Adding tube buffer to my system?

[billyz]

I still can't figure out why anyone but a guitar player would want a tube amp of any kind.

The less degradation of the signal the better, the goal is to make it sound like what went into the microphone as far as I'm concerned.

But then I've become and old grump, so believe what you wish!

oh never mind :-(

 

[peterh]

Sorry but I have to question and challenge what you said above in your post...as the old minimal shortest signal path and degradation chestnut makes me laugh ....As does the notion of listening to. The real thing.

As NO recording process, or system can ever accurately reproduce live or real music, as its compromised from the start by the processes that try to capture it!

So the real game of hifi is simply a personal adventure and quest to try and put together a system or systems that can play, handle and reproduce the music we like, in a way that is personably pleasing, realistic and meaningful to us and our (good or bad) hearing!

And as everything is coloured, degraded and compromised right from the recording process - from the venue's used , through to the mics, amps, FX chains, the mixers, and a whole host of electronics used (no short circuit chain there). which is then passed over to a good or questionable sound/mastering engineers... who then fiddle, diddle, tweak, colour and manipulate things further to suit their personal sonic preference and stop at a certain point and call it a wrap (to again sometimes be periodically remastered with another sound variation) . ...this "real" sound notion you have is a complete fallacy...as it's alway a none standardised approximation!

That is the words of a person who has no experience of real live music.
Of course one can tweak a sound reproduction set to be pleasing. One could also try to be
as faithful as possible to the recorded music ( there is recordings that in trying to be faithful !)
But you cannot have both approaches. Either "sugar for ears" or "faithful reproduction". Both are
right in their own way, none is wrong, it's just a matter of personal preference.

 

[cademan]

I have a solid state amp and a rebuilt tube amp. When there is no music playing I hear a hum from the tube amp. It is certainly there once the music starts but I lose track of it immediately. Only by walking over to one speaker and sticking my ear up to it does the hum become apparent during actual playback. I don't play loud enough to have noticeable distortion. I like the sound of the tube amp better for 50's jazz and big band and early rock. If I blast disco or techno (something I never do unless I am trying to see if the solid state amp sounds better) the solid state amp does sound better (it is about 10x the power of the tube amp).

I know some would be outraged by that hum. I am not.

Tube amps should not hum. I have many tube amps and not a single one of them hums. I get a slight hiss when my ear is right up to the speaker, but absolutely no hum.

 

[chazvintage]

I have been using this Pioneer Sr 101 reverb amp with reverb turned all the way down for years. Your thoughts on this as a tube buffer.

 

[trainbuftony]

I have been using this Pioneer Sr 101 reverb amp with reverb turned all the way down for years. Your thoughts on this as a tube buffer.View attachment 2392954

Probably one of the better buffers.
Here's what I like about it.
1 it has a power supply transformer and probably has an actual power supply, you know, high voltage and whatnot. If a tube amplifier runs off of a wall wart, theres a good chance it's not actually a tube amplifier at all.

2. It has enough tubes involved that I'd believe it to be capable of a decent output signal.

3. It's not claiming the impossible or waxing poetic about ultra low distortion, because that's not what it is, and that's not why you'd buy it. Isn't why you'd buy a buffer either.
All these devices mess up the signal, some in more pleasureable ways, some in less pleasureable ways. This reverb amp, probably adds a lot to the sound and its honestly supposed to do just that.

As for the guy who "can't understand why"
This is the tube section of Audiokarma.
We do tubes and we're not looking for approval from the likes of, well, anyone.
Tube amplifiers are in fact capable of excellent power bandwidth and distortion, and I can prove it, so maybe take your negativity about our passion elsewhere...
We are all having an excellent time over here...

 

[opnly bafld]

Tube amps should not hum.

One of mine hums, but it also sings, so it knows the words.
It is the power transformer, not loud enough to be an issue.

 

[John Talbot]

That is the words of a person who has no experience of real live music.
Of course one can tweak a sound reproduction set to be pleasing. One could also try to be
as faithful as possible to the recorded music ( there is recordings that in trying to be faithful !)
But you cannot have both approaches. Either "sugar for ears" or "faithful reproduction". Both are
right in their own way, none is wrong, it's just a matter of personal preference.

Wow what a strange opening line??!! I guess I definitely don't need to take you or your opinions serious anymore friend! As your response to my honest comments is to claim (my comments are the words of a person who has no experience of real live music - whatever that means??). Which is absurd and puerile to me...and far more telling about you and you dented ego than my points. friend!

So for my reference please tell me...as a 55 year old life long guitarist, pianist and lover of live music of all genres at all scales..from intimate, to theatre and stadiums, who has friends in the music industry. What real live music experiences am I actually lacking??

As while I can completely understand you might not like or agree with my genuine comments. It does not mean you need to be a blinkered, patronising and pre judgement jerk...or perhaps that's just the way you like to roll?

.

 

[Pondoro]

Great discussion here.

 

[peterh]

Wow what a strange opening line??!! I guess I definitely don't need to take you or your opinions serious anymore friend! As your response to my honest comments is to claim (my comments are the words of a person who has no experience of real live music - whatever that means??). Which is absurd and puerile to me...and far more telling about you and you dented ego than my points. friend!

So for my reference please tell me...as a 55 year old life long guitarist, pianist and lover of live music of all genres at all scales..from intimate, to theatre and stadiums, who has friends in the music industry. What real live music experiences am I actually lacking??

As while I can completely understand you might not like or agree with my genuine comments. It does not mean you need to be a blinkered, patronising and pre judgement jerk...or perhaps that's just the way you like to roll?

.

Sorry about my comments, it was not my meaning to offense.
My intetion ( i'm not a native english speaker) was to state the difference between making a sound
reproduction as close as possible to the recorded music or to make the reproduction sweet , or
to make the reproduction sweet and with added sugar to the ear.

I know that a number of producers have made recordings that is not tinkered and made
as good as possible, not all recordings are as you say :
"And as everything is coloured, degraded and compromised right from the recording process"

I have myself participated in recordings of a single harpshicord and recordings of
church singers and seen that the only thing between the artists and the record is
a single taperecorder and the cutting room. See if you can find works from "Opus 3"

Once again, no harm intended.

 

[Pondoro]

Tube amps should not hum. I have many tube amps and not a single one of them hums. I get a slight hiss when my ear is right up to the speaker, but absolutely no hum.

This answer irritated me at first, but I got a long piece of thick wire and ran it from the chassis of my tube amp to a known ground (the spiral metal wrap on a run of household wiring). The hum disappeared. I'm not irritated anymore.