I apologize to all tube amp owners.
- Thread starter Giarcpnw
- Start date
danrclem
Super Member
Congrats on seeing the light,...........from the tubes that is.
I thought about film the other day in comparison to vintage stereo systems. I just thought that maybe some day some purists might revert back to the old way just like a lot of audiophiles have done with hi-fi. I've been involved with photography since high school and have an old Nikon 35mm SLR. I'm planning on buying a quality digital SLR soon for the convenience.
MannyE
Exterminate!
I still use my Contax AX regularly and I think the comparison between vinyl and film photography is spot on. Do yourself a favor and buy a used DSLR from last year. Both are great in their own ways.
danrclem
Super Member
I'll probably buy a new non current model if I find one in stock for a good price. I'd be worried that if I bought used there may be something wrong with it. Probably not but possible.
Giarcpnw
Active Member
As with any camera system, It's the glass that makes the difference. Any Canon, Nikon, or Sony DSLR will do the trick. From the Rebel series on up. Just get a nice lens or two. They remain, the bodies change every few years. I still shoot with my 5-6 year old Canon T2i when i don't want to lug my big 5D around. I use 70's manual nikon lenses to shoot macro with an adapter for canon. And....I still like film. It's just so darn pricey to get a roll of 120 developed these days.
but..back on track.....Tubes!!! And this little thing will aid in heating the room. Anyone see a jump in their electric bill after they got a tube amp?
MannyE
Exterminate!
Nah. I had an all tube setup from phono pre to preamp to a pair of monoblocks and there wasn't any difference. Of course they were flea amps, so maybe that was it.
asilker
Super Member
I'm in my mid twenties, and I've been running minimalist tube circuits since 15. I don't know that millennials have been marketed all the flash and bang in the same way.
You're a doofus
Giarcpnw
Active Member
All my millennial friends rock a bluetooth speaker or at best a soundbar or Sonos. At some point convenience was sold as desirable instead of quality.
asilker
Super Member
I wonder if that point happened somewhere in the 80's with remote control BPC pieces.
I think my generation has a large contrast between people who go for convenience VS millennials who are looking for the real thing. There are thousands of DIY millenials out there.
vinyl fiend
Active Member
Tubes go into saturation when overdriven, solid state goes into clipping. Thats the difference.
MurrayLives
Born to lose, live to win
This is my experience. I’ve taught a lot of maker/DIY/reuse type stuff, and the most enthusiastic people with a desire to learn are the millennials. I don’t shake my fist at them; some are insufferable, as a lot of young people are to middle aged and up folks.
But back to it: tubes have a lot of special sauce when driven correctly and kept at the bottom end of their power capability. A lot of people get turned off, I think, when hearing their first tube stuff, which is usually some small tube starved plate garbage.
Dandy
Addicted Member
Before the 'bay, the web and great forums like this one, most of us had no way of knowing about or trying out tubes.
bean_counter
Active Member
I still use my father's Leica IIIf. With Tri-X, an Elmar 50mm collapsible lens and an SBOOI finder, it's the original pocket camera for daylight shooting. Heavy as heck tho.
I bought an M4-P so I could use more modern glass. Had a curious encounter a few years back with TSA at an aiport when they wanted me to "turn on your camera". Uh, no battery, it's completely mechanical, not even a meter...
Tubeglowpio
Active Member
I'm 27 and found out a few years ago that I prefer the warm glassy sound from tubes. Plus going for ee I find tube stuff very friendly to work on and very interesting. Low distortion amps are nice in their own right but the good distortion is what makes audio more interesting.
Tubeglowpio
Active Member
My friends are always amazed when I show them tubes, a lot of them just don't know about tubes unless they play guitar.
I'm 62, and went from tubes to SS back in the 70's real heavy (I was in my 20s then), but never really left tubes. Both my sons (34 and 32) have Ipods, and bluetooth and want nothing to do with Vintage Audio. However my Grandkids (6 year old Girl and 5 year old boy) love Vintage. When they stay with Gramps she fires up either a KLH 20 with headphones (old David/Clark light weight flight phones) or a Fisher 400, and he gravitates to my '63 FISHER Executive console (800c powered) or my Sansui 1000A. Annabelle has another KLH 20 at home with the speakers, and she shares with Will. However, Will wants a tube unit with Big speakers (he can't have the console, both his MOM and I nixed him on that). I'm gonna start him out probably with a Sansui 1000A or an 800c, and a pair of Sansui SP-2500's. He's run the 1000A with the 2500's and loves it. They really surprised me. They sound kind of crappy on Solid State, but 7591's opened them right up for some odd reason. But if I can talk the 2 of them into a single console, I'll give them the 64 Custom Electra, thats all tube, runs' EL-84M's and is 50" long. Will fit downstairs in the rumpus room and they can crank it up downstairs. Annie will want to connect her MP3 player to it, so I have to make an adapter cord. No biggie.
primosounds
Powered with pure tube sounds.
Of course, there are always those that are either ahead of the curve or stuck in a time warp. I think i am in a time warp.
You are referring to the dominant harmonics being of second in nature. This is true as scientist did studies and the human ear is more attuned to the 2H. But also tubes are extremely linear in the audio frequencies without the need for feedback.
