Do tube amps really sound better than solid state?

[curiousdcat]

All customers of my devices note that them has the same "feel" as tube prototypes.
Maybe small difference in "tone colouring", but "structure of sound", dynamics are the same.
http://milas.spb.ru/~kmg/jcm800fetLnd150_en.html

That's great! I hope such tech and builds would be easily available so that they are easily experienced. I used to have a SS amp that came close to the tube sound but not the feel. It was a Marshall MOSFET Twin. Maybe it was the MOSFET part of it that made it sound very similar to an all-tube amp. Am not sure if that is close to what you build but I hope to be able to try yours (or something similar) soon.   

[Freak]

ay ubos na

[vittobrat]

would love to have tube amps..

budget is always the problem and maintenance.
if the tube amp blows up, mahirap ang pagawaan..

but i'd still go for it...

mangangarap na lang naman, isasagad ko na...

[Nelson de Leon]

would love to have tube amps..

budget is always the problem and maintenance.
if the tube amp blows up, mahirap ang pagawaan..

but i'd still go for it...

mangangarap na lang naman, isasagad ko na...

Sir, hindi naman agad agad napupundi ang mga tubes. It will supposedly take years. Lalo na hindi naman tube ang power amp mo.
Just my dos centavos

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[fretzburner]

would love to have tube amps..

budget is always the problem and maintenance.
if the tube amp blows up, mahirap ang pagawaan..

but i'd still go for it...

mangangarap na lang naman, isasagad ko na...

Mas madali mag palit ng tubes kaysa solidstate.most(but not always the case) tube amp problems the culprit is the tube.No need to troubleshoot like SS amps.

[Rageworx]

Plus there are low-budget tube amps out there na. Sa maintenance naman, as long as you turn it up and down the right way, tube amps will serve you well.

Mas madali mag palit ng tubes kaysa solidstate.most(but not always the case) tube amp problems the culprit is the tube.No need to troubleshoot like SS amps.

[titser_marco]

An old thread, but what the hey. To my mind it all boils down to the application. There are situations [say in recording] that demand a sound that only a solid state amp can deliver --- the Roland JC-120 comes to mind --- and vice versa.

This sort of convo has been going on since I signed up for Philmusic [and possibly even earlier] but I've come to this conclusion after all those years: the best amp is the one that works for what you need to do at a given time. And as an extension of this for those who are thinking of buying an amp and are hard-pressed to decide whether to get an SS or a tube amp, remember this as well: know exactly what you want to do first and gear selection will take care of itself.

[Taoistguitarist]

+1

Truly the best way to know is to try it out for real. try as many amps as you can. Both tubes and solid state. We can all try and talk about what's what with these amps which is also very helpful but the best way is to experience them and find out what you need.

[Nelson de Leon]

Exactly. Preference talaga.

[bunyok23]

Tube amps must sound better because they are preffered by a lot of people. Thats why you see solid state designs trying to mimic a tube amp or the axefx modeling all the nuances of a tube amp including the output transformer parameters.

One noticeable fact when you play into a tube amp is the headroom.

[Nelson de Leon]

Tube amps must sound better because they are preffered by a lot of people. Thats why you see solid state designs trying to mimic a tube amp or the axefx modeling all the nuances of a tube amp including the output transformer parameters.

One noticeable fact when you play into a tube amp is the headroom.

Do you mean tube amps like SET or push pull have more headroom than solid state amps?

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[24Fret]

OK naman talaga ang tube amp, maganda talaga sya lalo na pag 3d sound hanap mo (lalo na pag open back ang cab) at ang saturated sound hanep sa ganda. Kaso most of the time  bingi  na ako at galit na ang mga kapitbahay pag nasa sweet spot ang amp. Mahahalata kong galit na sila kasi panay na ang busina ng kotse nila na wala naman problema tapos panay ang bagsak ng kanilang gate hahahah Kaya SS  gamit ko (Tech21 amp) at madalas ngayon yung profiler na lang ang gamit ko straight to powered speaker. Kasing ganda ng tube ang tunog pero di kasing lakas (parang commercial).  Yung tube amp ko na trade ko na nung isang araw, ang lakas kasi.

