My first tube amp!

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  • Jeff Aguilar
    Senior Member
    • Jun 2001
    • 126

    My first tube amp!

    First step into tube amps…

    Cayin TA-30

    (alt+p)

    I have not wire maintenance yet!

    I bought a new amp a few weeks ago to try and improve my two channel music experience. About 8 months ago I invested in some Martin Logan speakers. I loved the way they sounded compared to my Energy Veritas 2.1’s. I was told on several occasions that if I liked the way my Martin Logan speakers sounded now, I would really like them paired up with a tube amp. My wife loves to listen to music so she was actually excited about the idea of someday getting a tube amp for stereo playback.

    After much research, I decided on a very affordable integrated tube amp. I wanted to spend less than $1,000 and I looked at some used and some new amps. With such a limited budget, there were not very many options. If I wanted new, my only options seemed to be ASL or Jolida. Also, without a way to preview them, I knew that whatever I bought I would most likely be keeping. I relied heavily upon online reviews of each unit. As long as I heard a difference between my Solid State Parasound amp and the tube amp, I knew I would be pleased.

    I had decided that I was going to get a Jolida 302B. I really wanted to pull the trigger on this amp, but I read a review that was too favorable. If I was to get this amp, I thought that I should invest in the upgrades or mods that a few companies offered. That put this amp a little bit out of the price range I wanted to go.

    My attention was then drawn to a little known company here in the US called Cayin. They had a very affordable tube amp, actually less then the Jolida, and that really peeked my curiosity. I saw that Bizzy Bee was selling the amp for $499 and could add a subwoofer output on the amp for another $30. Having the sub out was very important to me. I knew that my speakers we lacking in the bass department and if I could get an amp with a sub out, I would be striking gold.

    Well, I received the amp a few weeks ago and put it into my system. I hooked up a Niles DSP-1 so that I could connect two separate amps to one set of speakers. It works like a charm. It does exactly what I wanted it too.

    As far as the differences between my Parasound HCA-855A and the tube amp. Well, I can honestly say I can hear a difference. And it’s a big difference in my book. Once I got my Martin Logan speakers, I really loved the airy sound that they produced. I felt it was lacking in some areas. The main area was the highs. It reproduced the highs very well, almost too well. Norah Jones on some songs was almost ear bleeding. Not so with the tube amp. I guess that the extreme highs are rolled off. It smoothened out or softened the high that the Martin Logan’s so wonderfully produced.

    There is much more depth to the stage. With my Outlaw it was like a wall of music hitting you, with the Cayin tube amp, it is much easier to place where the instruments are and they come to you layered. With more depth. The vocals were centered rock solid. It really seemed as if my center channel was on. I know that it centered well with my Outlaw, but this seemed more dynamic, more powerful. All of the instruments really cleared up, they were so much smoother than they were before. My music presentation is so much better than it was before. It is truly a joy to listen to music.

    Using the Niles switch, I could switch back and forth between the Outlaw and the Cayin. That made the comparison much easier. I even had my wife sit down and listen and switched the amps back n forth without letting her know which one she was listening too. She too could tell a big difference between the two. This amp is definitely a keeper.

    In the next two weeks I will have Erik Farstad over for a listen and maybe he can also chime in on what he thinks of the differences.


    Equipment used:

    Cayin TA-30 tube amp
    Denon 1600 DVD player
    Sony Mega changer
    Martin Logan Aerius i Main speakers

    Outlaw 950
    Parasound 855HCA (85x5)
    Denon 1600
    Sony Mega Changer
  • Chris D
    Moderator Emeritus
    • Dec 2000
    • 16877

    #2
    Jeff: :banana: I'd really like to hear the amp sometime, especially if you leave the comparison setup for a bit!




    CHRIS
    Luke: "Hey, I'm not such a bad pilot myself, you know"
    CHRIS

    Well, we're safe for now. Thank goodness we're in a bowling alley.
    - Pleasantville

    Comment

    • efarstad
      Moderator Emeritus
      • Jun 2001
      • 2231

      #3
      Chris, you and I both need to go over...I know Jeff can just switch back and forth between his tube integrated and his Outlaw/Parasound combo...so it makes for an easy comparison!

      Looks very purty too Jeff! 8)

      E





      The Norwegian A/V Nut!
      E-Cinema

      The Norwegian A/V Nut!
      E-Cinema

      Comment

      • Jeff Aguilar
        Senior Member
        • Jun 2001
        • 126

        #4
        Chris,

        You are welcome anytime. I am sure that we can set something up so that you and Erik can come at the same time if you would like. You should probably bring some music that you are familiar with. I am sure that your taste will be different than mine, I know that Erik's is.

