Preamp Sound Sample Test! Tube Vs. Solid State

SWR tube preamps are some of the most non-tube sounding preamps IMHO. I can't listen right now because i'm on my laptop, and it's too late to fire up the regular speakers.

 

I'm not gonna guess which is which, but AMP 1 sounded better to my ears. Pretty good in fact.

 

I'd say amp 1.

 

I would say Amp1 is generally the fatness you want out of a tube, but on the other hand thats not to say that Amp1 is a tube and not the solid state because tubes are very different sounding and you can have a very dry and harsh sounding tube that many might consider a solidstate sound. Solid state can be very warm as well....... so whats my answer..

 

I kinda' liked the way Brian waffled on his answer , but let me put it this way, I think Amp1 sounds more like the way most folks describe tube fatness and warmth. The only reason I don't say "Amp1 is the tube one" is because THIS FEELS LIKE A TRAP!

 

I thought 1 was the tube pre but 2 was the SWR. There, that should cover me

I did prefer 1 far above 2, please don't tell me that's the BBE.

 

I agree as well that AMP 1 has a tube-like warmth and fatness, but it doesn't necessarily automatically indicate it's a tube amp.

Listening to clips on basstasters, to me the Avalon U5 and Thunderfunk both sound like they have tubes, but they're both solid-state.

 

I didn't vote because I really don't know, but I thought Amp1 had more bass and Amp2 more mids. Amp1 was running out of dynamic range on the lowest notes.

If you are really in for some fun, download a free program called RMAA, and use your PC to measure the frequency response and distortion curves.

 

+1 ...also, my grandmother just died (again) and I have to go to the funeral, so I won't be able to listen to these clips, and anyway you didn't say what type of tubes and maybe these are cheap Chinese knockoffs so they ... arg, oopf..

 

Besides the preamps inherint characteristics, someone could EQ a tube amp very carefully to sound more hi-fi and could make a SS amp sound tubey to a certain degree. I think both are not quite as warm as I like.

 

I've played all the vintage tube bass amps when new. I am an SWR fan. My EA iAMP 800 is fat and warm and fast and it has no tube pre. Go figure. You can hear it at www.Kevinburnes.com/melange.html[ur... Guild Ashbory through the 800 w/two Cxl112s.

 

I agree on Amp1 ... I'd actually be very interested if it were a 'TRAP' ... it would be an indication that tube emulation (within limits) has finally arrived

 

Not really, it probably sounds like ass overdriven.

 

+1. I've had very good sound out of solid state in the past, but I like clean sound. Once you get into a little overdrive, the tube wins hands down. Otherwise, I think most of the "tube" superiority is the same psuedoscientific mumbo jumbo that has people spending big bucks on "Special" speaker cables.

I'll give barely more credence to tube v solid state diffs due to way more negative feedback in SS circuits to keep them hi-fi compared to tubes, other diffs of how they amplify signals. But the distortion of SS is barely measureable nowadays, so I still tend to think any diffs people hear are mainly due to the different EQ curves of different amps, not the tube or SS differences. Tube v SS "diffs" are psychosomatic, closer to the speaker cable sellers than not.

Note I'm talking strictly about "clean" sounds, not applicable to overdriven sounds where tubes are clearly superior to solid state.

Looking for my flame retardant underwear, I feel a flame war coming on....

Randy

 

You have angered the tube heads...and they are glowing mad (not to worry, when they start yelling at you, it will be in a pleasing "fuzzy" kind of way).

Mike

 

Awesome.

 

I have the Bmax, so I can tell you which one sounds more like my setup....


but...I run a rather outrageous EQ curve(so I've been told, I love the sound) on mine....so my guess could be completely wrong...

 

+1 all around