Solid state/class d vs tube amps

[Wicked G]

I love my Genz Benz class Ds as much as my Ampeg V4B, but after playing thru this Plush setup lately I've been having wet dreams > View attachment 3132657

So am I detecting a certain Plush becoming part of your collection?

 

[DavidEdenAria]

Not a Mesa fan but my 68 sounded pretty good into this one tonight..
View attachment 3132320

Do tell about the bass! Love em.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Do tell about the bass! Love em.

68 TBird II. Strung with RS66. Nothing compares to 60's Birds. I love NRs too..

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

unhappy tube amp...

 

[Bassist30]

Some Class D have Tubes. But again in general when you think of a Tube amp you think big transformers. The closest I have heard to a tube amp is the SS Thunderfunk

 

[mesaplayer83]

Some Class D have Tubes. But again in general when you think of a Tube amp you think big transformers. The closest I have heard to a tube amp is the SS Thunderfunk

The closest I've heard and played is this right here:

 

[seamonkey]

Some Class D have Tubes. But again in general when you think of a Tube amp you think big transformers. The closest I have heard to a tube amp is the SS Thunderfunk

When people say "Class-D" they'd have to be talking about the Amplifier section of a head. So the "Class-D" of Class-D doesn't have any tubes.

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

When people say "Class-D" they'd have to be talking about the Amplifier section of a head. So the "Class-D" of Class-D doesn't have any tubes.

++1, My friend.
Some people aren’t aware that a typical bass amp comes with two basic parts, The pre-amp and the power amp. When they see a hybrid class D head, they think they have a class D tube amp. But that is incorrect. The tube is a part of the preamp and is likely running a different class of operation. Whereas the class D part simply takes the signal created in the preamp and makes it much bigger and lowers the impedance so it can drive speakers. In general, when we describe the class of an amp, we are describing the output stage.

Hybrid Class D amp looks like this...
Bass —> Input section = preamp = tube = equal class A or AB —> Output section = power amp = MOSFETs = class D —> Speaker

 

[catcauphonic]

++1, My friend.
Some people aren’t aware that a typical bass amp comes with two basic parts, The pre-amp and the power amp. When they see a hybrid class D head, they think they have a class D tube amp. But that is incorrect. The tube is a part of the preamp and is likely running a different class of operation. Whereas the class D part simply takes the signal created in the preamp and makes it much bigger and lowers the impedance so it can drive speakers. In general, when we describe the class of an amp, we are describing the output stage.

Hybrid Class D amp looks like this...
Bass —> Input section = preamp = tube = equal class A or AB —> Output section = power amp = MOSFETs = class D —> Speaker

Pardon my ig'nance with the tech speak, professor. Are these not hybrid class Ds? (The Shuttle having 1, and the SL has 3 tubes in the pre) >

 

[agedhorse]

Pardon my ig'nance with the tech speak, professor. Are these not hybrid class Ds? (The Shuttle having 1, and the SL has 3 tubes in the pre) > View attachment 3134876

Yes, both are hybrid class D, meaning that the tubes are in the preamp.

The confusion is where people assume that the tubes are within the power amp.

 

[Bassist30]

Pardon my ig'nance with the tech speak, professor. Are these not hybrid class Ds? (The Shuttle having 1, and the SL has 3 tubes in the pre) > View attachment 3134876

I know what you mean. I am sure we all know tubes are not in the amp but in the pre. I personally didn't explain cause I thought it was obvious. I just mentioned that the Class d had tubes instead of saying Class d amp sometimes include tubes in the pre. I don't think people think there are tubes in the amp itself. But include tubes in the pre it powers. There are transistor amps that include tubes.....in the pre.

 

[zon6c-f]

ok guys. As generic of a topic as this is I have a big dilemma.

If you check my sig, you will see that I am a (proud) owner of Aguilar amps.

They sound great and all but yesterday I tried to hook up a fender bassman tube clone.

Wow! I couldn't believe the sound I was getting. Barefaced big twin 2 has a renown of being a cab that is able to pump monstrous lows, that are sometimes even hard to control. But with the clone, every low note has a clear and round, veery warm low end that doesn't extend over the limits. What surprised me even more is that every note I played, even on higher registers is still meaty and has a great low mid presence and just keeps on going and seamlessly blends with the low notes with zero volume difference.

My aguilar amps work great as well but there was an obvious and immediate difference in the sound the moment I plugged in.

I immediately felt groovier and a better bass player.

Should I go after an all tube amp? I never played a solidstate with a similar warmth and meat to the sound and I am starting to think I never will.

The bassman clone was 40w and I couldn't believe how loud it actually was.

The size of these amps is bugging me though.

Love SS. Zero maintenance

I have a 71 Kustom and 74 ac 370

Both have always powered up. Never let me down

Played thru tubes. Blue smoke ....

It’s SS for me and digital SS now