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Chinese Tube buffer or Pre-amp

Goutom

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Need expert's opinion about Chinese Tube buffer or Pre-amp Like FX audio tube 01, YAQIN SD-CD3 etc.. Which can be used with integrated amplifier or Power amplifier...
I am using Audiolab 6000a integrated amp with Tannoy revolution xt6f speaker. Will there be any improvement of sound? Want some tube flavor.
 
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levimax

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One persons opinion.... "tube sound", especially from a pre-amp, is a myth as a well designed tube pre-amp will be indistinguishable from a well designed SS pre-amp. A tube power amp may have a slightly different frequency response depending on the speakers because of their higher output impedance but it is unpredictable and is usually just different rather than better. I have been down this road and would recommend you spend your money on better speakers rather than adding a "distortion source" into your signal chain. Good luck and have fun
 

0bs3rv3r

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I differ to the above. I believe a tube preamp working into a SS power amp can improve the sound to my liking. I listened to just such a setup for quite a while. Power amp was class D. Tube preamp was 12AU7 based.

I can't speak for the quality of the Yaqin you linked to, never tried one, but the 6SN7 tubes it can use are among my favourite preamp tubes.
 

majingotan

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I differ to the above. I believe a tube preamp working into a SS power amp can improve the sound to my liking. I listened to just such a setup for quite a while. Power amp was class D. Tube preamp was 12AU7 based.

I can't speak for the quality of the Yaqin you linked to, never tried one, but the 6SN7 tubes it can use are among my favourite preamp tubes.

I wouldn't call it as improved, but rather preferred to your subjective opinion. In objective terms, a signal that passes through a tube stage will always be inferior (since it's less truthful to the source) compared to a solid state op-amp stage. I do like and even prefer harmonically distorted / colored sound on some tracks but even so I would never call it an improvement as it really isn't. A better DSP solution that preserves the dynamic range and vanishing low distortion of the signal (yes the signal here is still truthful to the source as the absolute THD+N is still maintained) is the best solution though adding a tube there makes for a very pleasing look indeed.

BTW, I like the 5692 variant of the 6SN7 the most and that's what I use with my Saga preamp

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0bs3rv3r

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but rather preferred to your subjective opinion.

Yes, as I said "to my liking"

a signal that passes through a tube stage will always be inferior (since it's less truthful to the source) compared to a solid state op-amp stage.

Not necessarily true. There are good tube designs and bad opamp designs. You cannot assume tube is always inferior.

A better DSP solution that preserves the dynamic range and vanishing low distortion of the signal (yes the signal here is still truthful to the source as the absolute THD+N is still maintained)

I would never add a DSP to an analogue signal chain.
 

majingotan

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I would never add a DSP to an analogue signal chain.

If you use one of those studio monitors that have DSP such as all JBL studio monitors or Adam AX / S series or the Neumann KH 80 DSP Speaker, all of the analog signal will be converted to digital for DSP BTW. In that case, you'll have to use a passive speaker and a separate power amp without DSP functionality

Not necessarily true. There are good tube designs and bad opamp designs. You cannot assume tube is always inferior.

Can you provide a tube preamp that gets better than 120 dB SINAD? Saga that I use on tube mode barely manages to get 98 dB SINAD, but on passive mode it's almost as good as the AP555X loopback measurement
 

ZolaIII

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0bs3rv3r

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If you use one of those studio monitors that have DSP such as all JBL studio monitors or Adam AX / S series or the Neumann KH 80 DSP Speaker, all of the analog signal will be converted to digital for DSP BTW. In that case, you'll have to use a passive speaker and a separate power amp without DSP functionality

I don't understand what you are on about. You are the only one mentioning DSPs (again) I don't have ANY DSPs in my system, and will not.
 

solderdude

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solid state would never fatefuly reproduce music that whose originally created with tube amplification (electric guitars mainly)

Why would SS amplifiers not be able to reproduce any recording. The fact that before the recording the guitar has gone through tube amplification is completely irrelevant.
Or am I interpreting your remark incorrectly ?
 

solderdude

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on passive mode it's almost as good as the AP555X loopback measurement

That is because you are simply looking at an AP555 loopback measurement. The signal only passes through some relays.
 

ZolaIII

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Why would SS amplifiers not be able to reproduce any recording. The fact that before the recording the guitar has gone through tube amplification is completely irrelevant.
Or am I interpreting your remark incorrectly ?
It comes out dry and sounds horrible true SS, maybe not totally SS amplifiers fault but rather DAC's more (soothing and cetera). Anyway it sounds much better with tube to me (Jimmy, Frank...).
 

bigx5murf

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I've owned the fx-audio tube pre you're interested in, along with three other similar devices that shared tubes (little dot + Little bear) . I also owned half a dozen pairs of the most popular tubes. I just sold them all last month at a significant lost. They've been sitting in a drawer without use for probably 2 years. What I disliked the most about these devices, they all picked up interference from wifi and phones service in the form of clicks. It was worse with some tubes, but it was always there.
 
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Goutom

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@Goutom recommendation goes to LOXJIE P20 regarding me of course not with default preinstaled tubes. Sure tubes are useful and needed, solid state would never fatefuly reproduce music that whose originally created with tube amplification (electric guitars mainly).
@majingotan sure...
https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/loxjie-p20-technical-measurements.7607/
If he lied so did I.

I want use tube buffer with my Audiolab 6000a. It has no balanced input. LOXJIE P20 not having any rca input output for buffer/preamp use.
 

ZolaIII

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I don't understand what you are on about. You are the only one mentioning DSPs (again) I don't have ANY DSPs in my system, and will not.
I do, tend to Pteq-x tube amp EQ VTS (which is free) most of the time as I like it & it's one of the best VTS (for me) ever. It has great vocals EQ stage and tube stage can be switched off. It's very useful for me especially with sensitive headphones and EMI's as real thing (tube headphone amp) is not suitable for those under 64 Ohm's.
 

ZolaIII

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It
I want use tube buffer with my Audiolab 6000a. It has no balanced input. LOXJIE P20 not having any rca input output for buffer/preamp use.
Well its meant to be headphone amplifier, it has RCA unbalanced input & 6.3 mm out, the volume control is analogue. It's a hybrid design of course. Still XLR is highly recommended.
 

ZolaIII

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Maybe so, but it is not relevant. Stop sidetracking the discussion.
If its tube related, free & good enough to see & hear whot you will be getting/losing with hybrid real one, also that changing tubes really does have impact (as it emulates three actual ones) then it's very relevant & besides it's one of the best software EQ's.
 

Willem

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I thought this forum is about audio science and transparent reproduction. For that, I recommend an RME ADI-2 DAC/preamp. Any change to the original signal can only be a degradation. Fine if you like that, but calling it an improvement is problematic in my book.
 
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