Tube Amp vs. Solid State – Let’s Start The Debate

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Greetings mate and Welcome aboard. Stuart Charles Here, HomeStudioBasics.com helping YOU make sound decisions leading to a beautiful audio experience that will make you fall in love with music (NOT gear) all over again, so…

I’ve made a lot of amp recommendations here on the blog, but just recently thought about the fact that I don’t really have an article on Tube Amps vs. Solid State Amps.

Today we’ll dive in and see if there are any real differences between them so grab a snack, sit back and relax because…

You’ve come to the right place!!

Introduction

Way back before I started demoing gear, I never knew there was such a thing as a headphone amp.

Nowadays, I wish I could go back to not knowing. xD

If you’re one of my regulars, you likely laughed out loud at that one.

Once I got my feet wet in the audiophile world, I realized what an endless amount of possibilities there are.

I also realize now that I no longer give a crap.

There are so many different types of headphones and amps, that it can become overwhelming at times.

After many years of demoing stuff, I have a pretty good handle on this particular segment of the niche but there’s always more to learn.

Anyway, who cares about all that, right?

Let’s talk.

Solid-State Amps

These are the Amps you’ll come across the majority of the time when first starting out.

They, unlike tubes, use transistors, are driven by current, and can range from portable USB Amp/DAC combos like the DragonFly Red to Bluetooth Amp/DAC combos like the BTR3K, BTR5, and BTR15, to stand-alone Amps like the JDS Labs ATOM, to stand-alone DACS like the Cambridge Audio DAC Magic 100, and so forth.

My very first setup was The Schiit Magni 2 stand-alone amp paired with a Schiit Modi 2 stand-alone DAC.

This required RCA to RCA cables to work, but many DACS and Amps utilize both RCA and line features.

For instance, JDS’ ATOM DAC has RCA outputs, and their ATOM Amp has RCA inputs and a line input.

This makes it possible to connect the amplifier with many different DACS that utilize either/or.

A simple way of illustrating how to hook it up:

Computer/laptop —> DAC —> Amp —> Headphone.

So the DAC uses USB into your PC and also connects to the Amp via RCA or line cables.

Then you’d plug your headphones in and listen to music.

Simple as pie.

The A50s/D50s is an example of a separate amp + separate DAC.

This is a relatively basic way of illustrating it.

If an amp is stand-alone, it needs a digital-to-analog converter so that your brain can make sense of the 1s and 0s that only your computer understands.

• Related: Beginners Guide: What is a USB DAC?

It functions much like an audio interface. The sound is a jumbled mess until it is converted to a signal that we can process.

This signal is meant to be of a much higher quality than your standard built-in DAC that comes with your PC/Laptop, but do note that internal DACs in consumer products have come a long way since I was rocking a Lenovo T510 (awful soundcard) way back when.

Characteristics

Most of the time, Solid-State amplifiers have a low output impedance, are more neutral, and aim to reproduce the music as accurately as possible while aiming for low distortion.

Contrary to what some people may tell you, a Solid-State amp can still be smooth sounding, but not always.

It may actually be a bit sterile and soulless. It just depends on the amp.

One of the main reasons I sold the Magni is because, to me, it sounded overly brash and had a tendency to make headphones sound way too bright and/or sterile.

It’s one of the very few examples of an Amp where I felt like there was a noticeable difference in the way it portrayed what was already there – and not in a good way.

The famous “Schiit Stack”

Solid-State Amps like the original Objective 2, as well as the ATOM, are in my opinion designed better and provide that fast and detailed sound without feeling like you’re at the doctor’s office waiting to get a physical (The horror).

At times you may feel as though you’re in an actual studio space with the artists rather than hearing what they’re playing through headphone drivers.

This is because Solid-State Amps are incredibly revealing, sometimes uncovering even the most subtle and minute details in a track; i.e. the stuff you may actually hear as you’re standing there with the musicians.

Stability

They by contrast are a lot more stable than tube amps but are harder to tweak and modify by the user.

