quadklipsh Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 guys , i have a question , if prices are not an issue ,(both around $600) would an integrated amplifier designed for pure class A be your first choice instead of a pure tubed amplifier designed for class A or AB ????? im considering buying musical fidelity A1 while comparing it to a ukranian made 50 watts tube amp having EL 34 tubes (replaced the broken, burnt,originals) the amp is aka PRIBOJ 50.. pls advise and tell about sonic character differences of these gear .... thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ69 Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 pls advise and tell about sonic character differences of these gear .... thanks I really don't know but it's going to sound a lot better than a Marantz 2230. Sorry if that's a bit harsh, the Marantz recievers look pretty but that's all I can say... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BE36 Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 Hot debate topic. But I think there are Good Tube amps and Good Solid State Amps, so it depends which Solid State and which Tubed amp you are considering. Some say Tubes do not produce Bass as good as Solid State. If your only tube reference is a Mc-240 that could be the conclusion that you would draw. My Tube amps produce plenty of Bass, too much for some pre-amps. Better question would be which Amp is a better fit with the rest of my system? or a better fit for when my system is complete? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artto Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Well, it's kinda like ice cream. Some people like vanilla, some chocolate, and others strawberry, regardless of what kind of cup, bowl or cone it's in. Just so I don't have to argue with anybody, I have all kinds [] The choice is yours. You are the one who has to listen to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brockybear Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 Tube amps use output transformers which isolate the speaker from the tubes. The damping factor is low and the bass is a little less defined, perhaps a little muddy? I guess what I am saying is the sound will be different to any solid state amp you will hear. With a solid state amp the damping factor is much better which will give you tighter bass and a different sound to tube amps. I find the sound from a solid state amp harsh and the bass too clinical. Others will love solid state for different reasons. You need to hear both to come to a conclusion. The only thing I could add to this is Klipsch speakers sound better with tube amps in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauln Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 A lot of folks use speaker sensitivity to mark the border above which tubes will sound best, below which solid state sounds best. The area of agreement I've seen seems to be in the 90's; tubes best for higher sensitivity, SS best for lower because they deliver current. The reason for the fuzzy range is personal variation in how loud they like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanO55 Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Klipsch and tube audio is what it is all about for me. My 2 cents of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quadklipsh Posted January 27, 2011 Author Share Posted January 27, 2011 are the tubes that are designed for class AB, still superior to classA solid state integrateds from same range of cost????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BE36 Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Artto Nails it. What is more important than Tubes Vs. Solid State is how well the amp fits your system and your tastes. My tube amps were designed by someone who has the same speakers as mine. Bass is very tight and matches my speakers. Other tube amps, MC240 for example, does not have much bass in my system. But someone who listens to Midrange intense vocals with different speakers would be silly to own anythning else besides the MC240. I generally use Solid State for my preamp and Tubes for my amps. I am sure I could find tube preamp that fits my system, someday I might. Right now I need preamp with HT pass through since I use the same same speakers for two channel and HT. The main reason I like tubes for at least either the preamp or the amp is I try different brand tubes and tube types until I get the sound just the way I like it and not the way the amp designer thinks they can sell the most amps. Outside of Onkyo unless you build the amp yourself paying more than $1000 for amp gets you into the area that sounds good. Paying more $1000 does not garantee good sound though, need to have the amp fit the system, your tastes and avoid overpriced junk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BE36 Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 My 2 cents on way Klipsch and Tubes go together is the brightness of Kilipsch Midrange Horns, especially the K-400 on K-Horns and La Scalas. Klipsch can be veryhard to listen to for more than an hour, I used to like the sound but would get headaches after anhour of listening. Warm sounding Tubes and or Tratrix horns can solve the problem. I listen for 5 - 6 hours now with issue and still have that "Live" sound of a Horn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pzannucci Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 EL-34 tubes live in the midrange and will not typically have the slam and tighter bass of say a KT-88 based amp if looking at tubes If you are using a speaker with lower impedence in the bass and you love mids, you will likely be enjoy the sound. The problem with inexpensive class A designs is that they too will many times not have a lot of slam because they need to be big and bulky like Krells to be able to have slam. You don't usually find that in this price range, especially in an integrated. Of course these are generalizations but for the most part hold true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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