How to "add tube sound" to a system

[scottjoplin]

I know where you're going with this.

 

[adason]

I should say oh, I see all the little desktop sized tube things on Amazon, but other than the ones that say preamplifier, which I already have oh, I don't know just what they're for

stay away from those, cheap chinese crap running on very low voltage with miserable sound
there is lots of threads about 6J1 'fever', stay away
6J1 fever - Google Search

good way to introduce tubes is to build good tube headphone amplifier, just have it with line level out as well

 

[KatieandDad]

The tube sound is generally about how the final output distorts the true sound.

As most line amplification is constrained to the linear operation of the devices used I can't see a tube buffer adding the real tube sound to the signal.

 

[marlin97]

Glass-ware has some unity gain tube buffers kits, maybe that would be something to check out, and it would allow you to try some tube rolling
Tube-Based Buffers

 

[dreamth]

If you want to add a tube sound to a completely solid state system then I suspect the easiest is making a line buffer with a tube in it. No gain.

The cheapest way to add tube sound with lowest distortions is using two tapeheads back to back along with variable rechead drive amp and the tapehead preamp in between dac output and amp which is using the stray field to make a transformer.It also offers complete galvanic isolation and working with no tape and high levels offers no audible noise.

Nezt best way to improve sound in a tube manner is to add some sort of compression-decompression and there are lots of compressors outhere including some using tubes ...the true tube sound comes with an impedance transformer and a compressor is mimiquing the presence of a tube-transformer compound very well.

 

[adason]

remember the Musical Fidelity X10D 'missing link'?
apparently it did add something

 

[adason]

why do you think Mr. Nelson Pass developed kong preamp?
at 1% distortion it certainly adds something
I have not build it, people seems to love it

 

[JMFahey]

I have finally purchased the components in my system. I went to solid-state again. I am asking what the most simple, yet have a decent way to add tubes to a solid-state system, and Tube roll? I do not know the terminology very well. I don't know if I'm looking for a buffer, or a line stage, or something else. All I'm trying to accomplish is to be able to add tube warmth, and tube roll, without degrading sound quality. Is a small something made that goes between the preamp and amp? Or between the DAC and preamp? Or does a tube product need to be large with a big power supply just to sound decent? I'm not looking for a full size 19 inch component, but something simple if that is made. I did search First, but did not find what I was looking for. Thank you for your help. Oh yeah, I'm running everything balanced XLR

Short answer: get a tube amp.
Anything else is a toy.

Those adding tube buffers are just cheating themselves, because a unity gain tube buffer , at low signal values, does "nothing" , certainly nothing audible.

Doubt you can detect what less than 1% "polite" distortion and wider than audible band bandwidth can do to sound.

Anything adding several % distortion and severely limiting bandwidth is a distortion pedal.

Now a real tube output stage will provide that, plus speaker response changing low damping output, plus different clipping, plus compression when driven hard ... but you are not going that far.

 

[scottjoplin]

Or play with this https://www.firstwatt.com/pdf/art_h2_v1.pdf

 

[wiseoldtech]

Sounds like your speakers are multiway with crossover point close to 1kHz.

I'm honestly not knowledgable on exactly what points are the crossovers for my Advent Maestros, being four ohm, 3-way air suspension systems.
All I know and care about is that they provide excellent sound in my living room with no need for a subwoofer, and very, very little equalizer adjustments to balance things out.

 

[dgta]

Those Maestros look like someone changed the woofers. So hard to say anything about them, sound-wise or electrically.
If all you want is extra distortion, I would go to a guitar store and audition a bunch of effects boxes.

 

[Bigun]

I have finally purchased the components in my system. I went to solid-state again. I am asking what the most simple, yet have a decent way to add tubes to a solid-state system, and Tube roll? I do not know the terminology very well. I don't know if I'm looking for a buffer, or a line stage, or something else. All I'm trying to accomplish is to be able to add tube warmth, and tube roll, without degrading sound quality. Is a small something made that goes between the preamp and amp? Or between the DAC and preamp? Or does a tube product need to be large with a big power supply just to sound decent? I'm not looking for a full size 19 inch component, but something simple if that is made. I did search First, but did not find what I was looking for. Thank you for your help. Oh yeah, I'm running everything balanced XLR

I think you’re looking for a buffer or a low gain preamp. And very likely you’ll need to build it yourself in order to make sure that it’s balanced. if you are willing to get your hands dirty and play around with things yourself you can avoid the various “you don’t want to do that” advice that is the general response around here if you ask for tube sound without degrading sound quality

There is a thread around here somewhere by Salas on a preamp that uses a 6V6 tube which you may be able to co-opt into a design of your own. that’s where I suggest you begin.

 

[democles]

I have made a device that adds the feeling you miss with solid-state things.
It was meant to be,to correct sound fore 78 records after RIAA correction.
But it also did a great yob on dac,s between preamp .
Last year i made a proto for a friend, he is a DJ. After delivering i missed the sound so made a new one.
Now playing in.
It needs a week ore two to bloom.

I think it is the missing link.
Never going back


Dutch Forum, buizen correctie toonregeling voor hoog en laag bij 78 toeren platen - forum.zelfbouwaudio.nl

 

[maty tinman]

PKHarmonic VST plugin

You need to read

Announcing beta-test of PKHarmonic VST plugin
Announcing beta-test of PKHarmonic VST plugin | Audio Science Review (ASR) Forum

 

[Koifarm]

I have made a device that adds the feeling you miss with solid-state things.
It was meant to be,to correct sound fore 78 records after RIAA correction.
But it also did a great yob on dac,s between preamp .
Last year i made a proto for a friend, he is a DJ. After delivering i missed the sound so made a new one.
Now playing in.
It needs a week ore two to bloom.

I think it is the missing link.
Never going back


Dutch Forum, buizen correctie toonregeling voor hoog en laag bij 78 toeren platen - forum.zelfbouwaudio.nl

Nice project, as always.

 

[democles]

You need to read

Announcing beta-test of PKHarmonic VST plugin
Announcing beta-test of PKHarmonic VST plugin | Audio Science Review (ASR) Forum

With all tubes it is an other thing!

 

[democles]

You need to read

Announcing beta-test of PKHarmonic VST plugin
Announcing beta-test of PKHarmonic VST plugin | Audio Science Review (ASR) Forum

Nice project, as always.

Thanks

 

[maty tinman]

ONLY harmonics, nothing else!

 

[maty tinman]

Announcing beta-test of PKHarmonic VST plugin | Page 2 | Audio Science Review (ASR) Forum

by me (maty)

I have been lowering the added harmonics. The sound is clearly better, more addictive, musical. And without muddying the audio, or adding noise (common in tube / tube emulators).

JRiver MC v27 64 bits - DSP - PKHarmonic

 

[democles]

Yea ,if you say so.


I am not gonna go in to that ,just my own interpretation of giving cold flat
solid state a push in to the feeling that music is meth to be.