[Berk59]

Hello
 
Can anybody recommend a tube portable amp. I am considering the Alo continental but at $480.00 Its expensive. I have seen a tube amp on ebay, a mus tv- 10 which uses the 611 tube for only gbp 74.00 which is around $100.00. I am using B&O earphones. On another subject, I just bought an imod yesterday. Sounds superb and blows away my Ipod Classic.
 
Thank you
 
Regards
 
Ian

 

[Eric_C]

Continental uses tubes?
I've heard of the TTVJ Portable Millet Hybrid and GoVibe PortaTube, but that's all I know of for portable tube amps.
 
Why does it have to be tubes?

 

[omerbu1]

ALO Continental is one of the the best portable headphone amps out there, if not the best.
If you want a Tube portable amp go for it.
if you want and SS amp with "tube like" sound I suggest you go for the TTVJ Slim.
 
Cheers

 

[Deltaechoe]

I know I'm a complete noobie here at the forums, but I do have experience with vacuum tubes given I've played guitar professionally and can't stand using solid state amps so I know how you feel.  However I would caution the use of vacuum tubes for a portable amp considering vacuum tubes are about as fragile as lightbulbs and get really hot (at least most have these 2 characteristics).  While I can't recommend you a good portable amp (that's why I'm here too), I would suggest not going with tubes as their fragility can easily defeat the purpose of portability.

 

[Eric_C]

^ I upvote the above comment for truth!
 
Anyway when it comes to headphone amps, it's hard to go by assumptions that SS will sound "cold" or that tubes will sound "warm". I guess tubes add even order harmonic distortion and it's hard to run away from that, but it's not a given that every tube amp will sound a particular way. 
And when it comes to SS, that kind of assumption holds even less water. It comes down to how the amp was designed.