Due to the possibility of facing pitchfork crowd gathering in front of my house, no comment.You do realize that you are saying that 75% of everything that goes on here at diyaudio is pretty much useless?
It sure is necessary for bragging rights. It does wonders, just like husky faceplates and chassis.You mean that putting a femtosecond clock in my DAC isn't necessary?
hahaha, another crazy thread.
I wish OP has not be infected with an audiophile syndrome so far. He is probably just a healthy music lover asking the worst question to insane people here.
Comparing normal music lover vs audiophile, while normal people just buy a Chinese tube amp and are happy with it, audiophile can’t never be happy with it. Why? It is because once an audiophile has become satisfied with his audio system, his lifework and hobby ends there. Audiophiles do not want to be completely happy with any equipment subconsciously, and contradictorily.
I think OP should just go buy any tube amp he thinks good. He will be happy with it and spend healthy music lover life, or he is always welcome to this insane audiophile world.
I wish OP has not be infected with an audiophile syndrome so far. He is probably just a healthy music lover asking the worst question to insane people here.
Comparing normal music lover vs audiophile, while normal people just buy a Chinese tube amp and are happy with it, audiophile can’t never be happy with it. Why? It is because once an audiophile has become satisfied with his audio system, his lifework and hobby ends there. Audiophiles do not want to be completely happy with any equipment subconsciously, and contradictorily.
I think OP should just go buy any tube amp he thinks good. He will be happy with it and spend healthy music lover life, or he is always welcome to this insane audiophile world.
A good reference for any tube amp ever produced or being produced is the venerable HK Citation II, not to be mistaken for the Citation V. Considered the best by many, ss or valve. It's just plain accurate. Comes up for sale regularly but in the plug and play condition, not so much. A good solid plug and play performer typically fetches on average about $2500.00. If you're patient, you should have no trouble latching on to a good one, also in great cosmetic condition(worth waiting for), within a 6 month period on ebay.
provided you have relatively high efficiency speakers, maybe a single ended EL34 amp from China would be one good way (plus low on tube count). (I've got one from a decade ago ~10kg weight - very nice sound with Klipsch Heresy I - or K-horns)
on Ebay - I saw one which looked reasonable - layout clean - no decorative "covers" to hide dinky output transformers - no goofy aesthetics
~$330 shipped
search:
"Douk Audio EL34 Vacuum Tube Amplifier Class A single-ended HiFi Stereo Power Amp" I don't know anything about it other than it looked sensible and cheap.
I've had EAR509/529, custom Bruce Moore, CJ, ARC, Dynaco MK VI/III/70, Modded Dyna 70 with differential cascode 6dj8 front end, modded Cit II (back in the 70's 80's Bruce Moore would put a front end in like on Eico HF87/89 but with octal gain stage) - - my little Chinese amp is very sweet with a good DAC and Cd. (I'm a vocal centric kind of person - thundering boomfy bass not needed nor wanted)
I built a 90lb parallel 2A3 amp with transformer coupled 5842Q/417A
power supply impedance and approach is part of tube amp voicing. There's a lot of BS in "high end audio"
A good internet friend makes low power SE amps and runs them with VOTT - he's got decades of experience and I consider him one
the the few who have heard and done "it all" (well - almost - he is still refining the process) with regards to SE tube amps and power supplies.
on Ebay - I saw one which looked reasonable - layout clean - no decorative "covers" to hide dinky output transformers - no goofy aesthetics
~$330 shipped
search:
"Douk Audio EL34 Vacuum Tube Amplifier Class A single-ended HiFi Stereo Power Amp" I don't know anything about it other than it looked sensible and cheap.
I've had EAR509/529, custom Bruce Moore, CJ, ARC, Dynaco MK VI/III/70, Modded Dyna 70 with differential cascode 6dj8 front end, modded Cit II (back in the 70's 80's Bruce Moore would put a front end in like on Eico HF87/89 but with octal gain stage) - - my little Chinese amp is very sweet with a good DAC and Cd. (I'm a vocal centric kind of person - thundering boomfy bass not needed nor wanted)
I built a 90lb parallel 2A3 amp with transformer coupled 5842Q/417A
power supply impedance and approach is part of tube amp voicing. There's a lot of BS in "high end audio"
A good internet friend makes low power SE amps and runs them with VOTT - he's got decades of experience and I consider him one
the the few who have heard and done "it all" (well - almost - he is still refining the process) with regards to SE tube amps and power supplies.
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Tube sound ... or tube distortion/THD-harmonics ??
