't fully understand this until I tried it out and was able then to compare it to my past all tube and all solid state preamp and amp components.
My home and headphone amplification gives me this tube-solid state combo. My portable BLAudio headphone amp has slightly more tone body than my previous Lehmannn BC linear headphone amp, and is slightly smoother and sweeter, but the BLAudio lacks the deep bass and some of the sharp definition and detail (and dynamic transients) of the Lehmann. But even the BLAudio headphone amp has more leanness of tone body than tube headphone amps. I like the BLAudio and Lehmann equally, but for differnet reasons, but the Bada PH12 headphone amp is superior to both by allowing for added tone body to the great SS characteristics of either.
Anyone who says tube and solid state amps are the same are talking in terms of being able to like either, and not in terms of their sound equality. They do not have equal sound by any means, though you can enjoy good examples of either.
I most enjoy a good example of the best of both in one system.
Originally Posted by philodox Thats just not true Art, there are many solid state amps that don't have this sort of character... most of Ray Samuels amps, the dynahi, etc.It really depends on the amps in question. It is quite possible to create a very resolving and engaging rig that has just solid state or just tube amplification. There is no magic combination. |
Art: I find your equating the sound of solid state and tube amplification amusing.
They are basically different animals. They each emphasize harmonics differently and this has a big effect on the sound signature.
Solid state yields a sharp edge to the tone image at the expense of leanness in the body of the tone image and tubes do the opposite.
Sure tube amps can be set up to give a hard sound that emulates the SS sharp tone edges, but this turns out to be slightly harsher than the SS sound.
It is simply not the same. This why people eventually reject tube amplification that gives sharp tone edges that solid state amps give - a tendency to slight harshness in bright lean tones, mostly noticed in the treble range.
Some SS amps do better with tone richness than others, but none can quite match the tone body of a tube amp with the right tubes. Even the most expensive solid state preamp and amp combinations fall slightly short. I like tube richness but eventually the coloration in timbre, from overemphasis of the tone body relative to the tone edge, turns me off.
A tube preamp and solid state amp is the best way to combine the best of soldid state sound with the best of tube sound. But it must be an excellent tube preamp and solid state amp, or it can produce new problems.
I didn't really get the best sound until I understood this and incorporated it it my system, and more importantly, I didn't fully understand this until I tried it out and was able then to compare it to my past all tube and all solid state preamp and amp components.
My home and headphone amplification gives me this tube-solid state combo. My portable BLAudio headphone amp has slightly more tone body than my previous Lehmannn BC linear headphone amp, and is slightly smoother and sweeter, but the BLAudio lacks the deep bass and some of the sharp definition and detail (and dynamic transients) of the Lehmann. But even the BLAudio headphone amp has more leanness of tone body than tube headphone amps. I like the BLAudio and Lehmann equally, but for differnet reasons, but the Bada PH12 headphone amp is superior to both by allowing for added tone body to the great SS characteristics of either.
Anyone who says tube and solid state amps are the same are talking in terms of being able to like either, and not in terms of their sound equality. They do not have equal sound by any means, though you can enjoy good examples of either.
I most enjoy a good example of the best of both in one system.