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Tube or Transistor Amp? (vintage set up r)

staxwaxstaxwax 1,474 Posts
edited May 2011 in Strut Central
Recently came up on some vintage speakers - in the 30-60 watt / 8 ohm range -
they are very similar to these


Now I need a new amp and am wondering since im all vinyl/analogue if its worth considering getting an old vintage valve or tube amplifier.

They are said to have a warmer sound than transistor amps, similar to the difference between cd and vinyl, although tube amps are said to have a slight inherent hum.

Anyone here have any experience with tube vs. transistor amps? Any recommendations?

  Comments

  • billbradleybillbradley You want BBQ sauce? Get the fuck out of my house. 2,889 Posts
    What kind of budget are you working with? You can spend A LOT of money on tube amp equipment. On the cheaper end I've seen Fisher 500c amps recommended. You can find those for around $500 on ebay.
  • staxwaxstaxwax 1,474 Posts
    Thanks - I am willing to drop around 500 bucks on the amp.
    I'm mostly interested in hearing about differences in sound quality between transistor and valve/tube amps though -
    ie is it worth getting a vintage tube amp because of its supposed warmer sound or is better to just cop a new transistor amp? Anyone riding for the tube amp sound? I now have this notion that vinyl + tube amplification might be the next level of warm analogue sound.
  • edulusedulus 421 Posts
    i love the tubes, but it seems to me all you are seeking is affirmation from the SS crowd for a decision that you seemed to have already made. /sycoanalyzed.
  • staxwaxstaxwax 1,474 Posts
    not at all - just wondering if its a myth that they sound better?
    Why do you prefer tubes to transistors?
  • HorseleechHorseleech 3,830 Posts
    It's a complicated subject, and your system has to work well together, so a lot of it depends om what you have available.

    I have a Dynaco tube preamp, which can be had for cheap because they were very popular, running into a Bryston 4B solid state amp, which is dead quiet and sounds great.
  • CBearCBear 902 Posts
    I've been reluctant to go tube because I'm a space cadet and leave my amp on all night. Not good for tube amps. I also fear fires and lethal voltages. This isn't to say that tube amps cause those things, but I hear horror stories. I run a solid state PSE Studio SL pre-amp and a PSE Studio 2 power amp combo that I'm seriously happy with. No bass or treble controls. Just perfectly reproduced sound.
  • spcspc 534 Posts
    I would skip hifi stuff and aim for something from the studio/mastering world, no snake oil involved.
  • staxwaxstaxwax 1,474 Posts
    ok - thanks
    any vinyl heads care to chime in on general difference in sound quality between transistor and valve amps?
    All i can find online on the subject is very technical or relates to guitar amps-
  • DelayDelay 4,530 Posts
    for listening - tube
    for recording - solid state
  • threetwosixthreetwosix 270 Posts
    Those 'vintage' speaks look to be from 1995 or so.

    I think as you're just getting your feet wet w/ stereo gear that I'd stick to solid state. Get something that sounds good to you. I've found that 70's transistor gear sounds good and doesn't require the maintenance of tube gear. Lp's were still the format of choice so pre's/ integrated (pre+power) amps have good phono sections. Glowing tubes are certainly more appealing visually and higher end gear (McIntosh, Manley) looks like the shit.

    There's also modern 'hybrid' amps that have tube pre's running through a solid-state power section that are popular. I had a Jolida for a bit that sounded nice and wasn't too spendy. I've been into older Luxman gear as of late and really enjoy it.

    There's a limitless amount of nerding out over audio gear so explore a bit and report back.
  • LoopDreamsLoopDreams 1,195 Posts
    staxwax said:
    vinyl heads care to chime in on general difference in sound quality between transistor and valve amps?

    the thing about a solid state amp is that it's a static beast... which is fine if you love the way it sounds. With a tube Amp you can change up the tubes... different manufacturers, year of prod. , etc... There is a huge difference in sound from various tubes, be it Amperex, RCA or whatever. Some have more bottom end, but aren't quick, while others are very transparent. So you can customize your sound.
  • staxwaxstaxwax 1,474 Posts
    threetwosix said:
    Those 'vintage' speaks look to be from 1995 or so.

    nah theyre from 89. 22 years old - thats gotta qualify as vintage right?

    Thanks for the advice guys.
  • billbradleybillbradley You want BBQ sauce? Get the fuck out of my house. 2,889 Posts
    I doubt those speakers were ever meant to be used with a tube amp. I would stick with solid-state
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