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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
clueless
763 posts
 

Marco>>Could you expand on the "glowing phallus" part?!

And you like those magnum size "sparkling bottles" too!

Sometimes a pipe is just a pipe.
I remain,
jax2
3,031 posts
 
Clueless>>Sometimes a pipe is just a pipe.

Ah yes, but this just isn't one of those times my friend!

Marco
joncin's avatar
joncin
3 posts
 
Those of you who do not understand the hype concerning tubes have never tried them. I am an electronics engineer too and was also prejudaced by the modern scientific school of thought. That is until I stumbled onto a Jolida 302b and a pair of Klipsch Forte' for cheap. When I brought them home I was expecting the typical Klipsch sound that I was accustomed to - brutally cold and hard. I was blown away! The sound was earily live, smooth, detailed, and warm. I swapped the Jolida out with my ADCOM GFA-555. The familiar ugly Klipsch sound returned. I am sold on tubes. Don't waste your money though, buy a cheap tube amp and experiment with replacing tubes. If you currently own any pair of Klipsch and do not have tubes driving them, you owe it to yourself to try it. I would not waste my time typing this if it was not the most dramatic thing I have ever heard.

John
jax2
3,031 posts
 
Hey Joncin, and breathrin-

Today's sermon will be on the wonders of the vacum tube.....

You hit the friggen jackpot with that combination as far as I'm concerned! It took me twenty years to figure that one out. I'd heard my friend's system which paired off some vintage Quad's with an old Dynaco ST-70 back in the early 80's and I would NEVER forget that sound. I just had the hardest time getting up and walking away from it and if his wife didn't kick me out I'd probably still be there listening to it. I settled for SS not wanting the hassle of tubes, and went with a BK amp which was actually pretty decent for SS at the time for a poor young photo assistant living in NYC. Many ears later and 3000 miles west of NY I was reborn by the exact same combination you mention: a Jolida 302B with Klipsch Forte II's! I shit you not good people! It was an inspired purchase by my recollection of that Quad/Dynaco system that I couldn't get out of my head, and boy was it an awakening. Damn Slappy, sorry, but I realize I'm starting to sound downright evangelical and I really don't mean to, but it was as if someone turned a light on! Acutally, I guess I do mean to....screw it....praise the glowing globes!!! I've since moved onward along the same path and have been stuck on SET for the past year and found my personal preference lies there. I've also stuck with Klipsch Heritage speakers and found nothing else I've tried or listened to offers more bang for the buck, which is amazing considering Paul Klipsch designed them back in the 50's and 60's! I also found Mike Sanders excellent Quicksilver amps provide similar value and combine brilliantly with the Klipsch speakers I came to love. Okay, enough preaching. I just got excited by the coincedence of being reborn by the same combination as brother John. Back to the fray, name-calling, bad-mouthing, brawling, bad manners and belching. Hey, Kt88, I didn't use any curse words......well, nothing really bad anyway.

Oh, and my mind remains wide open to the demonic persuasion of SS and the evil people who follow that satanic ritual. Yes, that is a joke.....But I still wouldn't let my dog listen to an SS system. Bahaahahaahaaha!

Marco
slappy
903 posts
 
Marco.

Solid state EVIL?

Hmm... Maybe that is why i feel compelled to burn pentagrams and upside-down crosses in my carpet when i listen to my rig.

You might be on to something here!

Maybe SS actually stands for SATAN STATE amplifiers?

MWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!

-Satan State Slappy-
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