Valves. Hot air or something init.

All general audio posts go here.
Daniel Quinn
Posts: 8586
Joined: Thu Jul 12, 2012 7:16 am
Has thanked: 24 times
Been thanked: 399 times

Valves. Hot air or something init.

Unread post by Daniel Quinn »

I think I've got to grips with solid state amps. Building them yourself ,you soon get to grips with bullshit .
.
Valve amps are and will remain a mystery.

So anybody care to offer an opinion on valves . Is thier really any difference between them or is it bullshit.

You read forums and the correct valves are the route to audio nirvana. Its the only thing you need to swap, honest!

So come on whats the truth.
These users thanked the author Daniel Quinn for the post:
CycleCoach (Sun Apr 18, 2021 8:42 pm)

valvesRus
Posts: 562
Joined: Sat Feb 24, 2018 2:34 pm
Has thanked: 25 times
Been thanked: 63 times
Great Britain

Re: Valves. Hot air or something init.

Unread post by valvesRus »

That is not a simple question to answer.

IF you have sensitive speakers, single ended valve amps (depending what valve one uses) can sound wonderful, but the devil is in the detail.

Mind you, single ended Mosfet amps can sound wonderful as well.

I have examples of both types.

User avatar
savvypaul
Posts: 8635
Joined: Tue Oct 11, 2016 7:14 pm
Location: Durham
Has thanked: 1657 times
Been thanked: 2978 times
Contact:
Great Britain

Re: Valves. Hot air or something init.

Unread post by savvypaul »

I burn the dust off this one, once in a while...

Image

300b SET about 8 watts. Very nice with the Klipsch Heresys (as is the S80, or even the little AP10P)
I am in the hi-fi trade
Status: Manufacturer
Company Name: NVA Hi-Fi
https://nvahifi.co.uk/

User avatar
CN211276
Posts: 6522
Joined: Tue Aug 09, 2016 9:29 am
Location: Cardiff
Has thanked: 1401 times
Been thanked: 976 times
EUROPEAN_UNION

Re: Valves. Hot air or something init.

Unread post by CN211276 »

The Doc's view was that valves cannot compete with solid state and the only reason why they had a revival is because Naim amps sound so bad.
Main System
NVA BMU, P90SA/A80s (latest spec), Cube 1s, TIS, TISC(LS7)
Sonore OpticalRendu, Chord Mscaler & Qutest, Sbooster PSs
Network Acoustics Eno, ifi iPurifier3, AQ JB FMJ, Cisco 2940 & 2960
DH Labs ethernet, BNC & USB cables, Farnells cat 8 ethernet cable

Second System
NVA P20/ A20, Cubettes, LS3, SSP, SC
Sonore MicroRendu, Chord Mojo 2 MCRU PSs, AQ Carbon USB cable & JB FMJ

Headphones
Grado SR325e/Chord Mojo, Beyerdynamic Avetho/AQ DF Colbat

RIP Doc

valvesRus
Posts: 562
Joined: Sat Feb 24, 2018 2:34 pm
Has thanked: 25 times
Been thanked: 63 times
Great Britain

Re: Valves. Hot air or something init.

Unread post by valvesRus »

CN211276 wrote: Sun Apr 18, 2021 8:50 pm The Doc's view was that valves cannot compete with solid state and the only reason why they had a revival is because Naim amps sound so bad.
Well, not everything Richard said was fact.

But, his opinion is as valid as anyone elses.

User avatar
savvypaul
Posts: 8635
Joined: Tue Oct 11, 2016 7:14 pm
Location: Durham
Has thanked: 1657 times
Been thanked: 2978 times
Contact:
Great Britain

Re: Valves. Hot air or something init.

Unread post by savvypaul »

He once told me that if he didn't have NVA, then he could live with an SET.

He liked the simplicity.
I am in the hi-fi trade
Status: Manufacturer
Company Name: NVA Hi-Fi
https://nvahifi.co.uk/

valvesRus
Posts: 562
Joined: Sat Feb 24, 2018 2:34 pm
Has thanked: 25 times
Been thanked: 63 times
Great Britain

Re: Valves. Hot air or something init.

Unread post by valvesRus »

There are many and various ways to get a very good SET amp, 300b being a good example.

Most 300b SET amps are probably average to good. The very good ones need careful circuit design and good iron (transformers and chokes) which tends to make the component parts expensive.

Nick Gorham (Lurcher) is one who knows how to make a very good 300b SET amp, but don't expect it to be cheap.

On a personal note, I still have two 300b valves, but I've not had the luck, or skill, to make an excellent amp with them.

My current task is to make a decent 833a SET amp, one day I will succeed. :lol:

User avatar
SteveTheShadow
Posts: 1646
Joined: Thu Sep 12, 2013 5:24 pm
Has thanked: 272 times
Been thanked: 339 times
Great Britain

Re: Valves. Hot air or something init.

Unread post by SteveTheShadow »

Valve amps exist and so do transistor amps. Why do they need to be compared? Who gives a fecking shite anyway? If you like ‘em great. If you don’t, great.
These users thanked the author SteveTheShadow for the post (total 3):
karatestu (Mon Apr 19, 2021 5:48 am) • NSNO2021 (Mon Apr 19, 2021 7:01 am) • Andy-831 (Mon Apr 19, 2021 3:14 pm)
Somebody’s telling me the latest scandals.
Somebody’s stepping on my plastic sandals. Joe Jackson (1979)

antonio66
Posts: 1006
Joined: Mon Jul 29, 2019 8:16 am
Location: Grimsby/Phnom Penh
Has thanked: 1449 times
Been thanked: 408 times
Great Britain

Re: Valves. Hot air or something init.

Unread post by antonio66 »


NSNO2021
Posts: 1007
Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2019 1:06 pm
Location: Industrial waste lands of the north west
Has thanked: 559 times
Been thanked: 487 times
Great Britain

Re: Valves. Hot air or something init.

Unread post by NSNO2021 »

CN211276 wrote: Sun Apr 18, 2021 8:50 pm The Doc's view was that valves cannot compete with solid state and the only reason why they had a revival is because Naim amps sound so bad.
That's a deliberately provocative view and not one I believe RD was truly signed up too, I guess he was just having a bit of fun at Naim's expense 😉
I will one day give them a go simply to satisfy my curiosity
Modified Airlink BPS 3110S with LDA DC filter
TTs, Kenwood KD 8030 with AT OC9XSH, Opera Consonance Wax Engine mk2 with modified Apheta 2 MC cart, PT TOO awaiting restoration.
LDA MCJ3 phono,Schiit Freya plus pre amp, NAD M23, Audiolab 9000 CD transport, Denafrips Pontus 2 DAC, Mano Ultra2 streamer, Cisco switch, Audio Technica ATH 70 cans, Serhan Swift Mu2 mk2 speakers & NSNO W48.5 speaker cables

Post Reply