Can tube amps play loudly?


Hello Gentlemen,

I'm in process of upgrading my current system. It's all junk...Onkyo receiver, Wharfedale speakers, etc. I've finally finished grad school and have decided it's high-time to upgrade to a quality two-channel system.

I've heard tube amps in various settings and love the way they sound. I'm strongly considering starting with one of the modified Cayins on the market (Bizzy Bee or PrimaLuna versions).

I’ll preface my question by noting that I am a total tube “newbie,” and I’m sure my question will speak volumes about my relative youthfulness. Here goes: Can tube amplifiers in this modest price range play loudly?

I realize this is dependent on the speakers and their sensitivities. What I'm looking for here is a relative ballpark estimate. There are so many good speakers on the market that I don't even know what to start looking at seriously. If I could weed some out based on their sensitivities, that would help me out a lot.

So, does anyone have any rough decibel ratings for tube amps similar to the Cayin? If so, what sensitivity are your speakers? I do realize that decibel ratings vary widely depending on amp power, speaker type, distance, etc. All I want is a rough estimate.

Any thoughts from anyone would be appreciated. I’d like to be able to narrow down my speaker choices before I start shopping seriously, because I don’t want to waste my time or a dealer’s. Plus, I’d like to know whether I can even achieve respectable volumes with tube amps on my modest budget.

Thanks!
-Chris
cds9000

Showing 3 responses by maxxc

I've owned both tube and SS amps. I think the Cayin is in the 30-35 wpc range.

As some others have mentioned; GENERALLY a 30wpc tube amp as opposed to a 30wpc SS amp will play louder. They both only have 30wpc,no getting around this. But the way a tube amp "clips" allows it to play louder before distortion and clipping sets in. So effectively the tube amp has more usable watts. Most say 1 tube watt equals 2-3 SS watts. So the Cayin probably would be more comperable to a 60 wpc SS amp.

Second on your question about DB's. Swampwalker was talking about speaker effeciency. As he mentioned those in the 89-92db range should be able to play plenty loud.

A speaker with 89db will put out 89db sound pressure at 1 meter. A 92db speaker 92db at the 1 meter range.

Hopefully this may help: A 3db increase in sound pressure is a doubling of the volume. So the 92db speaker will play twice as loud as the 89db speaker with the same 1 watt. But the same 89db speaker with the same 1 watt will be twice as loud as a 86db speaker. This again is a general rule and still dosen't tell how loud the speaker will play or how difficult it will be to drive.

The catch though is that as humans we don't usually perceive a doubling in volume until it reaches near the 10db range. So the 92db speaker will not sound like double the volume though it actually is.

Bottom line after all this is; yes the Cayin should be able to play plenty loud if the room isn't too large and the speakers are reasonably effecient.
Hi Rockvirgo. No thats not exactly what I meant.

Yes a speaker that plays at 86bd with 1 watt will require 2 watts to play at 89db and 4 watts to play at 92db. This of course does not take impedance and other factors into consideration and is a genaral rule.

No the 96db speaker is not playing twice as loud as the 86db speaker. 89db is actually twice as loud as 86db. But the human ear does not generally perceive a doubling in volume until around 10db although it is actually playing much louder then the doubling in volume we perceive.

I don't really understand your reference to the differences in volume control

Best Wishes MaxxC
I guess you are refering to step attenuators. My amp adjusts from 0-99. One click at a time.

The db is a scale of scientific measurements just like the weather or how we are able to determine what Hz a instrument is capable of playing.

Simple as I can say it. A increase of 3db on actual measurements is twice as loud. Although the sound pressure MEASURES twice as loud we don't perceive it as being twice as loud. In actuality it is twice as loud.

In otherwords going from 86db to 89db will MEASURE twice as loud. But the normal listener does not perceive it as being twice as loud untill it nears the 10db mark.

So its measured versus perception.



So the 3db increase