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I am looking to buy a hybrid Tube headphone amplifier but don't know what to buy!!!

LegionOfHell

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I already own a Little Dot I+... but I want to sell it and get something else..

I am looking to buy a hybrid Tube headphone amp … my budget is $200 USD …

I have already considered the Alex Cavalli Tube Hybrid , but it gets a bad review here at audiosciencereview...

Are there any other good hybrid tube amps in this price range ?
 

solderdude

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All tube hybrids will get a bad review here because of the low SINAD. It is inherent to the design.
Just ignore that data when looking for tube hybrids.
I would stay away from most cheap e-bay offerings. Longevity is often an issue.
 
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LegionOfHell

LegionOfHell

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is Alex Cavalli Tube Hybrid good ? anything else like it in this price range ?
 

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LegionOfHell

LegionOfHell

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Any alternatives though ? anything that is both objectively and subjectively good ?
 

solderdude

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is Alex Cavalli Tube Hybrid good ? anything else like it in this price range ?

https://www.schiit.com/products/vali-3

Objectively good simply does not exist in this price point. None of them will measure great simply because of the tube.
You can make good measuring tube amps but they won't be cheap.

Just buy one that get's good 'reviews', looks nice to you and is in your price range.
 
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LegionOfHell

LegionOfHell

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Which one is objectively better, Little Dot I+ or Alex Cavalli Tube Hybrid ?

Not a fan of Schiit products....
 

617

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Which one is objectively better, Little Dot I+ or Alex Cavalli Tube Hybrid ?

Not a fan of Schiit products....

Electronics, even poorly designed ones, sound far more similar than different. If you don't like the sound of your playback system you need new headphones.
 

Cahudson42

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Was waiting for it to be asked: What headphones are you going to use with it? High impedance Beyer's? Or?

What do you expect to gain with the hybrid amp? (Over a discrete or op amp ss? Magni 3+/Heresy for examples? )
 

IAtaman

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Which one is objectively better, Little Dot I+ or Alex Cavalli Tube Hybrid ?

I think the key attribute of a Tube amp is that the distortion characteristics of the tubes sounds pleasant to most people. So the question you are asking is akin to "which tube amp objectively distorts sounds more pleasantly". I am not sure if there would be a truly objective measurement.

What is it that you like about your current amp and why you want to upgrade it?
 

JeffS7444

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I already own a Little Dot I+... but I want to sell it and get something else..

I am looking to buy a hybrid Tube headphone amp … my budget is $200 USD …

I have already considered the Alex Cavalli Tube Hybrid , but it gets a bad review here at audiosciencereview...

Are there any other good hybrid tube amps in this price range ?
This is the tube amp you'll probably wish you had gotten:
http://pmillett.com/Jonokuchi.htm
It's designed by someone who has a pretty good idea of what people hope to hear when they get a tube amplifier. No, not sonically transparent, but I expect it delivers exactly the sort of "sweetness" and "warmth" that many people hope to find in tube electronics. It can also be used to drive efficient speakers. I'm tempted to build one myself.
 

solderdude

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This is not a hybrid though.
 
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LegionOfHell

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My headphones are: Hifiman HE-400, Fostex T50RPMKIII, Grado SR225i, Sony MA900...

I want to pair the tube amp with my Grado …. for all the other headphones I want to use a solid state amp..

So you are saying all tube amps have bad measurements just like the Alex Cavalli Tube Hybrid ?
 

617

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My headphones are: Hifiman HE-400, Fostex T50RPMKIII, Grado SR225i, Sony MA900...

I want to pair the tube amp with my Grado …. for all the other headphones I want to use a solid state amp..

So you are saying all tube amps have bad measurements just like the Alex Cavalli Tube Hybrid ?
Why do you want to pair a tube amp with your grados?
 

Χ Ξ Σ

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@WolfX-700 measured the iPar 1023A. His assessment was that the distortion was pretty "clean" and "tuby." By that he meant, other than the typical high harmonic distortions you would expect from a tube amp, the areas between the harmonic tones didn't have much "grass", hence "clean". Considering this amp costs only $136 on Aliexpress, this is a good one for anyone who wants to experience the "tube sound".
 
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LegionOfHell

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Because it sounds smoother ?
 

617

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Because it sounds smoother ?

I have heard the Grado sr225 with a tube amp (not sure which, not mine) and I can tell you there was nothing smooth about it. Just my impression.
 

deprogrammed

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My headphones are: Hifiman HE-400, Fostex T50RPMKIII, Grado SR225i, Sony MA900...

I want to pair the tube amp with my Grado …. for all the other headphones I want to use a solid state amp..

So you are saying all tube amps have bad measurements just like the Alex Cavalli Tube Hybrid ?
The hybrid amps do not measure well....but are the audible in a blind test? And if so what is the point. So maybe if you want that tube sound you want one that measure horribly. I am sure there are some expensive ones that measure superbly and would be impossible to tell in blind test. So all you are getting then is bragging rights. When I read about hybrid amps it is always sighted and therefore useless.
 
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