Vacuum Tube Wireless Headphones Hit The Market

[Dunring]

This looks cool in theory, going to wait on reviews from someone credible though. $399 doesn't seem bad if the sound is worth it, same price range as Bose and Sony.

Is the world ready for vacuum-tube wireless headphones?

As you might guess, the headphones don't pack your granddad's big ol' vacuum tubes in them, but a modern equivalent.

www.cultofmac.com

 

[solderdude]

Some added distortion ... could easily be done in software or using a J-FET as well.
The novelty lies in the green glow and 'knowing' there is something in there that is tube like (but low voltage current consumption).

In the end it is the driver, NC and the pads (tuning) that determine the sound quality and longevity. The 'tube' part just unnecessarily increases the price.... but as we all know... for digital to sound analog we need toobs...

 

[Chrispy]

lol

 

[Blumlein 88]

KORG Nutube | A new vacuum tube which puts vacuum fluorescent display technology to practical use

Nutube, similar to a conventional vacuum tube, has an anode grid filament structure, and operates exactly as a triode vacuum tube. Also similar to a vacuum tube, it creates the same characteristic rich overtones. By applying their vacuum fluorescent display technology, Noritake Itron Corp., a...

www.korgnutube.com

Korg Nutube p61 Kind of interesting. Of course I once had a preamp based upon Nuvistors. Then again I had scored a big box of NOS JAN Nuvistors at a HAM show.

 

[solderdude]

Review and Measurements of KORG NuTube HA-KIT Headphone Amp

This is a review and detailed measurements of the KORG NuTube based, NuTekt HA-KIT headphone amplifier. It is on kind loan from our friends at Gig Harbor Audio. It comes in kit form and retails for USD $249. If you are not familiar with "NuTube" is miniaturized triode vacuum tube. Here is...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Nutube Balanced Amp

Korg Nutube 6P1 Dual Triode

The Korg Nutube 6P1 is a new, miniature, low-power dual directly-heated triode device. It was developed by Korg (of musical instrument fame) and Noritake Itron, a manufacturer of vacuum fluorescent displays, in Japan. Although it is a true directly heated triode, it is manufactured differently...

diyaudiostore.com

A class-D amp manufacturer also uses one of these as a buffer

500 W Hybrid Power amplifier with Nutube Valve for Hypex NC500 -

As a follow up to our blog post on February 11, 2020, we have started testing the Nutube Valve...

atm-audio.com

 

[Soria Moria]

“écoute: the world’s only vacuum tube headphones, designed to compensate for the deficiencies of digital listening,” say the Indiegogo and Kickstarter funding-campaign pages.

 

[fpitas]

as we all know... for digital to sound analog we need toobs...

It is known.

 

[GXAlan]

The “good” thing about the NuTube is that it will impart a sound based upon its design intent for the music creation business. The snake oil is claiming a problem with solid state wireless headphones. The reality is that it will sound different and someone may like that sound

 

[Martin]

Pure gimmick. I saw the words “warmth” and “warm” within the first 15 seconds perusing the site. Buy a pair and send them to Amir.

Martin

 

[Soria Moria]

This will be yet another product people buy saying 'but what if I LIKE the extra distortion??' only for the product to most likely not have any audible distortion produced by the amplifier as I feel is usually the case when people say this.

 

[GXAlan]

This will be yet another product people buy saying 'but what if I LIKE the extra distortion??' only for the product to most likely not have any audible distortion produced by the amplifier as I feel is usually the case when people say this.

The Schiit Freya+ had enough grunge for Amir to hear. The NuTube will saturate way earlier too.

 

[DVDdoug]

Dumb and dumber.

This looks cool in theory,

Not to me...



P.S.
I can almost understand vintage tube microphones for people who want to use whatever Frank Sinatra was using... If you've got a studio you probably need that kind of thing for clients that want it. It' not logical... Two of the same 70-year old microphone are unlikely to sound the same, or the same as they did 70 years ago. Plus, we've got EQ and saturation and all kinds of effects and modeling software to make one mic sound like another, etc. And you still gotta' sing like Frank Sinatra.

 

[fpitas]

Dumb and dumber.


Not to me...

I don't get it, either. Like feeding everything you eat through a blender. Tubes used as part of production is fine, but no idea why you'd want to do it on playback.

 

[solderdude]

It is to compensate for the deficiencies of digital audio signals to bring back the missing warmth and realism to your listening experience

yes... you need to compensate for the deficiencies of digital audio.
And what better way than to add heaps of distortion, both harmonic and intermodulation as that brings back the missing warmth and realism....

