Before answering this question, we must first understand what a tube amp is? What is the difference between a tube amp and an ordinary power amplifier?
A tube amplifier refers to a tube audio amplifier. Some tubes are used for power amplification, and some are used for polishing, that is, voltage amplification. The tube amplifier has its own unique "bold flavor", the sound is warm and durable, the music feels good, and the atmosphere is good. The tube amplifier is the oldest and most enduring evergreen tree in the audio industry. Its significant advantages are its sweet, soft, natural and friendly sound, especially its large dynamic range and distinctive listening experience.
Advantages of tube amplifiers:
The order of harmonic energy used by tube amplifiers is the second harmonic, the third harmonic, and the fourth harmonic in ascending order. Until it finally disappears. This arrangement of harmonic energy enhances people's listening pleasure, increases the level of sound quality, and has rich overtones, making the sound more popular.
Disadvantages of tube amplifiers:
The internal resistance of the tube amplifier is relatively large, which means that the damping coefficient of the tube amplifier is relatively low, which will result in insufficient control of the speaker.
Comparing the tube amplifier with ordinary power amplifiers (crystal amplifiers), here we only discuss the following two issues, namely cost performance and sound quality characteristics. The price is less than one thousand yuan (each unit), because the tube amplifier Computers cannot be produced at this price, and it is impossible for people to buy good tube amplifier products at this price. Although crystal machines can be bought at this price, it is difficult to buy good products.
In terms of sound quality, generally speaking, for amplifiers with the same price below 30,000 yuan, the sound quality of tube amps is usually better than that of crystal amplifiers; in the price range of 30,000 to 50,000 yuan, each has its own advantages; Generally speaking, the crystal machine has a relative advantage. At this time, the crystal machine is superior in its comprehensiveness, while the tube amplifier is superior in its characteristics.
The tube amplifier is suitable for listening to orchestral music, vocal music, and language, but is not suitable for listening to electroacoustic bands and rock. The small dynamics of the symphony are okay, but the large dynamics are difficult to express. For example, the sound of cannons in the 1812 Overture is not as good as the stone machine, and the drum sound in the Overture of Xiao Dao Club lacks shocking power, but it is very good for listening to chamber music. If you listen to a real concert live (without any electronic equipment), you will find that the beauty of the sound effect cannot be reproduced by any top-level speakers, not to mention the sense of space. Theoretically, it cannot be copied and reproduced. If you walk around the band, you will definitely find that the sound effects heard in different locations are so different. If you are a true symphony music lover, spending money on concert tickets is definitely much more valuable than buying audio equipment.
The above is my detailed personal opinion on this issue. I also ask for your support. If there is anything wrong, please correct me! Thanks!
A tube amplifier refers to a tube amplifier, and the tube amplifier has its own unique taste. The sound is warm, durable and full of emotion. It has a good sense of music and can restore the scene effect, especially the human voice. This natural emotion makes people forget their worries and immerse themselves in your world.
The significant advantages of the tube amplifier are the sweet, soft and natural sound, especially the large dynamic range and good linearity, which cannot be easily replaced by other devices. Tube amplifiers are sought after by many audio enthusiasts for their soft and pleasant sound quality.
Ordinary speakers use transistors, which are characterized by small size, high power, and high technical parameters. However, the sound produced feels stiff and unnatural, making it difficult to express the singer's emotions. Therefore, after many people got used to listening to transistors, they instead chose tube amplifiers.
The fun of listening to music, in addition to appreciating the melody and lyrics of the song, is more fun to listen to the interpretation of the song by the singer and performer. A song is a story, and ordinary speakers play it. It has the feeling of early reading for primary school students, and when played by the tube amplifier, it is an emotional recital competition. This is the soul of the song.
Different amplifiers have different effects and are suitable for playing different music. Playing the same song with different amplifiers will also have different auditory effects. Only those who have played tube amps can understand this fun.
The same song performed by different singers will have different emotional expressions. Friends who like to watch variety shows should understand very well, and I think listening to the singer's interpretation of the song is the real enjoyment of music. And only with tube amplifiers can the singer's emotions be conveyed. This is the fun I can experience.
I laughed after reading some answers saying that tube amps are only suitable for vocals and not for dynamics. I can't help but ask, have you really played with tube amps yourself? Maybe this sentence is only seen on the Internet? The tube amps from decades ago may have been slow, had poor dynamics, and had an impressive noise floor that could only be heard for a taste, but this is all old history! It can be said that the resolution and dynamic range of today's tube amps are no less than those of stone amplifiers. Many audiophiles even criticize some of today's tube amps for having the sound of stone amplifiers, catering too much to the public, and making them taste too weak! A very typical one in China is Spark. Of course, some manufacturers pursue the sound of traditional tube amps, which is relatively slower and has a stronger flavor. Domestic tube amplifiers are mainly made in the low-end and mid-range, with high cost performance, while stone amplifiers cost twice as much to achieve the same sound. In foreign countries, the mid-to-low end is dominated by stone amplifiers, because foreign tube amplifiers are too expensive, but when it comes to the highest-end Hiend level, the world of tube amplifiers is dominated by tube amplifiers. No one has ever said that a large system consisting of millions of dollars of tube amplifiers is expensive. Is there something wrong with the dynamics! Back to the question of playing pop songs, as long as your box and tube amplifier are properly matched, you will easily get a beautiful and emotional listening experience, not only for vocals, but also for strings, pianos, etc. Come and experience the feeling that touches your heart and soul!
