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Tubes and solid-state amp experiences (alien.top)

submitted 1 year ago by Ok_Address_5669@alien.top to c/headphones@hi-fi.community

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What is your experience when deciding between the two technologies? Or do you own amps of both types and use them for different things? Are they really different?

For me they very sound different, and since the first time I heard a tube headphone amp I was enchanted by its rawness. I had been driving my Abyss AB1266 Phi TC with a solid state amp (off-brand with Chinese components) and it sounded great but I had read these headphones really need a good amp so I went to a store to see what can drive them better, and tried a tube amp from Germany. 10 seconds in I was able to tell this is what I needed. Might be a matter of taste? Yes, but to each his own, I have read people who hate the Abyss and also others like me who love them.

I'd like to know your opinions too.

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[–] SchiitMjolnir2@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

A planar magnetic headphone that has a linear impedance curve will sound almost the same with SET amp and a Class A Solid State amp. I have the Susvara and I use my SET amp drive them and got a chance recently to plug them in to Schiit Mjolnir 3. Honestly I’d be had pressed to them them apart on a blind test since they sound 99% identical to me with the extra 1% for the SET amp a tiny bit brighter than Mjolnir 3 with Susvara