Resource on tube amplifiers (headphone)

[ShutterX]

I am planning to buy a tube amplifier. it will be used with my recently acquired Audio Technica AD700x. I am looking for the warm sound that eases out harsh highs and smoothens bass.

The issue is that I dont know anything about Tube amps. How much difference do different tubes make to the sound?

I have shortlisted 2 models (low budget).

Little Dot 1+

Little Bear P8

Does anyone have any of these Amps? Please share your experiences.

Cheers

 

[ShutterX]

I cannot find any real guide to tubes and how different tubes sound. All articles that my Google searches led to are too technical for me. Its like they are for people who are already into this kind of stuff.

 

[bose]

Why not find people with tube amplifiers and ask them if you can hear their stuff.

 

[dheerajin]

Pathos logos amp is up for sale in forum...and you will love the investment you made...even i have pathos twin tower anniversary addition...and pathos are never bad...

 

[Fantastic]

warm sound that eases out harsh highs and smoothens bass............

Yes you are right, you haven't heard many tube amps !

Warm sound is when there is high levels of second harmonic distortion and or HF roll off ! Harsh highs is when you have plenty of higher order harmonic distortion or even clipping ( which should not normally happen at listening levels).

Between a really good tube amp and a solid state amp there should not be any difference in sound ! When their shortcomings come into play they start sounding different. Bass must always be well defined. You should hear the transient associated with the bass ( plucking of the string or strike of the drum etc). Organ type bass is different of course.

If your amp is transparent sounding ( doesn't add it's own sound .....ideal case) then it will not make your sound 'warm'. It will sound the way the recording was made . If you want it 'warm' sounding then pick a tube amp that distorts enough to make it sound 'warm'. Not all tube amps sound 'warm'.

As Bose says, go and listen to tubes and ss systems and decide what you want to do. Unfortunately all amps don't always sound the same so you might have to listen to 'what you want to buy' .