That certainly is a great price!
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.
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.
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- 142 posts total
Tube sound is a myth save your money for better speakers.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. |
@rocray I spotted that Aric Unlimited last night and am interested. But am curious if having the variable output will it mate with the Peachtree. I assume that is the reason for the variable output, compatible with more equipment correct? My goal today is to try and verify what Peach tree recommends. Then look into the variable output option as I have no previous experience. If it will mate up I think that might be the best way to go at this point. |
I suspect your head is spinning now. There is never just the right amount of info available. Either too little or too much. And it can go from one to the other really quick. Go ahead and build the ST-120 kit. I bought my ST70 assembled by Bob. I hear that the kits have good instructions. And Bob is always easily reached. Besides, you will save some $$$ and I believe it will meet your need and sound really good. FWIW, I have Don Sachs custom build of this kit. It sounds very good |
- 142 posts total