What are you Listening To Right Now? - and more

[darkblue94]

Here's one of my tube amps, a Pilot SA-232. A push-pull EL84 with the sweetest, most delicious tone. Cranks out a healthy 15 watts per channel.

 

[KevinJS]

No shit, my buddy's four and one-half watt amplifier is $15,000. I'll never have one, I know that, yet I still lust after the thing.
Oh by the way folks, there's dynamics aplenty, although not a lot of reserve after 108db's but that's plenty loud.

There's something else that's difficult to understand with just the bare numbers.

85dB - Hearing protection required
95dB - Double hearing protection required
108dB - It that ALL? Gimme more!

 

[Slick Willie]

A few clean watts travelling through a vacuum rather than trudging through sand....

Same with guitar amps-l use a Laney valve head through a 2 x 10 cabinet
Tranny guitar amps seem brittle and cold in comparison and you just cant get that creamy distortion with tranny guitar amps....

Do hope im not sounding smug-everyone to their own tastes as Ted so rightly said and no intention of putting anyones kit down-its the music that matters in the end and the ear of the beholder isnt it?

With geetar amps...yep tubes are a must!
With stereos, well not all SS designs are like sand, there are some out there that can rival that 'all day listen' tube delivery smoothness.

 

[GSS61]

Not to offend anyone(this'll be a first), but I've never understood the love of tube stereo equipment. They run awfully hot, they're not cheap to replace, and in my experience with tubes, they don't really do a great job on the bottom end. As long as I'm not offending anyone, I also don't understand the love of vinyl over cd's. However, I live in a cave, so what do you expect?

Like all audio gear and circuits/components, tube amps have their own unique sonic signature... they sound different than solid state amps do. Plus, different tubes sound different from each other...
Personally, I run the output of my DAC through a Chi-Fi tube preamp/buffer with some Russian tubes because it seems to enhance the soundstage and makes individual instruments a bit more distinct ("tube magic" LOL)

 

[john111/LZ]

With geetar amps...yep tubes are a must!
With stereos, well not all SS designs are like sand, there are some out there that can rival that 'all day listen' tube delivery smoothness.

Youre right Willie-im not a fanatic....theres an old brit brand-Sugden...the restored amps[12watts Class A,hot enough to fry an egg on] are wonderful and i could listen all day to transistor bliss...

 

[john111/LZ]

 

[Dusty Ol'Man]

Oh by the way folks, there's dynamics aplenty, although not a lot of reserve after 108db's but that's plenty loud.

Ya think?

 

[Slick Willie]

I'm Ready - Muddy Waters
WLP press.

 

[Dusty Ol'Man]

Probably not, but one thing that tubes and vinyl do bring to the table is warmth in the sound, and I'm guessing a warm sound can become addictive. Anyway, everyone should be able to like what they like, which is the way it should be.

The debate between analog and digital originated when the average oversampling rates were 8- and then 16x/sec. Those low rates could never capture the ambiance of the analog signal. Today's rates are much higher with some mastering software capable of multiple millions of samples/sec. Even that loses something that the brain may notice. That's the argument, and when I was younger and could hear 20-18K, I noticed it.
Then there's the act of setting needle to vinyl and flipping the disc over. That adds to the experience, if not the SQ.

 

[john111/LZ]

The debate between analog and digital originated when the average oversampling rates were 8- and then 16x/sec. Those low rates could never capture the ambiance of the analog signal. Today's rates are much higher with some mastering software capable of multiple millions of samples/sec. Even that loses something that the brain may notice. That's the argument, and when I was younger and could hear 20-18K, I noticed it.
Then there's the act of setting needle to vinyl and flipping the disc over. That adds to the experience, if not the SQ.

Spot on Dusty.....not 'everything' can be measured... digital tech opened up the world to the triumph of the facsimile,for both good and ill.Gets sinister when 'they' want to measure us....digitized 'humanity'.sorry,bit off topic...

 

[Slick Willie]

The debate between analog and digital originated when the average oversampling rates were 8- and then 16x/sec. Those low rates could never capture the ambiance of the analog signal. Today's rates are much higher with some mastering software capable of multiple millions of samples/sec. Even that loses something that the brain may notice. That's the argument, and when I was younger and could hear 20-18K, I noticed it.
Then there's the act of setting needle to vinyl and flipping the disc over. That adds to the experience, if not the SQ.

I'll also add that vinyl is a royal PITA!!!!!!!!!!
And is's difficult for the road!

 

[john111/LZ]

 

[Musicfan#51]

 

[Slick Willie]

Rainbow Bridge - Jimi Hendrix
WLP press.

 

[DeeCee]

Interesting amp observations... I like both SS and tubes. Another weirdness (weirdity?) that I've observed is that the more I like a particular amp (tube or SS), the more they seem to sound the same (with slight variances, of course.)

Go figure.

 

[pumpkinman]

Not to offend anyone(this'll be a first), but I've never understood the love of tube stereo equipment. They run awfully hot, they're not cheap to replace, and in my experience with tubes, they don't really do a great job on the bottom end. As long as I'm not offending anyone, I also don't understand the love of vinyl over cd's. However, I live in a cave, so what do you expect?

I'm offended someone please report him. LOL

 

[pumpkinman]

On the vinyl part of your query, I could give many reasons, but the short answer is.....
Because it's a disease!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Vinylitis to be precise

 

[pumpkinman]

Antithesis (1972) is the third album by the American rock band Gypsy, their first on the RCA Victor label.

 

[Mystic]

The Rolling Stones
Complete BBC Sessions 1963-1965
(AM 018, 2017)

 

[Delmarva]

When it comes to sappy ballads, Paul McCartney is no slouch.

So true.
Really liking my Best of Bread cd, btw.