barty wrote: > I think that saying tubes "color" the sound is rather pejorative in the > audiophile world. Tubes sound different. I'll back down from saying > better, because that is in the ear of the listener. I'll counter that > transistors sound "colored" to me because they don't reproduce the > sound of natural materials (woodwinds, guitars etc.) as well as > well-designed tube amps. Also, this being an audiophile forum, the > cost and weight of materials such as transformers is really secondary > to achieving great sound.
Agree that in the home, the weight is not important. In satellites, it sure is. The problem with cost is that you have to make trade-offs. Would you rather have 200 more CD's? or a component that costs $2000 more? Its not for me to decide for you, but its a real world constraint. Except for the folks who love the stuff reviewed in The Absolute Sound, where $50K for speakers is not high end. The recording and reproduction of acoustic guitars is a real challenge. On this, I agree with TAS' stated goal, sound of real instruments in real rooms. But most of what I listen to is jazz, bluegrass, folk, and vocals, which are really not intended to be realistic as a chamber group is. > Now right back atcha, do you have a citation for your assertion that > there are no linear tube amps under $1000? Not handy. But look at any Stereophile review, and you'll see lots of roll off at both ends. Folks like tube amps tend to match them with horns or other very efficient speakers. And they tend to not listen to pipe organ works. Look at the real prices for serious tube amps, Conrad Johnson, McIntosh, etc. They are way over a grand. I'm not saying folks can't like, enjoy or prefer the sound of a $1000 Chinese tube amp. They can sound very nice. But they are not linear. > As for Pro Audio, you can throw away your Sweetwater or AMS catalog. > Every serious studio is using tube microphones and preamps. Not > because they distort nice like a guitar amp circuit but because they > sound best. Sorry, don't agree. First, serious studios tend to have SSL or Neve consoles. the first two letters in SSL stands for Solid State. Neve channels are discrete transistors. Tube mics, like the Neumann M50, M49, etc. are colored. They sound "best" for some tracks, but they are not accurate. There is no standard studio setup, the engineer and producer decide what they want it to sound like. The most popular serious mic is probably the Neumann U87, which is not a tube mic. Actually, a lot of recording is done with dymanic and ribbon mics, in addition to all the small and large diameter condenser mics. A huge number of tracks are recorded using Shure SM57 mics, which cost $80 retail. They are not advertised and have no sex appeal for the "pro audio" folks, but they actually are widely used. Nearly every photo of a talk radio host shows him/her with a EV RE20 mic. Dymanic, costs about $600. You have to think that Rush and others can afford anything they want. They don't use tubed mics. It is very dangerous to make broad statements such as "Every serious studio is using tube microphones and preamps." First, I know it is not true in every professional studio that I've been in, so counter examples are trivial and disprove your claim. Second, it would be impossible to prove as you state it. You'd have to visit every studio. Not going to happen. Its a logic fallacy waiting to be crushed. > Back to the Transporter mod issue, though, I won't be modding mine any > time soon because I am happy with the sound. Going through my tube > rig. Which as I stated way up thread, makes more sense to me. You can use your tube amp/pre, and keep the Transporter intact. If you decide you don't like the Transporter, or need the Transporter 3, it will have a much higher resale value if it hasn't been modified. But its a personal decision, forum opinions can't help such a decision. I'd rather have 200 more CDs. _______________________________________________ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
