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Interesting how fast a tube can make you dump SS

172.2.44.66
Posted on August 7, 2014 at 00:08:45
IEaudiodude
Audiophile

Posts: 2814
Location: So Cal
Joined: February 11, 2010
 I know this amp is Chinese and cheap however the Musical Paradise MP301MK3 I just got a few weeks back has got me hooked on tubes. So far I am extremely satisfied with it.Plenty of power which I was worried about before I got it,I am not sure how long it takes for tubes to break in and the whole amp to settle in, but so far I have nothing negative to report. I am just loving the sound and have been listening no less than 3-4 solid hours per day. So far Rickie Lee Jones,Norah Jones,Susan Tedeschi and a few others have never sounded better, rich and warm,totally enjoyable. I do know I WILL NOT be purchasing another SS amp again. The next item I want to change is my phono preamp to a tube one. Is there a kit out that anyone can suggest? I want to keep the cost to no more than $200.
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RE: Interesting how fast a tube can make you dump SS, posted on August 7, 2014 at 06:31:09
Chip647
Audiophile

Posts: 2651
Location: The South
Joined: December 24, 2012
 Once one can get past the idea that his amp can make any speaker ever made be driven to ear bleeding levels, the modest tube amp steps forward. Solid state is great for sub 100hz, other than that I really have no use for it as a basis for an amplifier.

Sub $200 phono? Really hard to do right even with a kit. Just get a little box until you can get something better

 

RE: Interesting how fast a tube can make you dump SS, posted on August 7, 2014 at 07:31:37
Grinnell
Audiophile

Posts: 709
Location: Front Range
Joined: December 23, 2007
 I second what Chip647 said. Having been down the road of tubes and especially tube phono pres wait till you can buy a decent one.

Start with a used parasound Z-phono, mm/mc around $100 used good resell value.

as for tube pre for vinyl, i tried a pro-ject tube box SE-ok not great; a Bottlehead seduction-very nice sweet sound, too polite for me, a Wright WPP200c- amazing on some music too dark and growly for others wanted to keep this; Hagerman Cornet II- right mix of sound love this thing search over

of course its all system dependent

 

RE: Interesting how fast a tube can make you dump SS, posted on August 7, 2014 at 07:38:34
danlaudionut
Audiophile

Posts: 5480
Location: Schenectady
Joined: June 6, 2002
 I have the Octal Cornet
and couldn't be happier.

DanL



 

RE: Interesting how fast a tube can make you dump SS, posted on August 7, 2014 at 12:42:08
morricab
Distributor or Rep

Posts: 9180
Location: switzerland
Joined: April 1, 2005
 Try the Transcendent sound phono preamp. Not expensive, easy to build and good sounding.

 

RE: Interesting how fast a tube can make you dump SS, posted on August 8, 2014 at 07:24:18
hvbias
Audiophile

Posts: 396
Location: New Hampshire
Joined: December 18, 2005
 Funny, but there was a solid state amp that made me dump both my SETs

Don't want to reveal it, I still need to hoard the out of production parts for it :-)

 

RE: Interesting how fast a tube can make you dump SS, posted on August 8, 2014 at 08:05:37
Hornlover
Manufacturer

Posts: 2529
Joined: March 8, 2002
 I cant handle most SETs. Being a musician as well, I was stunned to hear how much a 'high end' SET changed the way my horn sounded! That turned me off to SETs. Fine for those that like that added coloration to the sound, but don't kid yourself into believing its low distortion!

 

just wait, posted on August 9, 2014 at 11:28:57
mbnx01
Audiophile

Posts: 7956
Location: Eagle, Idaho
Joined: October 22, 2004
 In a year you'll hear a good SS amp and go 'wow, I'm never buy a tube amp again'.

It's whatever is different.

Maybe I'm wrong, but that's an experience lots of people have had.


'A lie is halfway around the world before the truth gets its boots on'. -Mark Twain

 

Bad SETs, posted on August 9, 2014 at 22:03:16
Triode_Kingdom
Audiophile

Posts: 10047
Location: Central Texas
Joined: September 24, 2006
 Not all SETs sound like that. "High end" sometimes only means high profit.

 

RE: Interesting how fast a tube can make you dump SS, posted on August 10, 2014 at 19:29:34
Abacus Music
Audiophile

Posts: 97
Joined: February 13, 2012
 You may tire of tubes quickly - hunting for those rare NOS types can be taxing on your wallet with not much satisfaction.

Personally, I have high hopes for the new emerging D-Class amps. My TPA3116 amp is a stand-in for my 300b during hot summer months...

