atmasphere
Active member
I'd try several amps before blaming it on a specific amp. I have tinnitus as well and its aggravated by really loud sounds, diet and fatigue.
Do you prefer SS or tube? Why?
- Thread starter bluegrassphile
- Start date
You're welcome. The article also appears to put into question the relevance of Anatta's posted distortion figures -- in particular, what these do *not* show when it comes to SS amps.
atmasphere
Active member
Really? Next time you run the class D (and the tinnitus gets worse), see if you can measure the sound pressure level. There are apps for smartphones that can let you do that. Then the next time you run the regular amps at what you perceive as the same level (but the tinnitus isn't made worse), measure the sound pressure and see if they are the same.
The ear uses higher ordered harmonics to sense sound pressure. If one amp has more higher ordered harmonics, it might sound loud to you but might actually be several dB quieter. Worth a shot....
Randy Myers
Well-known member
OMG... this thread has been entertaining. It was nice reading people's opinions and preferences and reasons they like one over the other. And then somewhere about the 7th page it became a sword fight (read big dick contest)... all the charts and lambasting back and forth. I believe and have had it proved to me many times that charts and graphs have very little to do with what actually sounds better... after all is that not what matters most...
It is why parts with identical specifications, charts, graphs, etc. may sound 100% different.
What I care about is what sounds best to my ears, in my system, how I prefer to listen. My SET amps are amazing and everyone from our audio club who has listened to them say do not get rid of those. I also enjoy hooking up one of my SS amps occasionally. To each their own I guess
....
It is why parts with identical specifications, charts, graphs, etc. may sound 100% different.
What I care about is what sounds best to my ears, in my system, how I prefer to listen. My SET amps are amazing and everyone from our audio club who has listened to them say do not get rid of those. I also enjoy hooking up one of my SS amps occasionally. To each their own I guess
....So what exactly it is put into question by the article? I only posted measurement graphs of commercially available amps BTW, not figures, measurements meant to show that tube amps have higher distortion both in harmonics level and order.
a.wayne
Well-known member
This is true for all Amps Ralph , we found about 33% of rated output as best case for sonics, when selecting amplifier output vs speaker sensitivity vs desired listening level ..
Randy Myers
Well-known member
As I have discussed previously I have both tubes and solid state. The tube amps are the Audio Mirror Reflection / SET 45, 45 watt mono block amplifiers which are fairly high power for SET amplifiers. These are my favorite amplifiers that I have ever owned! It may be just me, but I am a tube nervous kind of guy and have an extremely hard time feeling completely comfortable with having only tubes amps and therefore I also have a solid state amplifier.
The T+A amplifier is solid state, physically small and on the low end for T+A, which is to say that even though it is small in physical stature it is still quite an amplifier. It is one of the best amplifiers I have owned and very very close to the Audio Mirrors in detail, smoothness and musicality. It has what I call a European sound signature, very similar to the Goldmund amps that I have owned, fast and dynamic!
Recently I have been listening to the T+A quite a bit more. The SET amps are fantastic, but SS is so much more convenient and gives me much less worry or what I call my inner tube concerns. The amp simply works, sounds amazing, and lets me listen with more peace of mind.
So there it is, in my view there is something to be said for both amplification methods
...
The T+A amplifier is solid state, physically small and on the low end for T+A, which is to say that even though it is small in physical stature it is still quite an amplifier. It is one of the best amplifiers I have owned and very very close to the Audio Mirrors in detail, smoothness and musicality. It has what I call a European sound signature, very similar to the Goldmund amps that I have owned, fast and dynamic!
Recently I have been listening to the T+A quite a bit more. The SET amps are fantastic, but SS is so much more convenient and gives me much less worry or what I call my inner tube concerns. The amp simply works, sounds amazing, and lets me listen with more peace of mind.
So there it is, in my view there is something to be said for both amplification methods
...
mep
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2013
- Messages
- 5,076
As I have discussed previously I have both tubes and solid state. The tube amps are the Audio Mirror Reflection / SET 45, 45 watt mono block amplifiers which are fairly high power for SET amplifiers. These are my favorite amplifiers that I have ever owned! It may be just me, but I am a tube nervous kind of guy and have an extremely hard time feeling completely comfortable with having only tubes amps and therefore I also have a solid state amplifier.
The T+A amplifier is solid state, physically small and on the low end for T+A, which is to say that even though it is small in physical stature it is still quite an amplifier. It is one of the best amplifiers I have owned and very very close to the Audio Mirrors in detail, smoothness and musicality. It has what I call a European sound signature, very similar to the Goldmund amps that I have owned, fast and dynamic!
