[jesselussier]

I was wondering if there were certain kinds / brands of tubes, that make would make the sound warmer/richer/darker, and if there were kinds that would make it more brigher/sharper/detailed, in general.

Sorry if this is a stupid question, I'm new to the tubage. And I have been searching for similar threads but haven't found what I was looking for. And I know that all tubes sound different, but just in general terms.

Thanks

 

[Uncle Erik]

The answer is yes, but it gets complicated. The sound you get will depend on what kind of tube amp you're using. Generally, speaking, a single-ended amp with an output transformer will give a warmer, richer "tubey" sound. Push-pull amps are similar, but not quite as warm and rich as single-ended. Generally speaking, an OTL will have a faster, more lively sound. There are exceptions to all of these, so you need to do your homework on what the amp you're interested in sounds like.

Once you've picked a topology, you can use different brands of tubes to alter the sound. But it's very hard to make generalizations the other way around. You can take the same 6SN7 and swap it between a SE or OTL amp and get a very different sound from each amp.

 

[jesselussier]

Thanks Uncle Erik, very informative stuff.

Well, I'm using the ASL MG-Head OTL Mark III. If anyone else has one and has any suggestions they'd like to share then I'd be great full. Also I'm using two NOS RCA's in the 6BQ5 slot and a NOS Telefunken in the 12AX7 slot (they came with it and are the only ones are currently own).

 

[Ricey20]

Well try to see if theres a tube rolling thread for your particular amp here on head-fi, would probably have the most info. If not then you can try experimenting on your own. Honestly it depends on personal preference of course so the best way is probably to try it out yourself. It can also get very confusing and intimidating, I know cuz i just read through 2 singlepower tube rolling threads and im more confused than when i began, too many tubes, adapters, etc