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

Yes, I owned a Little Dot IV at some point, rolled a serious bunch of tubes on it before I finally admitted to myself that it wasn't doing anything for me. At no point did I hear anything that I could point to and say ah, look there's the tube sound. But then people say oh you need this or that tube amp to REALLY get the tube sound. Which is audiophile speak for You didn't spend enough. Yeah. Thanks I'll pass. I also wasn't very happy with having the hot tubes running, the fact tubes wear, and all in all micromanaging the tube amp to fit with dedicated listening sessions rather than just having it run 24/7 next to my pc. Went back to a proper solid state, never looked back. That's over ten years ago.