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If tubes were hidden within an enclosure, would people still desire them as much?

Pancreas

Pancreas

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It's a fashion statement as well. Part of the audiophile snobbery. Let's people know you be serious about your audio.

Just as people who have vinyl players with vinyl discs on display in their living room, is also a statement, let's people know you are not a commoner, ahh you're one of those audio connoisseurs eh

If ALL tubes were hidden inside an enclosure and no longer on display for the eyes to see, would tube amps for headphones be as popular and desired without the erect devices sticking out?

The answer is obvious.

Boom

boom-anna-kendrick.gif
 
I have some inexpensive devices with exposed audio tubes. If they weren't exposed, I wouldn't want them because the reason I bought them was to see them glow in the dark.
Audio as a hobby involves much more than just the ears, compared to audio as music reproduction.
 
Pancreas said:
It's a fashion statement as well. Part of the audiophile snobbery. Let's people know you be serious about your audio.

Just as people who have vinyl players with vinyl discs on display in their living room, is also a statement, let's people know you are not a commoner, ahh you're one of those audio connoisseurs eh

If ALL tubes were hidden inside an enclosure and no longer on display for the eyes to see, would tube amps for headphones be as popular and desired without the erect devices sticking out?

The answer is obvious.

Boom

boom-anna-kendrick.gif
Click to expand...
I never liked vinyl records or cassettes and was incredibly happy when MiniDiscs and CD-Rs came out.

But for the past few years, I've also owned a turntable.
Why? Because so many really good recordings and masterings aren't available on CD or in any other digital format.

Pure tube amplifiers are also available as standard, completely enclosed units, such as the Copland or Mastersound Box.
Of course, many people like these amplifiers because of the tube aesthetics, but most are drawn to them for their harmonic distortion.
 
Talisman said:
I have some inexpensive devices with exposed audio tubes. If they weren't exposed, I wouldn't want them because the reason I bought them was to see them glow in the dark.
Audio as a hobby involves much more than just the ears, compared to audio as music reproduction.
Click to expand...
Same for me. It's the visual aesthetics of my home-brewed tube amps that aid in my enjoyment of their sound quality. I made it a point to have the chassis and transformer end covers of my mono-block power amplifiers professionally fabricated and powder-coat painted to get a well finished look. I have the amps in plain view when I listen, so the glow and the appearance does enhance my enjoyment of them and what they do.
 
oh -- and in the interest of equal time -- some of us have tube amplifiers that are just plain ugly.




EDIT: N.B. In person, these two EICO cousins (both push-pull 7591 stereo integrated amplifiers, but otherwise quite different, including output power specs) aren't quite as ugly as this crude flash photo makes them appear. But they are, paradoxically, pretty ugly. ;)
 
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Tubers of the world, unite! You've got nothing to lose but your output transformers! They're beauties.
 
In all seriousness, and actually even on topic :eek:, there's a current discussion about hipster/lifestyle tubes 'n' horns guy Devon Turnbull and his OJAS Audio and style vs. substance.

He's more of an artist/influencer, but the bones of his creations are generally good ones.

I guess I am fundamentally on the fence. :facepalm:

Devon Turnbull’s HiFi Listening Room by samayoukodomo, on Flickr

https://flic.kr/p/2q2i9DF
 
https://flic.kr/p/2rYJEei

PS The Studer tape deck is in itself a work of art and of applied engineering.
The Garrard 401 with what looks like a long SME arm is... well... a bit too obvious.
Now... say, a Fairchild 750 with a Thomas Schick arm'll put us in roughly the same stratosphere as the aforementioned Studer. :cool:
 
mhardy6647 said:
In all seriousness, and actually even on topic :eek:, there's a current discussion about hipster/lifestyle tubes 'n' horns guy Devon Turnbull and his OJAS Audio and style vs. substance.

He's more of an artist/influencer, but the bones of his creations are generally good ones.

I guess I am fundamentally on the fence. :facepalm:

Devon Turnbull’s HiFi Listening Room by samayoukodomo, on Flickr

https://flic.kr/p/2q2i9DF
Click to expand...
No chairs and an echo chamber. Pretentious BS. No thanks.
 
mhardy6647 said:
I hear mariachi static on my radio
And the tubes, they glow in the dark...
Click to expand...
Linda Ronstadt-I have that song on LP. I think the title is Carmelita. Of course, I play it through home-brewed tube amps with glowing tubes in full view.
 
Cbdb2 said:
No chairs and an echo chamber. Pretentious BS. No thanks.
Click to expand...
The photos reflect art. They are indeed of exhibitions, not meant as audio or hifi. Very pretentious.
But, again, the bones aren't bad.
 
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mhardy6647 said:
https://flic.kr/p/2rYJEei

PS The Studer tape deck is in itself a work of art and of applied engineering.
The Garrard 401 with what looks like a long SME arm is... well... a bit too obvious.
Now... say, a Fairchild 750 with a Thomas Schick arm'll put us in roughly the same stratosphere as the aforementioned Studer. :cool:
Click to expand...
Does Thorens make a Gillette arm, too?
 
egellings said:
Does Thorens make a Gillette arm, too?
Click to expand...
Bob Kraft liked 'em so much, he bought the company! ;)

Thorens makes Thorens arms, or at least they used to. Of course, they also used to make music boxes, too.
All the cool kids listen to those, anyway. Devon Turnbull, too... probably.

1772312479327.png


"Die lustige Witwe" :)
 
One of my favorite phono preamps is a Herron V2, completely enclosed, you would think it is a modern piece of audio equipment, except for a lack of ins and outs.

You know, some people were raised on valves, reel-to-reel, cassettes, records, and even non-exposed valves like on Mcintosh. A couple of my old tuners, preamps, and combos are all in wooden enclosures. Power (valve) amps are pretty typical looking, though. They are Macs after all. I can't ever remember not having them, to be honest.

I have a few pieces I would never give up that are valve-based, BUT I have a few SS that I wouldn't give up either
C2500, C22, C20, C46, C53, Mx110z, Mx120, MX122, MC600s,

I started out with WE as a gift from me Pops and sold them for Mcintosh, which was only a 20-year-old company at the time. Same with the old Thoren TD134/135/184 I used to have. We had a reel-to-reel at the house as kids, too.

Valves were normal, solid state in our home (1960s-70s), was considered junk, and it was to tell the truth.

I have a few Cary products that are pure eye candy. SLP-05 and a pair of V12Rs in ox blood, absolutely stunning and sound wonderful used with small planars/ribbons for mids and highs. Any bass/sub duty is all handled by SS. I switched to Behringer DCX2494/NC12,000 for sub/bass management and Nord One Ups/NC500 in the summer rotation to get away from 30-50 valves in the 3 system. I was using Adcoms and still have a pallet of the things. 5500, 5800, 565 (4), 7400. They were great until the 565s started messing up.

I still run an MX110z/C20/MC225/240 Thoren and Russco TTs, Infinity RS4b system in the shop all year round. I was listening to it just a few nights ago. Nothing sounds like that setup. Perfect imperfection to tell the truth.

I recently picked up a stack of Fosi ZP3, ZD3, ZA3s (4), wonderful setup running a pair of VMPS 626Rs and a couple of DIY 10" GRS. The glue is drying on a pair as I type and waiting on parts.

Some people like Corvettes, and some people like a 1964 VW bug. I'm a Ford PU guy and love my 2003 Camry even more. It's just what people can afford and prefer. Thank God for choices, ay.

Regards
 
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