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tube vs SS my own little test

So last weekend I went to a audio show at my local dealer. But alas the dealer was sick so. I a distributor filled in for him. I have know for a few years.

So we started chatting. Last few years I have been changing/upgrading my set little by little. Different speakers, turntable, phono amp. However my integrated amp stayed. My amp is a Symphonic Line La musica. So out of curiosity I asked him what do you think. I my amp still up to it.

To which he answered, I don't know. Why don't you borrow an amp from the shop and find out. So I went home with an Octave V110 and an Octave Super Black Box.

So how do they compare? Well the difference is different from what I expected. I have never owned a tube amp, or any tube gear for that matter. The Octave is a push pull pentode tube amp. This particular V110 comes with KT150 tubes instead of the KT120 tubes which the V110 normally has. Since I know nothing of tube I have no clue what that means to the sound.

Back to the sound. First I was disappointed a bit. It didn't sound that good. a Bit lack luster. And no "magical" tube mids that I have read about. The SL was more punchy, better controlled bass, and the mids and high were not that different.

However that changed after some time. Me knowing nothing of tubes didn't know that it can take up to an hour for the tube to completely warm up or something. because after about 30 minutes the amp sounds a lot better and after an hour even better still.

The SL was still a bit more dynamic and maybe still had a little more bass power. But after an hour the Octace mids and highs are clearly superior. Not that the SL is bad by any standard. But the Octave sounds more organic for lack of better wording.

But how practical is an amp that needs close to an hour to warm up? How typical is that of tube amps? Since to me I think it would be a deal breaker. I do not always have the time sometimes I just have 20 minutes.

Do hybrid integrated amps tube pre/SS power suffer from the same "shortcoming"?

Coming days I'll listen some more and see if I can find more differences.
mordante
mechans
3,048 posts
 
I think what you found typical. The tubes need to get warmed up and when they do the sound quality vastly improves. It may not be practical but much of what we do is not practical, we don't use earbud and our phones to listen to music. A goodly percentage of our world thinks going beyond that an unnecessary hassle.
Tube pre amp sections in integrateds or hybrids do not exhibit this behavior by and large. I have also come to believe however that it is tube power out put which really gives you the tube amp experience. So others who cling to the notion of a tube anywhere in the chain gives you tube amp sound should address your other questions. I think SS anywhere in the chain flattens the soundstage and incredible 3D effect good tube amps yield.
arh
366 posts
 
I have had many tube power amps and never had one that didn't sound great after 10-15 minutes. If the amp you brought home had not been played in a long time it may need more breakin. My David Berning ZH-270 tube amps sound perfect right from a cold start. Mt=y friend has an all VAC tube sytem which needs maybe 5-10 minutes warmup although it still sounds stunning from a cold start. The previous response which said what you found is typical is nonsence
Alan
philjolet's avatar
philjolet
2,306 posts
 
any tube gear I have owned sounds fine after 15 minutes
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