• Related: Ranking Tubes And Tube Hybrids

In other words, Solid-State amps rarely if ever break down, and I speak with experience on that front.

Out of over 70+, I’ve never had one cease to function, and that dates back to 2017 or thereabouts.

Affordability

Solid-State amps also tend to be a lot more affordable and are perfect for enthusiasts just starting, though nowadays you can get your hands on a decent tube amp and not feel like you’re mortgaging away your kidney in the process.

Vacuum Tubes

Vacuum Tubes, in contrast to Solid-State amps, are driven by Voltage via Output Transformers (those large heavy things at the back of your typical tube amp).

If you’ll recall from my What is Headphone Impedance? article, Voltage doesn’t actually represent movement and is static.

In other words, it’s the potential for power or put more simply potential energy.

The xDuoo TA-20 is an example of a tube amp.

A lot of this depends on personal preference, but Tube Amps can certainly provide a different flavor than their Solid-Snake counterparts. Sorry, Solid-STATE counterparts. Forgive me.

For one, they tend to smooth over and warm up the track in question.

This is pretty much unanimous and few people, save for the most elitist of snobs, would argue with you on it.

These are the ones that are less likely to be found in abundance on Amazon.

I’ve seen some, but the vast majority of these babies appear on manufacturer’s websites or some obscure site you may happen to land on in your search.

They are said to be warmer, smoother, and more musical than their solid-state counterparts.

They also,

1. Have Higher distortion than similarly priced solid-state amps.
2. Roll-off at the limits of human hearing frequencies.

Tube amps are basically meant to “color” the sound in a very pleasing way and distortion plays a large role in this.

This characteristic can either be pleasing or not depending on who you are.

For many, tube amps give a nice texture to the music that sounds very rich, warm, full, and smooth.

A tube amp also kind of “rolls off” the higher and lower frequencies, rather than having them just come to a rough stop.

Some modern tube amps are being designed to mimic that of a more neutral, solid-state amp.

I too have experienced this phenomenon as some Tube amps I’ve tried didn’t sound all that much different from a typical Solid-State amp.

This is especially true for Tube Hybrids (a cross between the 2) such as the Bravo Audio Ocean.

I didn’t find it to sound all that much different than a solid-state amp, but I suppose that’s to be expected in some regard.

Rube Tolling

Another interesting thing that many audiophile geeks do is change the tubes on the amp, thus changing the sound to their liking.

The kids nowadays call this “Tube rolling.” Whatever.

This has almost become a hobby in and of itself!

There are tubes out there that supposedly take the amp to a WHOLE NEW LEVEL, breathing new life into old music.

Can you tell my tongue is firmly planted in my cheek?

Build and Practicality

One aspect different from a solid-state amp is that tubes seem to be significantly more fragile – especially the actual glass components.

This may be due to the nature of vacuum tubes and the high voltage that the circuitry uses.

Some people say they are easier to work on, but are less stable and have more frequent problems.

Others claim that they are actually very durable and can last a lifetime given proper care.

It may be the wax capacitors that wear out rather than the other components.

If you were wondering, a capacitor is just a device used to store an electric charge.

The materials used, including the Cathode electron-emitting materials, also seem to be less durable and have been known to break down anywhere from 1-5 years.

At the end of the day, there will always be differing opinions on each.

Tube amps are also typically a lot bulkier than their Solid-State counterparts and tend to take up a lot of space on your desk.

The TA-20 was one such example of that.

It barely fit!

By now you may be asking, where does the sound of tube amps originate?

Well, there are 4 primary locations:

1. The tubes themselves
2. The circuit design
3. Components used
4. Bias settings

To go into further detail, all of these things rely upon each other – so much so that any change in these 4 components will affect the overall sound.

As mentioned earlier, headphone nerds love to change stuff.

The easiest stuff to tinker with here are the tubes and bias. Some will swap out components, but only the super geek will alter the actual design of the amp itself.

The Ocean.

Heat

No not the 1995 movie directed by Michael Mann.

Actual heat.

Another aspect of tubes that may bother you is that they run very hot and generate a lot of waste heat.

