Tube amp? Or not?

[kenratboy]

I am getting really confused. I have heard that if you are using horn speakers (any driver) you should use a tube amp, which I consider to be weak and finicky (please correct me if Im wrong.) I am asking who, for what speakers, and why you would want to use a tube amp? What should a person (me) with NO TUBE EXPERIENCE know about a tube amp versus a transistor amp? What quality-level of pre-amp, CD player, etc. should I have before I even consider tubes? At the least, I will be using them with a pair of RB-5IIs or some other speaker with a horn tweeter. Any thoughts, suggestions, or comments are greatly appreciated. I would want to spend between $500-$800 on a stereo preamp.

[TBrennan]

Ken---I've been using various horns for 30 years with both tube and SS amps and I don't hold with any hard and fast rules about what sounds best, both tubes and SS can sound very good with horns. It's up to you buddy, find an amp that YOU like. Hey, I hear you 4648 is up and running, whaddaya think?

[chickey]

Ken - Post your question in the 2 channel forum and you should get a response from the Zen Master of tubes, Mobile Homeless. He'll give you some great insights into the merits of tubes. I'm a solid state guy myself, but there's a lot to be said for the Klipsch and tube amp combo.

Good luck,

Colin

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My System

[soundog]

Here is what I found:

I use two Outlaw 1050 receivers (Excellent,low priced) with both my Heritage System and with a newer Klipsch LCR THX system (similar in ways to the reference series). The receiver works great with both. However my Klipschorns revealed slight harshness, simblance and/or ringing on certain source material. The LCRs were smoother but lacked the hair trigger dynamics and life-like clarity of the Khorns. I added a Dynaco tube preamp for stereo and fed it through the direct inputs of the 1050 in the Heritage system (can feed THX system as well). This produced extended realism and clarity and reduced some of the problems previously evident with the Khorns. A high quality modified DAC took care of the remainder of the problems. In short, the Khorns are more revealing of any deficencies in equiptment feeding them and quality equiptment makes a difference. They were designed for tubes and LPs vs. CDs and SS so it became necessary to more closly produce a more "analog" sound. Finding the right combo as well as acoustical room treatment takes some study and experimentation.

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Soundog's HT Systems

This message has been edited by soundog on 02-14-2002 at 07:15 AM

[kenratboy]

Tom:

The sub is absolutely mind-blowing. At first, I had trouble getting it integrated with my speakers (getting the placement and output/X-over set) but after it was installed properly, it was good to go. I first used the E.T. soundtrack (AWSOME BASS, crappy movie, IMO.) On the second cut, there is a bass effect like a bass guitar, except at about 25Hz. With my meager 180-watt amp turned ¾ of the way up, and in a huge room, I was able to make my knees turn to jelly and my LUNGS HURT afterwards. This was my first experience with a REAL piece of audio equipment. Next I listened to a Massive Attack CD, Protection, and there was one song with a really loud, tight-sounding bass drum, it was like someone was hitting me on the back with a dictionary, quite hard. At the highest output, the woofers were moving no more than a half-inch total (in and out) and JBL says these woofers can move 1.6 inches total before damage COULD occur. I have to say this is by far the most exciting piece of audio equipment I have ever heard.

One problem, I have a 4-drawer file cabinet next to the sub (only place it will fit, thank you) and whenever the bass hits, it vibrates the file cabinet violently, so I put a ratchet strap around it, and some wood blocks on the panels, tightened it, and its better, but not fixed. Another vibration is in the wall. I think every piece of conduit is moving and vibrating in the walls, kind of tough to fix. Strangely enough, my cat doesnt mind it at all, he will walk right up the cabinet and rub against it while its going loud.

Also, the bass hits hard, but it is clean, very musical, and in no way unpleasant to listen to at normal levels. If you count the fact that the woofers cost over $350 a pop and the cabinet weighs 100 pounds, the case can be made that there is no crappy pro sound here, just clean, bass. If there are the same components they use in a movie theater, they should do justice in my house. I LOVE the JBL Tent Sale, $220.21, come on!

[oddio-guy]

Speaking as one who plugged Heresys to a tube amp. two days ago, I can tell you that for me the difference is astonishing, broader soundstage, more realistic timbre, better separations between voices, more detail. I'm a tube convert.

[Malcolm]

There are good tube amps and good solid state amps. In general, tube amps require efficient speakers because most of them don't put out as much power as the typical solid state amp. Hence the connection with horns. My preference is for solid state amps but none of the reasons has to do with sound.