2. amps-preamps
  3. 1289172853

Think I want a tube system?

I've haven't listened to a tube system in 30 or 40 years. (I'm retired). I have several general questions. I hope y'all (South Alabama) will help me. I have a fair solid state power amp (Onkya M-504 165w per channel) No pre amp.
Which is the most important a tube pre amp or a tube power amp or both tubes. I would like to keep the power amp, but would sell if necessary. My second question is a little more complicated. If I play music from cds or internet download, isn't that digital. If I recall,digital is not an analog wave form but samples taken along it's path to reproduce an analog wave. The more samples the closer to analog. However, many people felt that no mater how many samples were taken, the nuance of a pure sound wave would be lost. If this is the case, what can tubes give me if my source is digital. Back to vinyl? Even then do they now record digital? I hope this is wrong.
rryall
sebrof's avatar
sebrof
835 posts
 
I'm not sure how anyone can make any recommendation at all unless you list what speakers you have or plan to use.

IMO - Clearly, the "tube sound" comes from the interaction between the amplifier and the speakers, not having tubes in the chain.
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,856 posts
 
Sebrof, FWIW, while it is true that tubes manage speakers differently from transistors, you can hear their effects elsewhere in the signal chain. Tubes sound the way they do because they more closely follow the rules of human hearing than transistors. Most notably, they are more linear, and so require less feedback, perhaps none at all, and they make less odd-ordered harmonics at any signal level.
unsound
7,329 posts
 
Daveyf, you might want to try a flea powered SET on some Apogee Full Range's and then get back to me.
sebrof's avatar
sebrof
835 posts
 
Thanks Atma. I can only speak from my own experiences, which are much more limited than yours. I owned a tube pre and SS amp, and then a tubes all the way system. While I heard the effect of the tube pre, the tube power amp made much more of a difference for me.
hifihvn
943 posts
 
If we listen to music from the late 60s till now,the odds are transistors are already in the chain.I'm not saying forget about tube preamps,but still,I've heard most of the tube sound,or "tube magic" occur at the power amp stage.
More to discover