Recently I have been listening to the T+A quite a bit more. The SET amps are fantastic, but SS is so much more convenient and gives me much less worry or what I call my inter tube concerns. The amp simply works, sounds amazing, and lets me listen with more peace of mind.
So there it is, in my view there is something to be said for both amplification methods
Have you been hanging out with Joe?
Randy Myers
Well-known member
Hehe... does Joe share a common uneasy feeling in regards to tubes .... I have no logical reason what so ever to have this feeling with my tube amps.... The first thing I did when I got the amps was get some NOS/backup tubes, ok this makes sense for tube rolling, but I also had to get a backup set of the 6c33c tubes because of my paranoia on having a tube go bad :dry:.
I have even considered selling my Audio Mirror amps because of feeling so much more comfortable with the T+A, but then I listen to them again... and dammit... they sound so good....
.... I have no logical reason what so ever to have this feeling with my tube amps.... The first thing I did when I got the amps was get some NOS/backup tubes, ok this makes sense for tube rolling, but I also had to get a backup set of the 6c33c tubes because of my paranoia on having a tube go bad :dry:.I have even considered selling my Audio Mirror amps because of feeling so much more comfortable with the T+A, but then I listen to them again... and dammit... they sound so good
....bluegrassphile
Member
- Thread Author
- #132
What is an SET amp? Is that a brand name or type of amp?
audio.bill
Active member
Some tube amps are stellar and give you so much more than any solid state amp can. Matching with a proper speaker, tubes are heavenly.
Hehe... does Joe share a common uneasy feeling in regards to tubes
I have even considered selling my Audio Mirror amps because of feeling so much more comfortable with the T+A, but then I listen to them again... and dammit... they sound so good
bluegrassphile
Member
- Thread Author
- #136
Thanks for the link! That was very informative. As a long time guitar player I know that Vox tube guitar amps are Class A, and I think, SET. So, if that's correct, they should have a "scooped" tonal personality (which they do). Am I correct with all this? Does this pretty much parallel or mimic audio amps?
Randy Myers
Well-known member
You should try it sometime, it might just make you a nicer guy
I could not help but chuckle
....
Randy Myers
Well-known member
Not sure about the parallel with guitar amps, but SET amplifiers are normal considerably less power requiring a much more efficient speaker. My Audio Mirror, at 45 watts per monoblock amp are on the high side and match up with medium efficient speakers. The flip side is they are very musical inviting sounding amplifiers, in my view
.
a.wayne
Well-known member
OMG... this thread has been entertaining. It was nice reading people's opinions and preferences and reasons they like one over the other. And then somewhere about the 7th page it became a sword fight (read big dick contest)... all the charts and lambasting back and forth. I believe and have had it proved to me many times that charts and graphs have very little to do with what actually sounds better... after all is that not what matters most...
It is why parts with identical specifications, charts, graphs, etc. may sound 100% different.
What I care about is what sounds best to my ears, in my system, how I prefer to listen. My SET amps are amazing and everyone from our audio club who has listened to them say do not get rid of those. I also enjoy hooking up one of my SS amps occasionally. To each their own I guess
This is incorrect it shows you everything you need to know about matching amp to load , what it will not show is what you will end up liking due to taste..
Regards
a.wayne
Well-known member
As I have discussed previously I have both tubes and solid state. The tube amps are the Audio Mirror Reflection / SET 45, 45 watt mono block amplifiers which are fairly high power for SET amplifiers. These are my favorite amplifiers that I have ever owned! It may be just me, but I am a tube nervous kind of guy and have an extremely hard time feeling completely comfortable with having only tubes amps and therefore I also have a solid state amplifier.
The T+A amplifier is solid state, physically small and on the low end for T+A, which is to say that even though it is small in physical stature it is still quite an amplifier. It is one of the best amplifiers I have owned and very very close to the Audio Mirrors in detail, smoothness and musicality. It has what I call a European sound signature, very similar to the Goldmund amps that I have owned, fast and dynamic!
Recently I have been listening to the T+A quite a bit more. The SET amps are fantastic, but SS is so much more convenient and gives me much less worry or what I call my inner tube concerns. The amp simply works, sounds amazing, and lets me listen with more peace of mind.
So there it is, in my view there is something to be said for both amplification methods
Based on the sensitivity of your Kef’s , you prefer the clipping characteristics of your SET over your T&A SS amps , understandable as Toobs clipping is more desirable ..