Tube (valve) amp really works!

For small signals, tubes can be quite linear and low distortion, particularly if they employ local feedback.

However, if you want "color", why don't you make a comparator part of your signal path ?>:-} ...Jim Thompson

I dunno. I was just curious about that "tube" sound. I guess if I want that "comparator" sound I can do as you suggest. Eric

Yup. Google "fuzzbox". Google "fuzzbox" and "germanium" and be prepared for a whole different sort of audiophoolery.

As a youngster I played Clarinet in orchestra... thus I prefer a true "live" sound... perhaps biased by my love of classical music.

But I also like Willie Nelson, the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Chuck Berry, Big Bopper, Buddy Holly, the Platters, Fats Domino, Ritchie Valens, Everly Brothers, British marching bands, Sousa, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Patsy Cline, Kenny Rogers, and, of course, Elvis... even some favorites from the Middle Ages... Gregorian Chants ;-)

(I have a 300 CD jukebox ;-) ...Jim Thompson

Sheeeesh! I missed Bill Haley, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis & Bo Diddley ;-) ...Jim Thompson

I really enjoy listening to all sorts of music and feel really lucky to be able to do so. It seems that some of the older jazz sounds better after going through the little tube amp. I think this is because when I first heard it it was from tube audio equipment. Eric

because when I first heard it it was from tube audio equipment. Eric"

Interesting. Just like some people tend to like the version of a song they heard first (many remakes over the years) others might associate it with a certain tonal quality.

I got into it for a while, and was surprised at how many remakes are out th ere. Finding out that some of the 1960s music I liked was really written in the 1940s, etc.

It would be interesting to check the frequency response of that headphone a mp, or at least put a 1,000 Hz square wave through it. Even more interestin g would be a schematic so we could figure out why there was such a noticeab le difference after your burn in.

Tube burn-in is probably a psychological effect, not a physical one.

Tube sound, ditto.

The sound engineers who make the files and CDs already have a zillion options to add distortion, tweak frequency response, mix signals, add noise and echoes and other DSP effects, and they put a lot of time and money into making things sound "right." Why would running their signal through a dumb tube amp make it sound better?

Not better, different. Like adding different spices to food. I think lots of pepper makes my eggs taste better. My wife thinks eggs with lots of pepper taste worse. But really all the pepper does to the taste is make it taste different. But of course you know all that. Eric

Go to this link:

That is hilarious in so many ways!

Another thing that happened after burn in is

Funny!

If it colored the sound it wouldn't be HiFi and would not deserve good reviews anywhere. Stay away from any place where they consider altering the sound a good thing in a HiFi device; it's the usual trap to sell you something overpriced to reach that "color". That trick would not work if you got a flat amplifier and were satisfied about it. Flat is flat, so no reason to waste any more money, but there are many kinds of sound "coloration". Got the trick?

Placebo effect - Nothing sounds as good as the distortion you're used to?

Which is not the placebo effect. The placebo effect is expecting something to happen and it you think it does even though nothing has changed to cause that something to happen. If I expect the music to sound better and there is no change to the sound but I think it now sounds better then that is the placebo effect.

Yup. Which is why the really high-end audio reviews always start by listing the price of the component as if it were a Good Thing. 'cuz if it costs a lot, it has to sound good.

Either that or he's knocked the edge off of the batteries' charge, and the thing distorts more at a lower plate voltage and/or higher source resistance in the 'B' battery.

Double-blind testing makes a lot of acoustic effects disappear.

Greetings John, I bet you're right about the double blind thing. That's part of the reason why I was surprised about hearing a difference after the tubes were burned in. In fact, I'm thinking about buying a couple new tubes online and trying the whole burn in thing again but this time actually measuring the output before and after with a 'scope as jurb suggested. I'm curious though about something you said. When asked by jurb for a schematic I provided a link and you found that laughable for more than one reason. How about, since this is an electronics basics group, letting me know what was so laughable? Cheers, Eric

schematic I provided a link and you found that laughable for more than one reason. How about, since this is an electronics basics group, letting me know what was so laughable? "

The damn thing wouldn't open for me.