Tube Sound VS Solid State Blind Test

[derrickdj1]

I ran across this surfing the net.  I will link the answer sometime tomorrow.  Now, on with the test! 

 

[derrickdj1]

Here is the answer: 

 

[derrickdj1]

I failed the test and don't qualify for the golden ear award, lol.  Which did you pick, A or B?

 

My pick:

Spoiler

 B

.

[CECAA850]

1 hour ago, derrickdj1 said:

I failed the test and don't qualify for the golden ear award, lol.  Which did you pick, A or B?

 

To me it was fairly obvious even using my crappy PC speakers.  I got it right but won't post the spoiler for anyone else who wants to try.  The next question should be which one do you like best?  There's no wrong answer there.

[derrickdj1]

Carl, I made a mistake.  I did get it correct and posted the wrong answer this morning.  I should of double checked.  I do think this is a good test for new people to get a good ideal of the sonic difference between tube and SS amp.

 

I had to do a direct comparison of my SS, Acurus amp using the Pioneer Elite SC 99 preamp set to the tube like setting vs the Yaquin(Ja Chin).  Both were in Class A and there is a subtle difference.  The difference was not as striking as in the blind test.  I used Peter White's Reflection album for the test.  It is slow enough and simplistic to use for the test.

 

 

[bkevind]

Definitely distinct differences between A and B.

[derrickdj1]

3 minutes ago, bkevind said:

Definitely distinct differences between A and B

Which do you like and pick?

[mike stehr]

1 hour ago, CECAA850 said:

2 hours ago, derrickdj1 said:

 

To me it was fairly obvious even using my crappy PC speakers.

 

I liked A. B made my PC junk system rattle and boom.

[derrickdj1]

4 minutes ago, mike stehr said:

I liked A. B made my PC junk system rattle and boom.

Do you think it had anything to do with the age of the amp B and new more modern amps would fair better?

[Shiva]

To my ears, through my trusty Sennheiser HD580's, A was a lot better, smoother, rounder, more pleasing to the ears. B sounded a bit distorted.  On the other hand, B sounded louder in comparison, like he didn't quite have them level matched. 

[CECAA850]

34 minutes ago, derrickdj1 said:

Which do you like and pick?

The tube amp sounded a little mellower and the SS sounded more accurate to me.  I feel the same way about 2 channel amps.

[derrickdj1]

I thought A sounded better.The B had harshness.  I brought up the age thing because, my SS does not have that type of sound or harshness to the sound.  I did have the use of the soft filter employed on the preamp(tube sound) and will try it without any filters.

[mike stehr]

1 hour ago, derrickdj1 said:

Do you think it had anything to do with the age of the amp B and new more modern amps would fair better?

 

Isn't the Fender Mustang a new amplifier?

[bkevind]

1 hour ago, derrickdj1 said:

Which do you like and pick?

 

For me it would depend on the music and the mood to some degree.  I felt like A rolled off a bit of sound compared to B - but that can be pleasantly "warm" and enjoyable with a lot of music.  I think B would be more accurate, perhaps "bright" by comparison, potentially harsh with some music.   

[Tim Sr.]

Thank you for sharing this Derrick.

It was clear that (*) was the Mustang and (*) was the tube amp.

The mustang really surprised me as well in how well it did in comparison, still not that "TUBE"  Sound, but that Tube sound is not always the needed or preferred depending on the music or passage. Both types are needed today, both have a spot in this world of music. This was a nice test.

[Budman]

B was at least 2db  louder on my rat shack meter

[EMRR]

59 minutes ago, Budman said:

B was at least 2db  louder on my rat shack meter

 

I've done a lot of comparison of preamps, recording program material through them, and comparing.  I've found even 0.2dB difference will skew preference.  You really have to line up capture files and do a null test, adjust for greatest null, and then compare.  Many apparent differences then go away, and it can be pretty hard to tell a difference.  

[derrickdj1]

There is a difference in tube sound vs SS.  It takes time to train the ear and a good source.  One is not necessarily better or worse, just a preference.  A tube and SS amp can be level matched which is crude.  The bottom line is that it is near impossible to match the two.  This will affect what you hear and like.

[amb3cog]

I got it right. Which surprised the heck out of me actually. But there was one sample. I think it was the 2nd, or maybe the 3rd. Where the difference was huge. One sounded HiFi, and the other just had no life to it. But on the rest of the samples I couldn't really tell. I think if he were to really get into the distortion. It would've been real easy to tell. But who knows? 

 

I really do think the type of guitar playing matters. There's some things that tubes do differently, I won't say better even though I think it is myself, and playing certain sounds would make it more obvious then others IMO. 

 

I can see where this would be real hard with HiFi too. If the SS were quality. For me I of course like the sound of tubes, but the biggest factor that will keep me listening to tubes for the rest of my life. Is that I don't get fatigued on them, unless there's an issue with the speakers, like cone breakup that causes it. But on SS there's very few speakers that I can handle loud, and even then only for so long.

 

But on tubes I can listen to speakers that should bother me, like bright horns, for hours at higher volume. The same volume on SS would have me turning it down after a couple, or three songs at best. I get headaches even. I got one the other day in my car rocking out to Ted Nugent. Couldn't even finish the song, although it's a very long one. And had to deal with the repercussions for 20-30 minutes after. 

 

So given time (say 3 songs at high volume), and on speakers I know won't bother me. I bet I could pick out the tubes everytime. Although I wonder if some of these fancy new ones that don't have rolled off highs will act the same as my amps.

 

I have an HH Scott Stereomaster 200, and a hand made SET/SEP (it's switchable) 6L6 amp that uses old iron. Both have very rolled off highs. I really think that's a lot of it for me. But maybe it is the 2nd order distortion thing? I dunno. I'm just glad to be able to crank up my music again when I get the feeling, and keep it cranked too. 

 

Pretty interesting video though. Thank you derrickdj1 

 

 

Andy B. 

 

 

 

[DizRotus]

6 hours ago, wdecho said:

Concerning listening fatigue with SS amps, it depends on the amplifier. I recently built a quality well reviewed A/B amplifier and suffered listener fatigue after an hour or so. Most all my class A builds never produce listener fatigue or even with my better D builds, I can listen for hours. I also have some A/B amplifiers that have no listener fatigue as well. All this means is that it depends on the amplifier. Probably has more to do with 3rd harmonic distortion which tires the mind and makes it work hard. At least that is what some say. All amplifiers have either dominate 2nd harmonic or 3rd no matter how minimule, there is always a touch of dominate one or the other. Dominant even order harmonics are pleasing whereas odd order harmonics wear on your nerves. Your brain gets tired. Horns are generally very revealing and show this more than conventional speakers. When everything is right in your system they sound fantastic but if anything in the chain is not right it will show the fault. Boring conventional speakers sound the same dull way with most any amplifier. 

 

This makes sense, with only minimal changes.  I’m not a fan of small donkeys. 

 

listening to my Supers or my son’s Heresys powered by class D TPA3255EVM, I have not experienced listener fatigue.  With excellent recordings, I must force myself to turn it off and go to bed.