A tube amplifier refers to a tube amplifier, and the tube amplifier has its own unique taste. The sound is warm, durable and full of emotion. It has a good sense of music and can restore the scene effect, especially the human voice. This natural emotion makes people forget their worries and immerse themselves in your world.
The significant advantages of the tube amplifier are the sweet, soft and natural sound, especially the large dynamic range and good linearity, which cannot be easily replaced by other devices. The tube amplifier is sought after by many audio enthusiasts for its soft and pleasant sound quality.
Ordinary speakers use transistors, which are characterized by small size, high power, and high technical parameters. However, the sound produced feels stiff and unnatural, making it difficult to express the singer's emotions. Therefore, after many people got used to listening to transistors, they instead chose tube amplifiers.
The fun of listening to music, in addition to appreciating the melody and lyrics of the song, is more fun to listen to the interpretation of the song by the singer and performer. A song is a story, and ordinary speakers play it. It has the feeling of early reading for primary school students, and when played by the tube amplifier, it is an emotional recital competition. This is the soul of the song.
Different amplifiers have different effects and are suitable for playing different music. Playing the same song with different amplifiers will also have different auditory effects. Only those who have played tube amps can understand this fun.
The same song performed by different singers will have different emotional expressions. Friends who like to watch variety shows should understand very well, and I think listening to the singer's interpretation of the song is the real enjoyment of music. And only with tube amplifiers can the singer's emotions be conveyed. This is the joy I can experience.
The tube amplifier is really good for the average music lover. The sound is soft and transparent, which is perfect for listening to songs. But for audiophiles, its shortcomings are intolerable. The low frequency and upper high frequency are weak, and the speaker control is insufficient. These are fatal flaws for audiophiles, so audiophiles abandon tube amps.
Pop music is also music. As long as it is well-produced, it will sound good no matter what device you listen to. Some people think that tube amps are weak because they have only heard of single-ended tube amps. Single-ended tube amps are inherently inefficient. Two to three hundred watts of power consumption can only be exchanged for a few watts of thrust, plus even harmonics. The softness brought by the distortion makes the single-ended tube amp very interesting for listening to vocal music sketches. Once the single-ended tube amp is made, the sound will not be too unpleasant as long as it can work normally, and it will not harmonize even if it is overloaded. Transistor amplifiers are severely distorted. In fact, there is a push-pull amplifier with higher efficiency. The sound is similar to that of a transistor amplifier, and the efficiency is greatly improved. The power consumption of two to three hundred watts can be exchanged for about thirty watts of power. Germany's octave push-pull amplifier, if I don't tell you, you will think it has the sound of a stone amplifier. Listening to pop music is still very exciting.
Many people may not have heard of tube amps. In fact, tube amps refer to tube amplifiers. Each tube has its own characteristics, such as some are used to amplify the sound, and some are used to polish the sound. The tube amplifier has its own unique "boldness", the sound is warm and durable, the music feels good, and the atmosphere is good. Compared to the digital sound of a CD player, it's a world of difference.
So what should we pay attention to when using a tube amplifier?
1. The speaker load should be connected before connecting the power supply. Do not connect the power supply before connecting the load. This may cause a short circuit or affect the sound quality of the transmitted signal converted into sound.
2. Do not use a power supply that is too high or too low. If it is too high, the power interface circuit board will be burned. If it is too low, the sound quality of the amplifier may be affected. The best power supply voltage is within 5%. If the voltage value where you live exceeds this value, it is best to use an AC stabilized power supply.
3. Do not drop these liquids on the electronic tube when it is just turned on or shortly after it is turned off. Thermal expansion and contraction may cause the electronic tube to rupture.
4. The temperature of the amplifier is too high during operation. Pay attention to the heat dissipation and ventilation of the amplifier to prevent the circuit board from burning due to excessive temperature.
What kind of music doesn’t sound good on a tube amplifier? Its dynamics, liveness, texture, and charm... are unmatched by stone machines. It's just that you haven't heard of good tube amps, so you say it's not good. Of course, there are good or better stone machines, but they are all very expensive. For power amplifiers in the same price range, it is better to choose a tube amplifier. You can compare the same music disc on a tube amp and a stone amp for ear identification.
Before answering this question, I would like to introduce myself first. I am also a small audiophile. I have gone through many detours that I didn’t know before. I know all about amplifiers. What you want to ask depends on it. It’s a tube amplifier at any price. The K88 tube amplifier I use is perfect for listening to any kind of music. No matter what kind of music you want to listen to well, the sound source and matching are very important. It doesn’t mean that you need to find a good amplifier and listen to a poor quality sound source. The same thing is bad, a good horse with a good saddle can give a perfect performance.
The tube amplifier is obsolete