Ain't got no tubes , but I can "trick" solid state . Tube , sounds not too harsh at overload. All even order. (first/second attachment). Solid state sucks in it's overload mode. But it does not have to , (below 3 ). That amp has been built , soft clipping and H2 at ppm levels.
OS
Ain't got no tubes , but I can "trick" solid state . Tube , sounds not too harsh at overload. All even order. (first/second attachment). Solid state sucks in it's overload mode. But it does not have to , (below 3 ). That amp has been built , soft clipping and H2 at ppm levels.
OS
Attachments
Solutions:
1. Don't overload it or
2. get higher output amp or
3. get higher efficiency speakers.
None of which "answers" the OP's question. I've never heard a Citation II, but by the enthusiastic endorsement of several greybeards I've chatted with over the years, it certainly represents a benchmark, but to some ears might not represent "the tube sound".
Harley, as we've no heard from you for over a week now, if you're still lurking, do you have a budget in mind for this first taste test? Some of the suggestions made might very well "work", but cost might be a deterrent.
As an aside, the Decware name was mentioned earlier. Steve has just announced a special anniversary version of the little amp that started his business in 1993. The Zen C was originally priced at around $400 US, IIRC, and this hot-rodded version is 8 x that price.
DECWARE / ZEN TRIODE ANNIVERSARY AMP model SE84UFO25
Harley, as we've no heard from you for over a week now, if you're still lurking, do you have a budget in mind for this first taste test? Some of the suggestions made might very well "work", but cost might be a deterrent.
As an aside, the Decware name was mentioned earlier. Steve has just announced a special anniversary version of the little amp that started his business in 1993. The Zen C was originally priced at around $400 US, IIRC, and this hot-rodded version is 8 x that price.
DECWARE / ZEN TRIODE ANNIVERSARY AMP model SE84UFO25
Attachments
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Just yesterday another Lounge thread was closed for exactly the 'off-topic' reason, so don't be so sure!
It's like being at a party and chatting in the corner, with a teacher (with a stick!) to keep the conversation 'on track'!
So best to stay on topic, I think (which this post of mine doesn't do...)
Anyway, it looks like the OP left some time ago.
Valve sound is usually referred to by electric guitarist for the raw mean sound of a guitar valve power amplifier on full throttle. These amps don't always use feedback so you get plenty of rich valve distortion.
Hi-fi valve amps on the other hand do tend to use feedback so give a much cleaner original sound and tend to be used for music reproduction from record players, CD player etc.
Evenharmonics ???
That is the point. One will have too much Vino and turn the knob one more click up. A sticking , saturating amp will give you an earache before the tweeter pops. A clamped saturation VAS that clips before the output stage will not be as noticeable at "slight" overload. More like compression , instead of hard distortion. Vino might make it even less noticable .
OS
Back to the OP I have read some great reviews of the sound from quality of and build fun of the Elekit Amp:
Elekit TU-8200DX Stereo Tube Amplifier Kit
| TubeDepot.com
I want to try a single ended tube amp set up at some point the Elekit wiht matching pre-amo would be a fun place to start without spending silly money on Audio Note Kit amps that are also very tempting.
Elekit TU-8200DX Stereo Tube Amplifier Kit
| TubeDepot.com
I want to try a single ended tube amp set up at some point the Elekit wiht matching pre-amo would be a fun place to start without spending silly money on Audio Note Kit amps that are also very tempting.
Valve sound, like Transistor sound, has no real meaning!
You want the best bass possible, smooth sound, lot of micro and macro details, dynamics, and above all enjoy as much as possible with the limitation of speakers.
If i can make an analogy, since last 2 years I have been interested in whiskies, from Scotland especially.
the thread starter is like, i want to taste a 21 year old whisky. Well, there are very enjoyable 8 years, 10, 12, etc.
Same with wines, I drank recently a Pavillon Rouge of Chateau Margaux, $200. It was a gift to me, I appreciate the refinement and smoothness of such a wine, however I enjoy many other wines.
Tubes are great, but you can enjoy transistor sound as well.
You want the best bass possible, smooth sound, lot of micro and macro details, dynamics, and above all enjoy as much as possible with the limitation of speakers.
If i can make an analogy, since last 2 years I have been interested in whiskies, from Scotland especially.
the thread starter is like, i want to taste a 21 year old whisky. Well, there are very enjoyable 8 years, 10, 12, etc.
Same with wines, I drank recently a Pavillon Rouge of Chateau Margaux, $200. It was a gift to me, I appreciate the refinement and smoothness of such a wine, however I enjoy many other wines.
Tubes are great, but you can enjoy transistor sound as well.
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