Why do some pple find tube amps better than ss amps?

[Indigo_blues]

branding & aggressive advertising would accomplish this substance sells, hype sells more....

To a certain extent I must agree.

Manufacturers will always try to make a quick buck whenever possible by cutting corners until at times the finished product is no better than any other amp on the market. This calls for individual discernment. Don't just follow hype when purchasing an amp. Again, usage of own ears is absolutely important.

 

[subversion]

This calls for individual discernment. Don't just follow hype when purchasing an amp. Again, usage of own ears is absolutely important.

buying equipment is everything to do with individual discretion but people still fall for certain attraction- this is all understood as we are human after all.

 

[EugeneSmasher]

To a certain extent I must agree.

Manufacturers will always try to make a quick buck whenever possible by cutting corners until at times the finished product is no better than any other amp on the market. This calls for individual discernment. Don't just follow hype when purchasing an amp. Again, usage of own ears is absolutely important.

There's always the blindfold test . With your eyes closed (or covered), try every amplifier and see which one sounds the best for you. No bias to distract you :mrgreen:. That's my strategy. I've always wanted a JCM head, but the reason, as I realized, was because many heavy metal players use a JCM head and endorse it, and because its all-tube. Not because it sounds good.

 

[kym]

haha, eugenesmasher's blindfold test is quite a good suggestion. do you actually do that?

and one thing abt wht sub said "substance sells, but hype sells more" seems rather logical to me. i have this suspicion that manufacturers priced tube amps much higher than ss amps becos of this hype. if let's say, all of us suddenly change of taste from tube to ss amps, then i dont think tube amps will be sold at such a high price.

it can be true that tube amps are really better than ss amps, thus they command more pricey price tags. but i suspect that all those hype about tube amps just make the price tag even higher.

 

[EugeneSmasher]

No doubt tone-wise they're warmer and more pleasant to most, but yeah I think tube amps are somewhat overrated, and SS are somewhat underrated... There are definitely good SS amps out there, and some SS amps can actually sound as warm as tube amps.

 

[MadWerewolfBoy]

Note that many ss amps nowadays are voiced to sound like tube amps. There are specially designed circuits to emulate tube amps. Those that don't, ie most low-end and entry-level ss amps, still sound sterile to me imho...

 

[malaysian]

There's always the blindfold test . With your eyes closed (or covered), try every amplifier and see which one sounds the best for you. No bias to distract you :mrgreen:. That's my strategy. I've always wanted a JCM head, but the reason, as I realized, was because many heavy metal players use a JCM head and endorse it, and because its all-tube, AND it also sounds good.

corrected. hehehe.

 

[MadWerewolfBoy]

Haha true true... So what is the final verdict now? Purely a comparison of a general umbrella term of Tube amps and Solid State amps?

I would say that most tube amps sounds good and less ss amps in the market sound better than a good tube amp. That's not to say that tube amps are better than ss amps because that phrase is too general. The idea that tube amps are better than ss amps is not totally wrong however, there are many exceptions. So if we want to further carry on in this topic we needa compare specific models instead of "tube vs ss" because its just too ambiguous! :twisted:

 

[Ratboy]

and to further confuse things

tube can be sub classed into
full tube
part tube part ss
full tube at low voltage
full tube at high voltage
blah blah

SS can be classed into
full analog
full digital
part analog part digital ...
blah blah

 

[Indigo_blues]

well I don't think its really all hype either.. look at any guitar magazine or website with articles on all time great/classic guitar amplifiers and you will see that 9 out of 10 amps are tube.

 

[EugeneSmasher]

corrected. hehehe.

Haha actually I wrote that because I've never tried the JCM in person, though I've tried AVTs and MGs. No doubt the JCM sounds good, though, after all, if it didn't, Zakk Wylde, Kerry King, etc won't be endorsing it :mrgreen:. But I really must make it a point to try one of them JCMs out...

 

[Against The Enemy]

For me tube amps sounds warm and sexy...
but are like steam-powered laptops..

Solid state is just raw-power...

 

[nextis]

Tube Amps Vs Solid State

ITs the old age debate between analog technology and digital. Tube characteristics are prized due to the harmonic distortion they create making that warm tube sound. Solid states are more pristine sounding and clean but can be perceived as cold.. harsh etc... So i hope u guys now understand why artistes will go for solid state or tube amps. Its to get the sound they want and not to compare which is better. THe same goes to tube Power amps in Hi fis... tube mics... tube pre amps. With harmonic distortion that the tube creates..it can flatter ur vocals or it could make ur tone that kick as fat tone. But the drawback is that no one reali produce tubes anymore and it could be tricky to service ur amp if it uses some rare model tube. NOS tubes are NEW OLD STOCK tubes where they are unsold for a long time but is brand new. 12ax7 tubes and 12ayz tubes are the more common tubes. Some amps use a tube pre-amp but a solid state power amp stage output. Maybe you guys can find out more about tubes on wikipedia. Tube amps need high gain and to be warmed up to fully unleash their potential. I never realli liked those monster amps that uses tube coz i cant crank it all the way to get tone. Nothing beats a low wattage all tube class A amplifier.A budget level blackheart amp is a good buy.

 

[subversion]

But the drawback is that no one reali produce tubes anymore and it could be tricky to service ur amp if it uses some rare model tube.

oh? i keep buying tubes so who's making them?

 

[Indigo_blues]

oh? i keep buying tubes so who's making them?

must be the elf factory in north pole. hehheh..

 

[MadWerewolfBoy]

must be the elf factory in north pole. hehheh..

Aww man you beat me to it... I wanted to say Santa Claus!!

Haha but to really answer that question, just turn to the good old wiki:

"Valves are highly desired by audio professionals. The use of solid state transistors are generally out of favour for these applications. This has led to proliferation of companies like Svetlana and several others in former Communist countries and also in China in producing valves to cater to this market."

Valve amplifier - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[PatheinRaindropMoe]

electro harmonix is one of the bigger company thats making tubes nowadays. Hehe, tubes prolly will outlive most of us here before it goes obsolete...

 

[kym]

I would say that most tube amps sounds good and less ss amps in the market sound better than a good tube amp. That's not to say that tube amps are better than ss amps because that phrase is too general.

+1, i thought u make a very very fair statement!!

perhaps to many guitarists, we have tried more good tube amps than bad tube amps, but more bad ss amps than good ss amps, thus we tend to form a general impression that "tube amps r better".

 

[kym]

and to further confuse things

tube can be sub classed into
full tube
part tube part ss
full tube at low voltage
full tube at high voltage
blah blah

SS can be classed into
full analog
full digital
part analog part digital ...
blah blah

for the hybrid amps, whereby the preamp is tube but power amp is ss, r they more tube like or ss like?

actually, which stage of the amplification plays the most significant part to amplifying the signal?

 

[Ratboy]

for the hybrid amps, whereby the preamp is tube but power amp is ss, r they more tube like or ss like?

actually, which stage of the amplification plays the most significant part to amplifying the signal?

This is a very General Statment which i believe to be quite true

If given the same budget
a SS amp should sound better then a tube amp

Example , a $100 SS amp should sound better then a $100 tube amp
a $5000 SS amp should sound better then a $5000 tube amp

( of course "sound better" is very argumentative )