Chinese Tube buffer or Pre-amp

[ZolaIII]

@maty & how about electronic music which whose actually made on tubes?

 

[Jimbob54]

Now play some good old Jimmy and you will like The Experience. Seriously there ware & some really balanced tubes & there are volume pasive VTS pluggins based on real designs.

Already like Jimi and his Experiences. I like them through (these) tubes and also not through (these) tubes.

 

[wje]

As a simple experiment towards the end of last week, I purchased the FX Audio Tube-03 preamp and the GE5654W tubes for a total cost of about $65.00. I kept the bass and treble controls all the way to the left, so no adjustment in sound would be applied with respect to tone. Like the original poster, I have the Audiolab 6000A that I currently utilize as a pre-amplifier. My power amplifier that I'm using is the Denon POA 1500. I'm using the Wharfedale Linton Heritage speakers. The changes to the sound that my ears detected were subtle, but not drastic. Just enough to take a little edge of the sound. Again, these were just my impressions with my 57 y.o. ears. For the investment, I considered it worthy for my experiment, because buying a true tube power amplifier is out of the question at the moment - and, the selection is so vast with thousands of opinions and reviews on which one to choose.

One thing I noticed with the FX Audio Tube-03 preamp, though, is you have to be careful in the order that you turn on your electronics. In my case, if I turned on the POA 1500 amplifier and the the Tube-03, I'd get a nasty "thump". However, turning on the Tube-03 first, then 30 seconds later, turning on my POA 1500 amplifier, meant that I no longer heard that nasty thump.

In my experiment, I was trying to chase a sound similar to the McIntosh solid state amps - with a thicker mid-range and a nice low end, while rolling off the top a little. The Tube-03, was able to get my partially towards my objective. Again, at $65.00, it was well worth the experience.

Then, on Sunday/Monday, things drastically changed. While the POA 1500 was my "interim" amp until my McIntosh MC7270 work gets all finished up. Locally, a McIntosh MC352 power amplifier was available at a "steal" of a price. Needless to say, I haven't tried the Tube-03 in the chain between my Audiolab 6000A and my McIntosh MC352, yet, at this point. However, after installing the MC352 and then configuring my levels, etc., I finally was able to hear the sound that I had been chasing. Lush mids, great low end with a detailed, but not obnoxious higher end.

But, back to Friday when I was playing with the Tube-03 and my POA 1500, a buyer showed up to pick up my Emotiva XPA-2, Gen 2 amplifier. As I was listening to the XPA-2 in my setup prior to the guy showing up, The XPA-2 was a bit warmer in sound than I had remembered since the 3 weeks earlier when I had it hooked up. I almost wanted to back out of the sale and spend more time with the Emotiva some more. To my ears, here's my order of preference: McIntosh MC352 --> Emotiva XPA-2, Gen 2 --> Denon POA 1500 with the Tube-03 in the chain.

Again, just sharing my experience along with my subjective opinions.

 

[mhardy6647]

I purchased the FX Audio Tube-03 preamp and the GE5654W tubes for a total cost of about $65.00. I kept the bass and treble controls all the way to the left, so no adjustment in sound would be applied with respect to tone.

Are you sure about that (i.e., the tone control "characteristics")?
I would think (???) that they were like 'real' hifi tone controls, i.e., "flat" at 50% rotation ("straight up") -- although I don't know.
If so, "all the way to the left" would be maximum bass & treble cut.

There is a ridiculously long thread on that preamp (and its cousins/siblings) at audiokarma.
I -- ahem -- actually have one of the cousins/siblings, due to the extreme kindness & generosity of a fine fellow on the Polk Audio forums. I am trying to work up the gumption to share some impressions about it someplace.

Spoiler

A 31 dollar vacuum tube preamp running "real" tubes (i.e., tubes designed to operate at high DC plate voltage) off of a low voltage wall wart sounds... pretty much exactly as one might expect. I reckon it measures that way, too -- out of deference to the forum on which I am posting this comment

 

[valrak66]

Some time ago I've made this recording test with a Fx Tube 01

The difference between DAC output / DAC + Tube 01 output is subtle enough to my ears.
Problem is there is a little hum with this device.

I wouldn't recommmend it but it's a nice toy for dirty price

 

[mhardy6647]

^^^ investing in one of those FX Audio boxes is essentially equivalent to setting fire to $30 cash, in terms of investment value.
Actually, it's like setting fire to $30 cash, and then gathering up another $50 to 100 ("tube rolling" money) -- and roasting that, too.

Just IMO, of course.