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Beginner looking for guidance into tube sound.

Hello all, I am looking for some input on the best way to add tubes to my current mess. I currently have what I am sure everyone here would consider barely a step up from my parents zenith HI-FI circa 1977. please keep in mind I am lucky if I can afford to look in the window of an actual audio store. 
I currently have a Peachtree nova 300 and a Marantz CD player and a pair of monitor audio silver 500 speakers. A friend gave me a blue sound node 2i also. I have always wanted a tube powered amp. I see these Chinese amps like the Muzishare X7 and Willsenton R8 that have lots of great reviews. Or maybe a tube DAC. Then I see the Black Ice for ss-x. Each having less tubes respectively. Not sure how much that matters but I would think the more tubes the more tube sound one could expect. I would like to be in the $1000. range but would go to $1500 if I had to. My goal is to find the best most cost effective way to enter the tube world.  
johnfritter
invalid
1,148 posts
 
There is an Aric Audio Unlimited II preamp for sale on this site. 


The Aric Audio stuff gets great user reviews, all hand built. I find that the smaller audio companies like Aric Audio, space tech labs and Don Sachs give you great sound for a lot less money.
hilde45's avatar
hilde45
4,974 posts
 
Aric audio, used for $900? This is a steal. I'd be on this like stink on a monkey.
rocray's avatar
rocray
1,448 posts
 
That certainly is a great price! 
mozartfan
2,143 posts
 
be in the $1000. range but would go to $1500


~~~ Used Cayin, but these are rare/very hard to come by.
New is under 1500, or LM(Line magnetic) intergrated KT88
Either amp is a  good bang for the buck.
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,753 posts
 
Tube sound is a myth save your money for better speakers.

https://audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/if-tube-sound-is-a-myth-why-tubes.8656/
Tube sound is not a myth. However, it is about the distortion that is made, vs the distortion made by traditional solid state. In both cases you are up against a design issue- being able to apply enough feedback. If you could do this there would be no difference between solid state and tubes.

The advantage tubes have is that they make enough of the lower ordered harmonics to allow the ear's masking principle to prevent the higher ordered harmonics from being audible. This causes them to be noticeably smoother than traditional solid state and quite literally is why tubes are still around decades on after being declared 'obsolete' in the 1960s. Back then though, solid state amps were abominations for the most part- the declaration was premature.


If you can apply enough feedback you can get solid state to be as smooth as tubes, if you also pay attention to the distortion signature (keeping the lower orders as the predominant distortion product). The funny thing is that if you pay attention to the distortion signature, the difference between an amp with 1% THD at full power and one with 0.05% will be very hard to hear in a side by side comparison.
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