After owning and building and rebuilding tube and SS amps I am a skeptic that tube sound even exists in properly functioning and well designed tube equipment. In a level matched blind test I set up I could not hear a difference between a Dynaco ST 70 and a Neurochrome Mod 86. If a tube buffer or tube pre-amp is actually audible I would contend it is "broken" either by design or actually an electrical fault.
While I could not hear a difference, power amps, due to their higher output impedance will have a different frequency response than a SS amp which is speaker dependent. See below some measurements I took when doing a level matched blind test with the Neurochrome and Dynaco. You can see there is a FR difference between the two, which while not audible to me could possible be to some people. This graph also shows the Neurochrome with a 0.9 Ohm resistor in series with the speaker. In that case the FR is almost identical to the Dynaco.
My advice to the OP is be very skeptical about "tube sound" despite what you read on the internet. While a pain I would verify that any difference you think you hear can be verified in a blind level matched test. The power and confidence you will gain by hearing for yourself what differences you can or can not hear (all the "night and day" difference your read on the internet are for the most part a joke) are huge and will keep you on track for making real upgrades to your system rather than expensive detours. In any case have fun.
While I could not hear a difference, power amps, due to their higher output impedance will have a different frequency response than a SS amp which is speaker dependent. See below some measurements I took when doing a level matched blind test with the Neurochrome and Dynaco. You can see there is a FR difference between the two, which while not audible to me could possible be to some people. This graph also shows the Neurochrome with a 0.9 Ohm resistor in series with the speaker. In that case the FR is almost identical to the Dynaco.
My advice to the OP is be very skeptical about "tube sound" despite what you read on the internet. While a pain I would verify that any difference you think you hear can be verified in a blind level matched test. The power and confidence you will gain by hearing for yourself what differences you can or can not hear (all the "night and day" difference your read on the internet are for the most part a joke) are huge and will keep you on track for making real upgrades to your system rather than expensive detours. In any case have fun.
