The audio industry is full of stereotypes, the ones about tube amplifiers are extremely … and as it is my horse, I decided to explain the most common ones … 🙂
1. They play warm
This is absolutely the most common myth about lamps. The best, most valued and uncompromisingly madeTriody Single EndedThey sound more analytical, detailed and dynamic than the vast majority of transistors.
The difference is that the Triode SET is much better differentiated by colors and textures, they locate apparent sources better and sound better at low volume levels (they have more qualitative first – the most important watts) and reflect the three-dimensional and holography of the scene and apparent sources. So they screw to a high level what is the most difficult to achieve in transistors.
take it easy. Most of the lamps from the budget up to 10-20,000PLN on the market of new lamps do not play in such a manner 🙂
Through stereotypical perception of lamps – customers mainly look for warmth, greater color saturation in them and most manufacturers offer them such products.
Usually they result from some construction compromise (e.g. smaller and cheaper speakers), so they are cheaper to produce.
They work great for their tasks – charming, coloring and sweetening the presentation.
2. Bucza / Brumia
Tube amplifiers do not buzz, some unsuccessful designs hum, or old devices with failures.
A well-designed tube amplifier should be silent. It must be, because if it is to play, for example, with 100dB loudspeakers, it would be unbearable to listen to.
3. They are emergency
Tube amplifiers are built much simpler than transistor or hybrid amplifiers. These are very simple systems with minor modifications, proven for decades. Many of these systems have been duplicated for 50-60 years and these devices are still able to work flawlessly.
For which of today’s transistors will you cut your hand, that it is so well made and of such components that it will have a similar service life?
Have you ever watched Jacek Kawa from Retro Audio Audio on YouTube? How does it disassemble these great power amplifiers? Ask service technicians on Facebook how much does Krell, Mark Levinson cost. Recently, I also saw Leema Tucana 2 returning (the project is maybe 15 years old).
The service technician’s working time itself makes the costs high. Folding, folding, and also components.
Now call the service that repairs tube amplifiers and ask what is the cost of inspection, current regulation or replacement of capacitors, stands in even a 30-year-old tube …
The most emergency element of tube amplifiers … are lamps – and usually power, i.e. those that are an operational element.
In most well-made amplifiers that I know, a set of lamps is enough for several years of listening. I had 20-30-40-year-old amplifiers that still played on original lamps …
4. They require disassembly and handwritten bias
The vast majority of tube amplifiers currently have an automatic bias. Also the older ones.
Manual bias was often used in home constructions or tube amplifiers from the 1960s or 1970s.
Today, if there is such a construction – usually the adjustment is outside and it is enough to twist two screws according to the user manual (if you have ever had a screwdriver in your hand – you can do it)
Such a manual bias has, for example, Chinese Line Magnetic amplifiers.
5. silt on bass
We have many types of power tubes and many different types of tube tubes – similar to transistor amplifiers. It is played differently by Pass Labs, and different from Hegel or Gato.
The cheapest lamps, e.g. on EL34, cheap from China, or those that are constructed very budgetary, e.g. on weak luck, have loose bass – in return they usually offer very warm, often even too warm – they are simply directed to such user.
Amplifiers on KT88 or KT120 (these about 100W of power) will play with better attack and dynamics than most transistors in a similar budget.
The 2A3, ECL86 lamp will also be spectacular in this respect – but due to its low power, it will do it fantastically at low volume levels, and to get the same loud – you already need the appropriate loudspeakers – usually with 8-12 inches transducer.
Well done 300B or 845, 211 can also shock on this band – only this will not be an amplifier for PLN 20,000 from the company with the tag.
6. They have a wheezing, shrill mountain
Good lamps – especially triodes 300B, 2A3, ECL86 have the highest class smoothness and space on top.
Cheaper like KT or EL34 with cheap, basic lamps can sound shining – but here it is worth using an inexpensive copper cable, or simply changing the lamps to a bit more pastel.
Most often, however, we get shrill sound from Chinese amplifiers – made of the cheapest components or the cheapest lamps
It is also often the result of simply poor system fit. The problem occurs sometimes, but you can deal with it relatively cheaply.
7. There is no lamp speakers on the market
The lamp will play with each columnI. Just like a transistor, not every lamp with each column.
Weaker, but the most prominent in the first watts of the triodes will not be the best choice, e.g. for small stand mount speakers, which need a lot of power and often a higher volume level to generate acoustic pressure.
On the other hand, the amplifier, e.g. on the KT lamp, can handle them without any problems. Like 845 or 211.
Remember, however, that the entire system is playing, so the source-column-amplifier is playing.
If we have selected columns and the source, testing several solutions, do not expect that the first or the second randomly selected budget lamp will immediately shake our world.
It’s always worth trying, because sometimes you manage to hit 10. However, you should not be discouraged after 1 or 2 unsuccessful approaches
8. For lamp only columns above 90dB
Another myth, already partially explained in points 5 and 7. High efficiency should not be a criterion that disqualifies a tube amplifier.
It all depends on what we listen to and how we listen.
Here you will find a broader post on this topic.
For quiet listening and calm repertoire, you can use up to 2-8W lamps with such loudspeakers and when it comes to color, textures, space, jazz repertoire, vocals, soft rock, blues, or even electronics – they will work well Perfect.
For loud listening and universal listening with such loudspeakers, we have stronger lamps – 845, 211 or KT, el.
The principle is rather similar to the selection of a transistor for columns. We do not combine a free, warm high-bass amplifier with loudspeakers of a similar nature. And vice versa.
We season all of this with the right source. If we have a converter for Saber or R2R, there may be a problem with focusing on the top – especially in the case of cheaper lamps and cheaper DACs.
In general, a more important factor is the course of the impedance of the columns, but also not the rule that those with higher impedance drops will be impossible to drive.
There will probably be a compromise in a repertoire or a list, but there will also be something else.
I recommend listening to it longer and a different repertoire. Often, such experiments make us get to know and enjoy a completely different and new music.
9. Tube amplifiers heat the room
It’s true. And at the same time a myth, because I have the impression that many people imagine a tube amplifier that raises the temperature like a radiator.
If we put monoblocks on 8 KT or 4×211, 845 lamps – it can actually get warm. Especially in a small room or with a long listening session
Integra on EL34 or EL84, single end on 300B really does not make a big difference and rarely – living in the warmest city in Poland, even in summer I give up playing on a lamp.
For example, Line Magnetic 805 was already really hot for it.
10. They consume a lot of electricity
We can check the power consumption in the parameters and compare it to our previous amplifier. As a rule, the class always consumes more electricity – regardless of whether it is a hybrid or a transistor.
Most of the tubes produced in series do not have uncompromising power supply or peak work points, so it does not take as much electricity as it could. And not every lamp plays in class A.
If one kilowatt hour in Poland costs an average of PLN 1.15. An average of 250-300W of direct current 250-300W per hour for these 1.15 works 3-4 hours.
So in 30 days of using a 3h amplifier per day, which consumes 250-300W of direct current (A class, so the most expensive case)We pay about PLN 35
In relation to the transistor in the AB class, we will pay a few maybe a dozen zlotys more a month.
What I say may be inelegant at first glance … but it is sincere and good advice …If the expense of PLN 35 per month on electricity is too much for you … This audio is not a hobby for you.🙂
