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  1. #1
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    tube amp vs. ss amp

    i have a stasis threshold 250 wpc amp, and several tube amps; all of which are 30 wpc or less. why does my sherwood S-5500II tube amp at 30wpc drive the 4343 better? i get more bass than i do w/ the big amp.... obviously, the top end is fantastic to say the least. w/ the threshold, the sound is tighter, but i like the total package this little tube amp puts out.

    regards

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    Senior Member invstbiker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rj2077 View Post
    i have a stasis threshold 250 wpc amp, and several tube amps; all of which are 30 wpc or less. why does my sherwood S-5500II tube amp at 30wpc drive the 4343 better? i get more bass than i do w/ the big amp.... obviously, the top end is fantastic to say the least. w/ the threshold, the sound is tighter, but i like the total package this little tube amp puts out.

    regards
    Well RJ, First of all JBL's are very efficient (nothing new there) I drive my 43's with 70 watt tube jobbies and I gotta tell you the volume control never goes over 1/2 way. I have driven them with Mac 501 monoblocks and believe it or not (to my ears) the tube jobbies sound way better to me. I have since sold the Mac's and never been happier. Keep 'tubin'...
    "It only costs 80% extra to go first class"

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    Quote Originally Posted by rj2077 View Post
    i get more bass than i do w/ the big amp.... w/ the threshold, the sound is tighter, but i like the total package this little tube amp puts out.
    Quote Originally Posted by invstbiker View Post
    I have driven them with Mac 501 monoblocks and believe it or not (to my ears) the tube jobbies sound way better to me.
    Interesting how while this stuff is so subjective, it seems that at a certain level we do hear some things in the same way.

    I was recently running a McIntosh MC-240 in a full range system. It had replaced a GAS Son of Ampzilla (80 wpc ss amp). I heard exactly the same sort of changes. With the little Mac tube amp the bass was significantly more noticeable. It was also mushy and bloated sounding and annoyed the hell out of me. I do like a quality SET tube amp in the mids, but more soggy bass isn't my cup of tea. I do tend to prefer a leaner upper bass sound with deep powerful extension though.


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    yes sir. with the threshold everything is more precise. i am willing to forgo of that for smoother mid/highs the tube provides. until i go active, this will have to do. i have a small listening room, so i tend to listen at lower levels. that said, the bass dosent get to mushy. i have a set of BIG altec tube mono amps, 160 wpc, i will try these and see what happens.

    regards

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    Quote Originally Posted by rj2077 View Post
    i have a small listening room, so i tend to listen at lower levels. regards
    Where you gonna put the 4350's, and what will you power them with?

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    rj

    Glad you're happy. That's priority #1.

    These things are so subjective... shoot even as individuals we're not consistent. I like using tubes until I get tired of them, then I don't want them around. I love a big SS amp driving medium efficiency speakers, until I want a more tube-like sound 'cuz the SS is wearing me out.

    For me it's probably just "change." I like change and go from sound to sound because each is unique and pleasing in its own way. That's why I've got so many different JBLs, amps, preamps, and sources.

    I know there are forum members who feel they've found their final or near-final system. Not me. I'm not saying they'd be boring people, but I don't hang around with them.
    Out.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Widget View Post
    With the little Mac tube amp the bass was significantly more noticeable. It was also mushy and bloated sounding and annoyed the hell out of me. I do like a quality SET tube amp in the mids, but more soggy bass isn't my cup of tea. I do tend to prefer a leaner upper bass sound with deep powerful extension though.


    Widget
    Sounds like you need a DC coupled tube amp old bean.

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    OK - I'll be the fly in the ointment here.

    I think when people hear that looser, less-damped bass when listening to sound reproduced by some tube amps, what they're really appreciating is a possibly desirable distortion of the actual signal. I posit that the "dry" sound heard from many "over-damped" solid state amplifiers may actually be a truer reproduction of what whas actually recorded in the studio, (notorious for being "clinical" sounding, and often recorded at listening levels higher than usually heard in the home), and if recordings were initially made with that "liver" or "fuller" bass sound often heard in live performances, amps with high damping factor would generally reproduce this sound faithfully. Because so many recordings are made with overly dry bass, an under-damped tube amplifier often adds a feeling of "warmth".

    'Just my opinion...

    John

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    Quote Originally Posted by rj2077 View Post
    i have a stasis threshold 250 wpc amp, and several tube amps; all of which are 30 wpc or less. why does my sherwood S-5500II tube amp at 30wpc drive the 4343 better? i get more bass than i do w/ the big amp.... obviously, the top end is fantastic to say the least. w/ the threshold, the sound is tighter, but i like the total package this little tube amp puts out.

    regards
    It depend on what you mean by driver them better!

    Its also depends on what style of tube amp the Sherwood is.

    I any case the Threshold and the Sherwood are opposite extremes in every respect.

    The Sherwood almost certainly has a low damping factor and a healthy amount of second harmonic distortion. This tends to empower the bass and provide a lush warm sound that can be appealing. It also masks a lot of issues otherwise prevailing in the system and or your speakers.

    The Threshold has a relatively high damping factor is very analystical.

    Probably not my 1st choice of amp either for that particular loudspeaker.

    Ian

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