Sometimes different, sometimes similar, sometimes hard to tell apart at all.
Like most things, it all depends.
In general, the sound of "good quality" tube gear is more variable than good quality SS. If you like a certain flavor of sound, tube or SS but not both may be the only option. Both are capable of very high levels of technical performance (not to be confused with what a particular individual might deem to "sound good") that tend to sound more similar than different when done right.
Tube rolling with a lot of tube gear provides a unique way to tweak the sound not available with SS gear. |
When tubes make things sound unreal it may sound pleasant. With ss you recognize the unreal immediately as distortion. |
GP,
I think you can still order printed copies of the chart. I have a framed copy on my main listening room wall. Its a work of art in that context to a technical nutcase like me. The interactive version online is even better.
It really helps you understand what you are hearing and why, for anyone who really cares about the facts. |
All depends on the system built around them. Tubes or transistors alone can't make any sound.
The best of both tend to sound more similar than different at least when not distorting. Its when they distort that things become different, but we wouldn't want any of that now in any case would we? |
"Actually Mapman this is not entirely true."
How many things are when it comes to good sound?
I'll agree avoiding clipping altogether is always a good goal. Things will still not sound the same but if things are done even halfway well otherwise you are where you want to be to start. Otherwise, you are in a very grey place that you would be well advised to get out of before anything else truly matters. |
"IOW it may be flat but it may not sound like it."
Actually it won't EVER sound flat if in fact it is because the frequency response of human ears is not flat.
See the Ear Sensitivity chart here for details and how that affects what we hear when listening to music.
http://www.independentrecording.net/irn/resources/freqchart/main_display.htm
That does not mean that flat frequency response in the sound making system is not a good thing. It is. It means whats coming out is the same as what went in, even if not always pleasant. |
Czar, you might be right about the brainwashing, but I have to admit I pay a premium for many products that I consider to be healthier mainly because they have less of the bad stuff they would have otherwise. Mostly for convenience reasons.
ALthough at home if I am not in a rush I will mix and water down things on my own in order to better fit my diet. |
Try hot cocoa for a warmer sound. |
you'll hear the frequencies as described be it signalk distortion, whatever. Of course the goal is always to minimize distortion or at least what is perceived as distortion.
If you look at frequency response of some transducers, like certain headphones you can see some are designed to compensate for ear sensitivity at various frequencies at various DBs and some do not. Much like the old style loudness controls on vintage receivers and amps.
What sounds best is solely a matter of preference but in general keep noise and distortion to a minimum and things should sound pretty good personal preferences aside. |
"It's sign of deep global nfb."
Oh no, not that!
Just give it a listen. If it sounds good, its a pretty good design. Bad ones don't sound good. its funny how that works. |
Tube guy: only tubes sound good
SS guy: jump on the transistors, tubes are the pits.
Where is the truth?
Where it almost always is. Somewhere in the middle.
Myself I choose to shy away from tubes whenever possible. Too many headaches. But I still have some. Go figure. I'd love to ditch them all but at least the ones I have sound good plus of course tube gear is way cooler than not and you can't roll transistors to get the sound you want, but there are many ways to tweak besides twiddling with tubes. |
It would not be hard to fool most anyone by doing a blind listening test of chosen tube versus solid state gear. The devil is always in the details ie design, build quailty, quality assurance etc. Only audiophiles care about debating tubes versus SS. They are a finicky bunch and each has found their own nirvana no two of which are likely to sound exactly the same. |
Tubes become a more desirable option to me if lower volume listening will be the norm.
It's certainly doable but I would not bother with a tube amp if higher volume listening is the norm. That's just me. Too many special considerations when putting a system designed to go loud and clear together. Some might consider it fun or preferable but I don't see any clear advantage in most cases.
I would also agree that tube lovers might often be motivated by the quest for a certain special kind of sound more so than just good clean sound. |
Bottom line is its more about what one is after than the technology itself. Both at their best sound more similar than different but each also does its thing best differently. That's pretty much what makes the world go around. |
