MUSE HiFi M5 Ultra thoughts?

[Lion03]

Hi, I'm new here and I'd like to know what you think of the MUSE HiFi M5 Ultra.

I'm looking to upgrade from my FiiO BTR7 and am interested in trying something different. The M5 Ultra looks very interesting because it has tubes.
I've never had a tube amps before, but I'd like to know what it sounds like. My other favourites are the Topping G5 and the FiiO BTR17.
So let me know what you think of them.

Thanks!
Lion

 

[DS_Construct]

I have an M5, among others, and I like it quite a bit. The tubes sound very nice.

 

[DVDdoug]

I don't know anything about it but this isn't 1955 and tubes are outdated.

Tubes don't necessarily have a "sound" but if the design adds distortion it will be different than another tube amp. There is no "one tube sound". If tubes are used in the output stage (and I don't know in this case) the higher output impedance can "interact" with headphone impedance and since headphone impedance isn't "flat" across the frequency range, the frequency response will vary and it will be different with different headphones.

Also if there is tube distortion it may be different with different tubes so different copies of the same device can sound different and the sound can change as the tube ages or if the tube is replaced or "rolled". A good design will be more stable and low-distortion, like any good solid state amp.

Most people don't like distortion* (but some do) and usually the best way to alter the sound is with EQ or different headphones.



* Guitar players often like to over-drive their amplifiers into distortion and they generalluy like the way tubes tend to "soft clip" but we usually don't want the whole band and the singer to sound like that! With high-fidelity we usually try to avoid distortion, unless it's an effect used by the guitar player, etc., and then our hi-fi system will accurately reproduce the recording along with that built-in intentional distortion