For example, even though the Bravo Ocean (pictured earlier) is a hybrid, you could almost fry an egg on it after a few hours. It’s extremely hot to the touch.

I was exaggerating a bit with the egg thing, but I most certainly always turned it off before leaving the apartment as a precautionary measure.

Now that we’ve got some of the main differences out of the way, let’s talk about necessity.

Does your headphone need an amp?

It really depends on the headphones’ impedance and sensitivity.

For instance, the AKG K701 and K702 both have impedance ratings of 62 Ohms, which would indicate you don’t really need an amp until you look at their Sensitivity rating of around 91dB/mW.

This means that both headphones are very inefficient and require quite a bit of power from an Amp to reach an acceptable volume level.

Lower impedance headphones typically have higher sensitivity and are thus more efficient, but the K701/K702 are exceptions here.

Some people simply won’t buy an Amp/DAC even if it is recommended, because they would rather try out the headphones for themselves first. This is a valid stance and I tell it to people often, but in the case of the K701 and 702, absolutely plan on investing in something.

• Read: How to choose a headphone amp!

Some recommendations

Ah, the fun part. I won’t really go into headphones specifically, but I will say that anything with a 250 Ohm rating and above almost requires separate amplification and is mandatory.

Some would argue that a lot of impedance ratings below 250 require one.

A lot of people claim the 300 Ohm Sennheiser HD 600 sounds just fine from a standard headphone jack or portable device!

I don’t agree with that, but I suppose it depends a lot on the headphones themselves, as well as your ears and preferences.

Great Solid-State options

Stand Alone

One of my most recommended neutral Solid-State Amps on this site was the Objective 2 until JDS discontinued it.

Now I’d look to their ATOM for a fantastic entry-level amp that won’t break the bank.

Again keep in mind that these are just amps and need some sort of DAC to pair with.

Amp/DAC Combo

If you want to cut to the chase, FiiO’s K5 Pro or K7 is just about my most recommended all-in-one entry-level combo and will serve you well for a long time!

Great Tube Amps

Bottlehead Crack

It’s an OTL (Output transformerless). 

This one is used a lot with the HD 600 and 650 and I got a chance to demo one at my friend Luke’s house.

It’s great for enthusiasts wanting to get their feet wet with a DIY project and isn’t hard to assemble.

It also does extremely well with a wide variety of headphone models like the Sennheiser HD600!

Tyll Herstens, a really knowledgeable and seemingly great guy had a sweet article on The Marvelously Addictive Bottlehead Crack!

He also goes into listening tests with the Woo Audio WA2.

Taken from this video | Design: HomeStudioBasics

Final Word

If I had to break it down into bullet points:

Solid State

• More neutral, and reproduce the sound accurately.
• Perhaps a little colder, and lifeless to some (only a small majority of Solid-State amps are like this).
• Considerably less expensive than their tube counterparts.

Tube

• Warmer, lusher, more inviting. Colors the sound more. They also have high and low-end roll-off, rather than sudden/harsh dips. Reduces sibilance on headphones like the H800 quite a bit!
• A lot more customization. It’s far less risky to take one of these apart or switch out some components. Tube rolling is the most common way of changing the sound up a bit.
• Some say more fragile, others disagree and claim that with proper care, tube amps can last a lifetime!
• DIY. The Bottlehead Crack is a fully do-it-yourself project, which is perfect for getting your feet wet.

The main takeaway is to try both types for yourself and determine which you enjoy more.

Some people like tube rolling and all the customization that comes with that.

Others just want a clean backdrop for their music.

I suppose I sit somewhere in the middle but lean more towards Solid-Snake.

I mean Solid-State.

Lol.

Well, my friend, that’s about it for today! I hope you’ve enjoyed this article on Tube Amps vs. Solid State Amps and came away with some valuable insight.

Questions? Comments? Requests? Did I miss the mark on something? Please let me know down below or Contact me!!

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Which type of amp would you be more likely to go with, and why? I would love to hear from you. Until next time…

All the best and God bless,

-Stu

[Xtr@Ba$eHitZ]

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