[Taoistguitarist]

Trademark 60 ba yan? Magandang SS amp yan! 

Magaan pa easy to lug around for gigs.

In my case i use a 60w tube combo for gigs. Ambigat!! Kaya dinadala ko lang pag malapit sa venue ang parking!

[24Fret]

^^ Tech21 TM120.... dalawa speaker kaya nanganganib rin itong madispatsa although "medyo" ok sya pag mahina ang sound.

[phoenix_rising]

Blackstar ID series solid state that emulates the sound of 6L6, 6V6, EL34, EL84, KT66 and KT88's
Real happy with the sound.

[shredmaestrobri]

Blackstar ID series solid state that emulates the sound of 6L6, 6V6, EL34, EL84, KT66 and KT88's
Real happy with the sound.

+ 3000.

Best modeling amp I have tried and owned!

[monsterbot]

Definitely!!!

[Nelson de Leon]

Masmalakas nga ba tumunog ang tube amps? Parang same volume lang compared sa similar wattage ng solid state.

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[lolwat]

2 cents 

My long time friend bought an Ibanez TSA30H amp with matching 2x12. I got to pit it against my beater amp, a Marshall MG100DFX 1x12 combo. The Ibanez was a 30 watt tube amp driving two speakers, while mine was a 100 watt solid state amp driving one speaker. During his birthday party jam, it was clear that even at the highest volume settings on my Marshall, the 30 watt Ibanez was louder. Now this might be because of the speaker count, but I'm still a little convinced it's because the Ibanez was pushing more mid frequencies which helped it cut through the band.

[royc]

Masmalakas nga ba tumunog ang tube amps? Parang same volume lang compared sa similar wattage ng solid state.

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I have a 2-watt tube amp that can be heard outside the house at daytime, at half the volume.

[Nelson de Leon]

I have a 2-watt tube amp that can be heard outside the house at daytime, at half the volume.

SET or PP configuration?

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[shredmaestrobri]

2 cents 

My long time friend bought an Ibanez TSA30H amp with matching 2x12. I got to pit it against my beater amp, a Marshall MG100DFX 1x12 combo. The Ibanez was a 30 watt tube amp driving two speakers, while mine was a 100 watt solid state amp driving one speaker. During his birthday party jam, it was clear that even at the highest volume settings on my Marshall, the 30 watt Ibanez was louder. Now this might be because of the speaker count, but I'm still a little convinced it's because the Ibanez was pushing more mid frequencies which helped it cut through the band.

Probably because of the speaker count. But if it sounded better, then those are the amp design and toobs \m/

[royc]

SET or PP configuration?

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It's a fender greta connected to a 1x12 with eminence RWB. I'm not sure of its config.

[Nelson de Leon]

It's a fender greta connected to a 1x12 with eminence RWB. I'm not sure of its config.

Yun ang concern ko sir. Most guitar amps are tube buffered or hybrid tube. Parang unfair to say that the tube amp is powerful over the other types unless controlled situations and proper comparison.

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[royc]

Yun ang concern ko sir. Most guitar amps are tube buffered or hybrid tube. Parang unfair to say that the tube amp is powerful over the other types unless controlled situations and proper comparison.

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My opinion is based on the small amps I have owned (I doubt you can compare high-wattage amps 'coz you will be deaf before they are maxed). My Blues Junior was way louder than my Vox Pathfinder even though they are both 15 watts. My 10 watt Marshall amp was much weaker than my Greta. My nephew's 10 or 15 watt amp has to be maxed to match my Greta's less than half setting.

That said, speaker sensitivity also makes a difference. I specifically used the RWB for its 101 dB sensitivity