HDCD / Tubed Amps ( pt 2 )

[wil 0]

Hi all, i have a friend who recently asked me this qns :" Do tubes actually deliver less information than Solid state amps? If so, would that justify getting a HDCD player to use with a tube-amp? If the fact that tubes do actually produce less information, wouldnt it make no difference if i get a HDCD player with tubes and not be able to tell the difference btw a CDP with tubes? "

 

Hm. That question got me stumped.

 

Would greatly appreciate it if anyone could shed light on that.

 

Thx!

[lengcm 0]

Depending on what tube amp you are getting, some maybe quite detailed (more information as you call it) as compared to some SS amps. At the end of the day, it still boils down to your personal taste in music presentation.

[Mackie 0]

I reckon your friend is thinking in the technical context of it all and this is very often a wrong route to take on making a sound decision. First and foremost, HDCD does not mean it sounds superior to conventional cds. If U listen to Cantonese and Mandarin repertoire, most of these albums sport HDCD masterings but I've come across many that sounded either compressed or harsh. Listen to those mastered by the father of HDCD himself under Reference Recordings and U'll know what I mean. Henceforth, if a cd is mastered properly; be it conventional, HDCD or DSD, it will still sound great.

 

Tube and solid state gears are capable of amplifying signals within human's aural range of 20-20KHz. Signal dropout is prevalent during transmission through cables and the loss that your pal fears is not wholly contributed by tubes nor solid state amps but the overall signal path from upstream to downstream; even sound pumped out of speakers faces suck-out or bloom owing to room acoustics. The only "weaker" technical aspect of tube over solid state amp is its relatively lower power output and thus resulting in less bass extension in some systems. Even this is not an Archilles heel for those who own speakers with high sensitivity, don't listen to life threatening loudness and favour the colourful mid-high range of tubes over deep bass performance.

 

Therefore, U can advise your friend to audition the same source driven by tube and solid state amps and decide which appeals to him. By no way is this a fair comparison for price factors will come into play; don't compare a $1000 tube amp with $2000 solid state amp and vice versa. However, tubes usually carry a certain virtue and quite easily discernible from solid state gears. An analogy would be some home owners prefer a rose-tinted white walls while others prefer stark white.

Edited July 20, 2004 by Mackie

[wil 0]

Sorry for the bother, but my friend is asking again if it makes sense to get a HDCD player if since he has a tube amp, (asl mghead) should he splurge on a hdcd capable player or just a normal cd player?

 

 

[lekguan 0]

I would say if he has a large collection of HDCDs yes. Or else tell him to spend the amount he would spend on a HDCD player on a normal CD player. In short, splurge on a normal CD player. YMMV

[bzy83 0]

theoretically and technically, tube amps do deliver less details than those IC based amps, but the details an above-average quality tube amp can deliver are far more than your ear can receive, so those extra details that an IC based amp delivered can be seen as useless...

 

sorry, my poor english hah~ hope u can understand

[N@Z 0]

Note:

Topics have been merged

[arj 0]

there is more to it rather than just simply saying it is the amplification (talking about tube amp here) and the source(talking about hdcd here). How about the in between these two i.e DAC , interconnects, power cord and not the least equipment support (racks/shoes). These aslo contribute to the overall end sound results.

 

I would rather say the system has to be look at as an overall package. This is because we don't want to get a system whereby the source is good but the others are not being considered well.

[Mackie 0]

Agree with arj. Therefore, one should allocate his budget across the system. However, since the focus is on HDCD source and tube amp specifically. We will proceed as intended.

 

Will: I suggest U explain to your pal not to overemphasize too much on trying to match ancillary with a HDCD source. If a system sounds good with regular cd playback, it will sound good if HDCD function is activated - PROVIDED the cds are well recorded/mastered. In summary, concentrate on getting a cdp which matches well with his existing system and treat HDCD capability as a side bonus and not the main criterion of selection.