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Tube Equipment: Gimmick?

I recently had a mechanical engineer (who has no interest in audio equipment or the industry) express amazement when I told him about the high prices of tube gear. His amazement, he said, stemmed from the fact that tubes are antiquated gear, incapable of separating signals the way (what we call "solid state") equipment can.

In essence, he said tubes could never be as accurate as SS gear, even at the height of the technology's maturity. This seems substantiated by the high-dollar tube gear I've heard - many of the things that many here love so much about the "tube sound" are wonderful - but to my ears, not true to the recording, being either too "bloomy" in the vocal range or too "saturated" throughout, if that makes any sense.

I have limited experience with tubes, so my questions are: what is the attraction of tubes, and when we talk about SS gear, do we hit a point where the equipment is so resolving that it makes listening to music no fun? Hmmm..or maybe being *too* accurate is the reason folks turn from SS to tubes?

Thanks in advance for the thoughts!
aggielaw

Showing 2 responses by kehut

kehut's avatar
kehut
668 posts
 
There you go Jax2! now your talking. I'll bring the spicy mustard. All I can say is How often do we run across such thinking not only here in the forums, but with people we know who "know better". Armed with preconceived thoughts and biases of what tube and ss designs are supposed to sound like and how they measure, compared to what a good system( tubes based of course!) really can do. Your friend obviously has never really listened to an excellent tube system or a decent SS one either most likely for that matter. Reminds me of my friends brother; the consumate nay-sayer who swears by his old Pioneer turntable and Awia receiver as the Grail of audio! and has ruined many-a lamp by cutting the chinsey 18g cord ( no apologies to those with.. you know who you are) you can't get much better he would boisteriously( and seriously) proclaim! Some just don't get it!..The rest find enlightenment and go tubes! Stick to your guns Aggielaw! The battle rages!
kehut's avatar
kehut
668 posts
 
Well said Mejames! I believe the first sentence of Aggielaws
thread actually sums up his quandry.

" a mechanical engineer(who has no interest in audio equipment or the industry)" A degree in electrical engineering would add more credibility to his statement.Although they too most often would say something similar regarding the use of tubes, based on the fact that tubes do wear out eventually. Todays tubes and circuts are not antiquated gear..rather a refined up to date application of a topology which advented many years before the transistor appeared( now updated as well) which has many of the good characteristics we love in music. Pleasing order harmonics not offensive to the ear,air and depth surrounding an instrument with correct tonal balance and timber, and dynamics that often exceed SS designs. It is widely accepted that tube watts indeed sound 2X more dynamic than the same ss watt produced without the compression distortion and harsh clipping that ss amps can exhibit. That said, of course there are very well designed and capable ss designs that sound great and as mentioned in another thread, that difference in sound is now closer than ever, with the exception of some first rate SET tube designs that would blow your mind. A couple of SET tube watts with the right speakers would make your believe the players were in the room with you!
So we are entitled to our opinions here.I choose tubes and gladly pay the price of admission and up-keep!
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