Streamed and wireless audio signals are compressed to reduce the file size leaving your music sounding comparatively lifeless and flat. The characteristic even-order harmonics of a vacuum tube create minute euphonic details that fill out the sound and add warmth to digitally-compressed music. This texture makes your music sound fuller and more realistic—less like it is being reproduced by a piece of audio equipment and more like it is being performed live in front of you.

 

[GXAlan]

I don't get it, either. Like feeding everything you eat through a blender. Tubes used as part of production is fine, but no idea why you'd want to do it on playback.

I am treading lightly as I don’t intend this as a personal attack, but this is a common complaint of anti tube people.

When you say you don’t get it, it just shows lack of capacity to imagine those with a different perspective. It’s like the chef who cannot imagine someone adding salt or pepper at the table, or using a culturally popular example, adding pineapple on pizza. I don’t like pineapple on a cheese/tomato based pizza but pineapple on a BBQ chicken “flatbread” isn’t bad. Iced vs hot coffee. Coffee vs tea. Sparkling vs flat water.

Buying tubes is not like buying a home. You’re allowed to have two pairs of headphones and not be considered extravagant. Someone who buys a tube headphone may very well choose to use different headphones depending on their mood and planned music selection.

“I don’t get why anyone would like ________ “ is a more narrow minded perspective than saying “I prefer transparency to a recording, good or bad.”

 

[Astoneroad]

The novelty lies in the green glow and 'knowing' there is something in there...

... the "green glow" has been part of the musical experience for millennia.

 

[Soria Moria]

This texture makes your music sound fuller and more realistic—less like it is being reproduced by a piece of audio equipment and more like it is being performed live in front of you.

Ah yes, the realistic sound of electronic distortion when someone plays a piano or an acoustic guitar in front of you. So realistic!

 

[fpitas]

I am treading lightly as I don’t intend this as a personal attack, but this is a common complaint of anti tube people.

When you say you don’t get it, it just shows lack of capacity to imagine those with a different perspective. It’s like the chef who cannot imagine someone adding salt or pepper at the table, or using a culturally popular example, adding pineapple on pizza. I don’t like pineapple on a cheese/tomato based pizza but pineapple on a BBQ chicken “flatbread” isn’t bad. Iced vs hot coffee. Coffee vs tea. Sparkling vs flat water.

Buying tubes is not like buying a home. You’re allowed to have two pairs of headphones and not be considered extravagant. Someone who buys a tube headphone may very well choose to use different headphones depending on their mood and planned music selection.

“I don’t get why anyone would like ________ “ is a more narrow minded perspective than saying “I prefer transparency to a recording, good or bad.”

OK, consider me lectured. I still don't get it

 

[Deleted member 21219]

When you say you don’t get it, it just shows lack of capacity to imagine those with a different perspective.

This criticism is inaccurate. When someone casually says, "I don't get it", it doesn't have to mean that they are incapable of understanding or imagining that different perspective.

We can understand the different perspective of nations invading other nations, but we can still say, "I don't get it".
We can understand why people commit suicide, but we can still say, "I don't get it".

Sometimes we understand why something happens, but that doesn't mean that we approve or attach positive value to it. So we say, "I don't get it." After all, understanding and agreement are not locked together.

Self-righteous indignation and criticism .... by either side in an issue ...... are not conducive to reasoned discourse.

Jim

 

[GXAlan]

Self-righteous indignation and criticism .... by either side in an issue ...... are not conducive to reasoned discourse.

Agree but the comment was
“I don't get it, either. Like feeding everything you eat through a blender. Tubes used as part of production is fine, but no idea why you'd want to do it on playback.”

Using your example of depression/suicide, when I read the above, the equivalent phrasing would be

“I don't get it, either. Like feeding everything you feel through a sadness filter to the extent you don’t want to live. Feeling sad as part of the human experience is fine, but no idea why you'd want to do it to the extreme of suicide.”

Do you have a different way to translate the phrase to your example of suicide?

My main point anlso isn’t to focus on the first sentence. I was pointing out that owning tubes is like owning a blender. No rule you have to use a blender for every meal or use tubes for every listening session. When you do use a blender, it’s a fixed effects box that always morselizes/blends the source ingredients the same way a tube is a fixed effects box.

You can certainly chew the raw materials in your mouth to achieve the same effect as a blender as you can with fancy VST/EQ/software, but it’s easier to use a blender the same way it might be easier to just choose your tube setup when that’s your desire.