        Jeff

        Comment

        • Andrew Pratt
          Moderator Emeritus
          • Aug 2000
          • 16507

          #5
          Congrat's Jeff....I've being tempted to try tubes for a long time. I'm curious what Chris and E! think




          Comment

          • Bob
            Senior Member
            • Jul 2000
            • 802

            #6
            Jeff,
            If you are serious about playing around with tubes, it makes more sense to try it out with a preamp rather than an amp. Tubes are very linear voltage amplifiers, while transistors are not. That is why ss preamps have to have a much more complicated circuit board, in order to deal with error correction or negative feedback. Transistors are very linear when it comes to current, however, which makes them ideal for amps. Preamps are dealing with voltage, amps are dealing with current.

            Comment

            • Jeff Aguilar
              Senior Member
              • Jun 2001
              • 126

              #7
              Bob,

              I appreciate your input and you are probably right with your assesment regaurding amps vs. preamps. But if you did not notice from my post, I have already invested in the integrated tube amp. I feel that I am serious about trying out tube equipment because I spent money on my money on it. After listening to the integrated amp I am getting the difference in sound that I was hoping that I would achive. It was nice to have Erik and Chris over yesterday because they also gave me thier input. They thought that the music 'ballooned' as far as the soundfield and depth was concerned.

              I realize that I did not spend that much money on a tube amp. I am sure that there are better options available at higher prices. Isn't that the case with everything though? In the end, I am happy because I got the results that I was hoping to achive.

              Bob, just to clarify, I was not asking for anyone for 'what' I should do next. I felt that I had already done that and moved onto what I was going to do and then did that. I was just sharing what I had done and what I felt the difference was for me in my listening environment.

              What really gets me is that sometimes people give think they are really trying to help, but they either do not convey it that way or insult the person they are trying to help. If I listened to some people's comments I would not even have bought anything under $5,000 to start with. I unfortunately do not have that kind of money to devote to my hobby. If I had, I am sure that I would but at this stage of my life other things really have to come first. My budget happened to be 1/10 of that. We all have to start somewhere, and this is where I happened to start.

              I hope that I conveyed this point without being too offensive, but your comments did upset me.

              Jeff

              Comment

              • efarstad
                Moderator Emeritus
                • Jun 2001
                • 2231

                #8
                Jeff, Bob "may" have misunderstood the meaning for your post...but to Bob and everyone...listening to Jeff's "Integrated Tube Amp" did reveal differences between his Outlaw/Parasound preamp/amp gear.

                As a moderator on this forum, we all must be careful to read what someone posts and provide appropriate feedback. support, or response.

                I think Jeff took offense Bob, because you said if "he was serious" about what he was doing...therefore applying he was not. Again, I don't think you intended your comments in a harmful manner, for it's VERY apparent you are quite knowledgeable about the subject.

                So let's just enjoy our tube, solid state, or 8-track stereo systems, , and have fun!

                The integrated tube gear sounds great Jeff!

                E





                The Norwegian A/V Nut!
                E-Cinema

                The Norwegian A/V Nut!
                E-Cinema

                Comment

                • Bob
                  Senior Member
                  • Jul 2000
                  • 802

                  #9
                  Jeff,
                  Sorry I said anything that upset you. I understood your post, the mistake I made was to direct my comments to you instead of just putting it out for general information. I only did it because it was your post to start with.
                  I'm glad that your intergrated amp is working out for you and that it is bringing you closer to the music.
                  The reason that I mentioned the differences between tubes in pre amps as opposed to tubes in amps is that most people think that tubes and transistors can be interchanged in any peice of equipment with the same results. I probably didn't state that last sentance well but, I have often seen posts regarding tubes v.s. ss without regards to what peice of electronics that they are used in. I just wanted to point out that because you like tubes in a preamp doesn't mean that you will get the same results from using them in a amp.
                  By the same token, it isn't atumatic that a ss amp will sound better than a tube amp or a tube preamp will sound better than a ss preamp. There are well known methods for dealing with each ones shortfalls. The circuits just get more complex, and some people like to keep the electronics as simple as possible. Which, by the way, you did by trying a integrated amp.
                  By the way, I'm not one that beleives more expensive means better. My experience has been that some of the best stuff out there is very reasonable in price.

                  Comment

                  • Chris D
                    Moderator Emeritus
                    • Dec 2000
                    • 16877

                    #10
                    Good clarification, Bob! Thanks for posting the info!




                    CHRIS
                    Luke: "Hey, I'm not such a bad pilot myself, you know"
                    CHRIS

                    Well, we're safe for now. Thank goodness we're in a bowling alley.
                    - Pleasantville

                    Comment

                    • Jeff Aguilar
                      Senior Member
                      • Jun 2001
                      • 126

                      #11
                      Bob,

                      Thanks for your clarification!

                      I did not think that you were personally attacking me, I was just a little frustrated. I think I understand what you are saying about the tube pre-amps. Going in that direction will most likely be on my list for my next upgrades! I would like to upgrade some day to a tube based cd player too. We shall see...

                      Jeff Aguilar

                      Comment

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