 

RE: Interesting how fast a tube can make you dump SS, posted on August 10, 2014 at 23:43:14
IEaudiodude
Audiophile

Posts: 2814
Location: So Cal
Joined: February 11, 2010
 KT-88's are rare ? Who knew ? :^)
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RE: Interesting how fast a tube can make you dump SS, posted on August 10, 2014 at 23:55:05
DrChaos
Audiophile

Posts: 2063
Location: San Diego
Joined: July 13, 2009
 The primary effect is probably a result of high output impedance. Combined with frequency varying impedance of nearly all speakers, this results in a change in frequency response.

This effect is linear (in the differential equation physics sense) and isn't quite a distoriion which requires a non linearity.

It may contribute to a sense of ease as the most resonating part will resonate more and this is usually at mid bass frequencies. It's letting the speaker speak more at the frequencies that the speaker wants to on its own.

Me, I don't want tubes because of reliability and power consumption.

 

RE: Interesting how fast a tube can make you dump SS, posted on August 11, 2014 at 02:45:15
Abacus Music
Audiophile

Posts: 97
Joined: February 13, 2012
 Check your sarcasm and post your impressions in a year, when you spend 5 times the price of your amp on "upgrades" ;^)

 

RE: just wait, posted on August 11, 2014 at 03:17:03
morricab
Distributor or Rep

Posts: 9180
Location: switzerland
Joined: April 1, 2005
 I left SS in dust more than a decade ago and never looked back. That doesn't mean I haven't heard the best SS gear but it is easy to resist its Siren's song...not compelling me to ever come back.

Funny thing is that ALL my friends went tube or hybrid and dumped all their big and big name SS amps. They all have embraced a sound that is simply more like music one hears live.

 

RE: Bad SETs, posted on August 11, 2014 at 05:58:29
danlaudionut
Audiophile

Posts: 5480
Location: Schenectady
Joined: June 6, 2002
 TK

You got that right.
It must be slow on the other boards ...
We got some alien trolls that are bored.

DanL



 

RE: Interesting how fast a tube can make you dump SS, posted on August 11, 2014 at 06:01:24
IEaudiodude
Audiophile

Posts: 2814
Location: So Cal
Joined: February 11, 2010
 Just messing with you Abacus, I already picked up a pair of 88s'and a pair of 6SD7's so I won't have to purchase them down the road the 6L6 tubes are packed away for later. I don't really like having to wait for things to get to me if I need parts. :^)
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RE: Interesting how fast a tube can make you dump SS, posted on August 11, 2014 at 07:44:39
hvbias
Audiophile

Posts: 396
Location: New Hampshire
Joined: December 18, 2005
 One of my friends (a huge SET fan), told me he doesn't like the way a particular alto player sounds on my ESL63. The musician is Jackie McLean who plays with a sharp intonation; just his style and a bit more progressive for late 1950s hard bop.

He was right, on his SET system McLean sounds like a rounded tenor. At least it's pleasing to listen to... but sound like an alto? Unfortunately not.

 

RE: just wait, posted on August 11, 2014 at 13:04:24
Triode_Kingdom
Audiophile

Posts: 10047
Location: Central Texas
Joined: September 24, 2006
 "you'll hear a good SS amp..."

I'm pretty sure that's an oxymoron. :)

 

RE: just wait, posted on August 11, 2014 at 14:14:34
IEaudiodude
Audiophile

Posts: 2814
Location: So Cal
Joined: February 11, 2010
 Could have been worse ,I could have purchased Iranian or North Korean instead of Canadian/Chinese :^)
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RE: Interesting how fast a tube can make you dump SS, posted on August 13, 2014 at 00:19:47
Naz
Audiophile

Posts: 2184
Location: Sydney
Joined: September 2, 2005
 Easy answer to this, they were crap SETs! Can happen but I've heard SS monos up to $60K, both Class and AB and none come close to SET done right!

Naz

 

Not really because..., posted on August 13, 2014 at 22:06:12
MannyE
Audiophile

Posts: 2088
Location: Miami Beach
Joined: March 4, 2001
 It's all about the matchup. I have found that certain speakers like certain amps. And you may be experiencing this phenomenon. It could be that whatever speakers you have right now simply like the amp better.

I've found that more often that not, the system will like tubes or SS and sometimes you'll have someone saying the exact same thing about SS.

Of course, that's ignoring the question about whether ultimately it happens more with tubes than with solid state, but I don't know the answer to that.

I can tell you that in my own experience, tubes are just so much cooler that I enjoy them more when they do work. SS amps just aren't sexy. Maybe the Niro Engines... but mostly, you know...black box.

 

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