[Shike]

Hey guys, I was wondering if there were any good suggestions for affordable tube buffers, or what your thoughts are about the ones listed?

The two I'm currently looking at are the Yaqin, Aric Audio 1.5, and Aric Audio 2.5.

Yaqin and Aric Audio

I haven't had the funds to get into tubes, so I thought it would be interesting. I listen to all types of music, though I lean towards rock.

 

[Robgo]

I have a yaqin (FS now actually) and liked how it warmed things up for me for certain music. It increases sound stage and stereo separation a bit and got rid of digital staleness, most noticeably from from my acoustic records. Depending on your amp a tube buffer might be beneficial or you might not like the results very well. If your amp is cold then you will benefit from a tube buffer most likely. If your source is very warm then you might be dissatisfied by how much it inveils the music. Tubes basically add a bit of color to the sound to warm things up and make them seem more natural. Too much of it however will squash the sound and cause you to lose clarity. That was my issue anyways since my amp is a tube amp.

 

[Nick 214]

Between the two, I can only attest to the quality of Aric's. I've seen the kind of work the man is capable of producing; and it's good.

With his you'll get a handmade item, plus top-notch "tech-support" (the builder).

Simply, if I were making the decision, I'd go with Aric Audio.

NK