Has anyone read the article in one of the hi-fi mags this month that asks: can audio ever really sound "real"? I haven't yet. It seems that the answer is probably that it can sound "true", but based on the fact that it is standing in for another component made differently and physically different, probably no, it can't sound "real" in the same way. This is why I usually aim for a "trueness" in my system.
differences between tube and solid state designs
this topic may have been beaten to death.
however, my experience attending ces shows has demonstrated to my eras that the differences between push pull tube and solid state amplifiers sound very similar.
i notice today's tube amps, e.g., contad johnson, audio research, wolcott audio, etc., do not exhibit many of the classic colorations associated with tube designs and sound a lot like solid state, especially with respect to frequency response, i.e., spectral balance.
there may be still be slight audible differences between the 2 formats.
has anyone perceived a narrowing of sonic differences between the two designs and if so if differences are slight, why buy a tube amp.
note, i have deliberately excluded class a and single ended amps, at low wattage, from this discussion. some of them have more of a vintage or classic tube sound, especially relative to bass and treble response.
however, my experience attending ces shows has demonstrated to my eras that the differences between push pull tube and solid state amplifiers sound very similar.
i notice today's tube amps, e.g., contad johnson, audio research, wolcott audio, etc., do not exhibit many of the classic colorations associated with tube designs and sound a lot like solid state, especially with respect to frequency response, i.e., spectral balance.
there may be still be slight audible differences between the 2 formats.
has anyone perceived a narrowing of sonic differences between the two designs and if so if differences are slight, why buy a tube amp.
note, i have deliberately excluded class a and single ended amps, at low wattage, from this discussion. some of them have more of a vintage or classic tube sound, especially relative to bass and treble response.
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- 51 posts total
If you want real - not that you can have it - you need dynamics. That leads in one direction. Foe speakers and amps. Some go in another, with the fast effortless acceleration of electrostatics. As for amps, I found the ARC VT100MKII sounded very good and kept me happy for years, but I got so much more out of the NuForce 9.02s in terms of lack of bloom (which I would call compression, not bloom, even at reasonable levels) and corresponding dynamic swing, that I went with the NuForces. But the "High Fidelity" logic above is tainted. All cars that go 150MPH are not the same. Same with "High Fidelity." Bob Wood http://www.GreatHomeTheater.com/stereo.html |
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- 51 posts total