Tube headphone out to amp

[Cori0312]

Hi, quick question.
I connected my Woo Audio WA6SE (tube headphone amp) via headphone jack to Aux on my Emotiva pre-amp in hopes of getting a tube amp sound without having to buy a tube amp specifically made to drive speakers.
My question- does the SS pre-amp "sterilize/change" the tube sound, or does it just amplify what it receives?
It sounds pretty good to me but I'm not an expert.

Thanks

 

[DVDdoug]

All good audio amplifiers go a very good job of amplifying "cleanly", including tube amplifiers.

Some tube amplifiers have more distortion and they tend to soft-clip when over-driven whereas solid state amps tend to hard-clip when over-driven. But that mostly applies to power amps. There is no one tube-sound... If a tube amp has audible distortion it will sound different from another amp with different distortion or no audible distortion.

And your headphone amp may sound different with and without a headphone load, especially if the output stage is tubes. Or it may also be "clean".

 

[Cori0312]

Thanks!!!

 

[BDWoody]

My question- does the SS pre-amp "sterilize/change" the tube sound, or does it just amplify what it receives?

It's basic job is to just amplify what it gets, keeping any distortion or noise added by itself to a minimum. Generally speaking.

It sounds pretty good to me but I'm not an expert.

You are the world's foremost expert on what you like. Don't forget that part.