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Message started by ZZuZZaXX on 11/19/18 at 19:17:30

Title: Tubes on tubes...
Post by ZZuZZaXX on 11/19/18 at 19:17:30

Okay, this may be one of those quintessential silly questions but here it goes.

I know that tubes can affect the sound. If this is the case, won't a preamp with a certain tube designed to create a specific tone get altered by the tubes on the amp side designed to create another certain tone.
Does this make sense? Won't a set of tubes in one component affect another set of tubes in another component?

Do I make sense? Probably not, right?

Title: Re: Tubes on tubes...
Post by jslateiv on 11/19/18 at 20:02:54

It's kinda like layering different icing on your cake. Using different flavors of icing will combine to create a newish flavor but you will still be able to taste or tell the contribution of the different flavors individually,.. does THAT make sense, lol,.. 'bout the best way I can describe it simple terms,.. I'm sure others on here will chime in with much more technical descriptions but suffice it to say you will have lots of options to alter the sound via tube rolling, no right no wrong. It is all VERY system/room dependent. Sometimes all of the same gives too much of one flavor while mixing all could provide a flavor you just don't like. I have personally found tube rolling to be subtle but def. noticeable. Still though, a necessity to really fine tune the setup, which is of course what us 'Philes love to do!

Title: Re: Tubes on tubes...
Post by Lon on 11/19/18 at 20:32:36

Well said John.

Interesting that in a thread about rolling tubes in his Torii Jr. Ron talks of "staying sane in the process." I find myself sometimes going a bit nuts in the tube-rolling process. But experimentation leads to some great sounds. Every tube has its story to tell, it's seasoning to impart. It can be fun!

Title: Re: Tubes on tubes...
Post by Lonely Raven on 11/19/18 at 20:41:11

I try not to overthink it. You can drive yourself nuts about it. But it's no different than swapping cables for a different sound, or getting a different DAC for a different sound.

I try for neutral and detailed and try not to "tune" my system with cables and tubes - I just find what sounds the most neutral and detailed and move on with life...otherwise I'd be obsessing and spending way too much money. LOL

In short, it comes back to my saying "everything matters" in audio.

Title: Re: Tubes on tubes...
Post by will on 11/19/18 at 22:20:21

When I think of any component or cable, if it is good, the designer is designing it to be complete as it is. Whether solid state or tube, each part effects the sound, and good designers consider this in decisions. One resistor pair, or internal cable or wire, can change the sound of transparent and revealing gear, sometimes quite a lot. And even simple amps like Decware have a fair number of parts and wires......

Even considering only those in the Decware family, all designed to get the most Steve can get within his parameters and tastes, they are all different. And those differences can be great for adding complexity, complimenting one another with good synergy....leading us back to tube sets we like in our particular setting. Regardless of the component designer choices, our choices in variations on the same, or similar tube types, can help us refine what we want/need in our own systems and rooms. My system foundations are mainly the same components I have had for a long time, and it is difficult for me to separate the CSP3 and Torii in any sound change experiment with a tube choice, or cable, or foot, or whatever. They are pretty different components, but together they make my sound. Pretty cool to me.