Do tube amps really sound better than solid state?

[aHeartThatNeverFade]

So a tube amp is waaaaaay better even if the SS amp is using a transtube technology"?

[vhunter]

So a tube amp is waaaaaay better even if the SS amp is using a transtube technology"?

Its not even close. Transtube is a joke.

[inexperience]

Cleans to slight breakup masarap talaga pakinggan ang tube amp, lalo na sa single coils(strat) its like hearing a bell rang in live.

[royc]

At low gain/clean, you probably can't hear the difference but not when cracked. Solid state amps produce sharp waveforms (hard clipping) that can be irritating to the ears. Tube amps, on the other hand, produce softly rounded waveforms that are more pleasing to the ears.

Easy to test. Punta ka sa music store and crank a solid state amp. Then crank a tube amp.

[fretzburner]

It's all in the power amp stage the tube shines.

[aHeartThatNeverFade]

Its not even close. Transtube is a joke.

ooohhh... Now I know. Sana Goldea na lang ang kinuha ko kesa Bandit. Hesitant to get Goldea kasi di ko alam kung matibay. 

[nickson]

i didn't get this because it's solid state. all tube amps can beat this simple solid state.

 

Eh mas mahal pa yan sa ibang tube amps sa local music stores eh! 

Seryoso, nagpalista ka na ba Maxi?

[Bolt Thrower]

Eh mas mahal pa yan sa ibang tube amps sa local music stores eh! 

Hahahaha! Quoted for truth!

[arkeetar]

kakana ako ng ethos over blues junior pag ako nagkaroon ng pagkakataon hahaha 

[nickson]

Naalala ko nung nanuod ako ng demo ng Ethos sa youtube. Sa sobrang ganda ng tunog ng drive nya, nung merong sumipot for sale eh kinontak ko na kaagad. Sadly di natuloy... 

Pero, ethos pedal lang sya connected to a tweed amp. Di ko pa alam na merong Ethos na mismong amp. Kaya ano ba? Panlaban na ba sa tube amp? hehe... Sigurado naman maganda din tunog nya pero yung feel nya over tube amp? Sana makatest minsan. 

[dtmateo]

Its not even close. Transtube is a joke.

Have you gigged and recorded with them? You seem to be too sure in your comments.

[dtmateo]

It's all in the power amp stage the tube shines.

Correct. At what volume do you play your tube amps?

[Autoplay2009]

I have used a Peavey Bandit 112 a gazillion times both in the studio and in gigs. I'm only using the clean channels as I rely heavily on my pedals. I usually add reverb around 4 to 6-ish too.

In my ears, this amp sounds good at lower volumes. Once you get past 4 on the volume knob though, the sounds you get tend to be upleasantly brittle and loses that low end too.

[fretzburner]

It's not about volume level setting, it's the sound pressure and tone that i'm hearing is more important when i play.I set my volume by ear, not by number and different volume level setting for each amp to get my desired sound. As i've said before that all my opinion here were based on my own amps.Don't have tube amp louder than 20w and solidstate amp louder than 30w.I have both and i prefer tube.

[vhunter]

Have you gigged and recorded with them? You seem to be too sure in your comments.

Yup. Gigged, recorded, owned.

[dtmateo]

Yup. Gigged, recorded, owned.

Looks like you have superior ears to the sound engineers that were used in this test then (scroll down to the last page)

http://www.peavey.com/support/technotes/hartley/Chapter_3.pdf

[IncX]

It's not about volume level setting, it's the sound pressure and tone that i'm hearing is more important when i play.I set my volume by ear, not by number and different volume level setting for each amp to get my desired sound. As i've said before that all my opinion here were based on my own amps.Don't have tube amp louder than 20w and solidstate amp louder than 30w.I have both and i prefer tube.

if you set your volume level by ear, then that drummer is gonna drown you

[IncX]

Looks like you have superior ears to the sound engineers that were used in this test then (scroll down to the last page)

http://www.peavey.com/support/technotes/hartley/Chapter_3.pdf

peavey sells transtube amps ... peavey proves transtube amps are awesome, thru multiple blind tests where they control all of the factors, and pick who is going to be on it

it makes a lot of sense.

[vhunter]

Looks like you have superior ears to the sound engineers that were used in this test then (scroll down to the last page)

http://www.peavey.com/support/technotes/hartley/Chapter_3.pdf

They probably have better ears than me and the audience probably cant tell the difference but I can feel the difference. Its a response sag thing. Its different... play a few and experience it for yourself. Ive been lucky to blast alot of amps on stages and play alot of guitars... theres a reason the big boys still produce tube amps and not all solid state. Theres also a reason why peavey is a 2nd liner brand and not a boogie/marshal/fender level brand. Dont say its just "tube" marketing, just look at what the pros are playing and that such expensive amps still exist.

If theres smoke theres fire... and believe me, there is a fire. (And i dont se any pros playing transtube)

[maxi_musikero]

Its not even close. Transtube is a joke.

pretty absolute statement, Miks. 

peavey sells transtube amps ... peavey proves transtube amps are awesome, thru multiple blind tests where they control all of the factors, and pick who is going to be on it

it makes a lot of sense.

not necessarily biased since the sound engineers they invited are allegedly not from Peavey.

[IncX]

not necessarily biased since the sound engineers they invited are allegedly not from Peavey.

its as credible as toothpaste's "8 out 10 dentists" ads


-*-

not dissing transtube. hell, i would get a transtube if it sounded ok to me, i have a very shallow taste in tone - if it works in a live gig, does not cost as much as my bass amp, and i can carry it 3 floors up our house with a smile, then its a good amp!

i just know marketing BS when i see it.

[glassjaw_jc]

You'll definitely love it then. It's the most pedal friendly SS amp I've played through and it's lighter than a comparable tube amp

not dissing transtube. hell, i would get a transtube if it sounded ok to me, i have a very shallow taste in tone - if it works in a live gig, and i can carry it 3 floors up our house, then its a good amp!

[techbp]

I have a shallow knowledge about the topic but I have an experience to share.

I'm not a pro in guitar playing and nothing special with my array of gear since day 1.

SS amps and modeling amps palagi ang nagagamit ko. Not bad! I mean, nabibigay naman niya yung sound na gusto ko. I owned several SS amps narin and I only have 2 of those na lang ngayon

Until one day... (last month)

A 100-watt tube amp came home and I played with it! DAMN!!!! Ayoko na itigil! Ang sarap sa tenga and mas lalo ako nagaganahan mag gitara, parang ang galing ko! 

In short... Tube amp wins! Hehe .. at least sa experience ko ha 

[maxi_musikero]

its as credible as toothpaste's "8 out 10 dentists" ads

exactly. 

Until one day... (last month)

A 100watts tube amp came home and I played with it! DAMN!!!! Ayoko na itigil! Ang sarap sa tenga and mas lalo ako nagaganahan mag gitara, parang ang galing ko! 

In short... Tube amp wins! Hehe .. at least sa experience ko ha 

a 100-watt tube amp cannot be properly appreciated if played only at home. dapat with friends. 

[techbp]

exactly. 

a 100-watt tube amp cannot be properly appreciated if played only at home. dapat with friends. 

Hahaha tara sa bahay jam! Nalaro ko lang siya for about 20mins then my wife had to stopped me kase ang ingay daw, volume is at past 3 pa nga lang.