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tubes vs. solid state, disturbing the peace!

S

stereorob

Super Member
Banned
ok i have a question, i have noticed that tube bass is less invasive than solid state bass, i put the theroy to the test, when i run my scott 340b with a bass track, it shakes everything in the house, but it dont bother my wife, but if i hook up a solid state receiver to the same speakers, she comes running out of the bedroom screaming at me. i used my marantz 18, hooked up to paradigm sv-7s, witch is about the same wattage as my scott 340, i ran the sv-7s on my scott as well, the scott can out thump the marantz 18, it drops alot lower and louder, but at full tilt, as soon as you leave the room its not so bad, i even went as far as to hook up 5 of my most powerful tube receivers, and ran them all at the same time, and it still really didnt bother her or anyone else, i tryed a few diffrent solid state models, a fisher 200t, sansui 3000a, and a lafayette lr-1500a, all early solid state receivers, and got the same negitive result, pissed off wife and angry roommates, but the tube stuff really dosent bother anyone, no matter how loud i crank it.
is there really a significent diffrence between tube sound vs solid state, as far as noise pollution?
 
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Solid state amps will have better rise time and damping factor so the bass will be faster and harder hitting.
 
It seems like you did some very solid research to ensure the results were reproducible. Could you just tell us again how many times you tested this and made your wife come screaming out of the bedroom? Did you make sure she had no sharp instruments or firearms within reach? :pistols:
 
interesting

I am attempting to do sort of the same but have limited tube gear.
I have finished the recap on my small Pioneer tube and working on listening. At least now it seems to be working at capacity.
Lucky I have some small SS Pioneer to compare with.

I just wanted to add that I notice a diffrerence between SS too.
The older cap coupled versus the later direct coupled appear to sound different in the bass department. However, I do not have completely recapped SS ready, yet.

I'm also not 100% sure that any of the gear is running at a full spec setting.

I'm wondering if its speaker synergy with the tube versus the SS. I do know some speakers sound better with some amps.

Just trying to cloud the issue.....
 
Hi!
Did you use a SPL-meter to measure the output levels?
Did your receiver go into clipping? Was it perhaps that which maddened your wife?
How was your personal appreciation of the difference when listening?
Did you change bass settings on your receiver, and why (not)?
What kind(s) of music did you use?

My experience with A/B-comparisons is that there are more factors to take into the equation than just a screaming wife:)
 
Posted 10/14:

stereorob said:
...my wife is ill in the hospital, i woke up at 4am this morning with her howling in pain, rushed her to the hospital, and they discoverd a cyst in her uterus the size of a tennis ball and she is going under the knife tomorrow to have it removed...
Click to expand...

Posted today:

stereorob said:
...when i run my scott 340b with a bass track, it shakes everything in the house, but it dont bother my wife, but if i hook up a solid state receiver to the same speakers, she comes running out of the bedroom screaming at me...
Click to expand...

I assume this means your wife has recovered from her surgery sufficiently for you to use her as a test subject when you crank up your speakers?
 
stereorob said:
is there really a significent diffrence between tube sound vs solid state, as far as noise pollution?
Click to expand...
I recall a lot of early solid state amplifiers having what seemed to be a "harder," "edgier" sound than the tube gear of the day. Whether that was something inherent to the state of the tech or just a lack of design sophistication in the then "new" tech, don't know.
 
Fisherdude said:
I assume this means your wife has recovered from her surgery sufficiently for you to use her as a test subject when you crank up your speakers?
Click to expand...

Picard does it best:

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az
 

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Fisherdude said:
Posted 10/14:



Posted today:



I assume this means your wife has recovered from her surgery sufficiently for you to use her as a test subject when you crank up your speakers?
Click to expand...

well this experiment i did a few weeks back, ive just now had the time to write about it.
 
Tube equipment is a little before my time, but have heard my share and the bass is usually very soft and uncontrolled sounding. Got into some high powered well damped SS bass at an early age with a Dynaco ST-400. Have moved up to much higher power well damped SS amp's w/larger speaker's now, and until this post, never would have given tube's a second thought. Well just did, and think I'll stay with SS, as really like my deep hard hitting bass.
 
Renzor213 said:
Tube equipment is a little before my time, but have heard my share and the bass is usually very soft and uncontrolled sounding. Got into some high powered well damped SS bass at an early age with a Dynaco ST-400. Have moved up to much higher power well damped SS amp's w/larger speaker's now, and until this post, never would have given tube's a second thought. Well just did, and think I'll stay with SS, as really like my deep hard hitting bass.
Click to expand...

When I hear tube amps playing through speakers designed for SS amps, I don't like the bass either.
Or the Midrange.
Or the treble.
 
Remember, when the wife is healing

keep the music nice and low

Then she will not hit the ceiling

while your power tubes glow
 
she is a very understanding woman... could i ask for anyone better?, -no!
 

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