ThomOfYorke
Journeyman
- Joined
- Jun 18, 2024
- Messages
- 71
Hey everyone,
So I'm a big fan of tubes, but admittedly I know next to nothing about the actual workings of the technology. I just happen to really enjoy their sound and think they look very cool. (I'm a novice and am learning about the basics of circuits right now.) Last night, I was listening to my PrimaLuna EVO 400 integrated (75wpc) in ultralinear mode. I hooked it up to my SHL5+XD's and my dual REL T7x subs.
I keep logs of the level, phase, and crossover settings for each of the L/R subs for each speaker/amp/sub combination, so I don't have to re-tune them every time I switch things up. And I noticed that, surprisingly (or not surprisingly?), when pairing them with my SHL5+XDs, the level was actually a bit higher than it is when paired with my P3ESRXD's (which are much smaller) running through my Octave Audio V70SE w/ Black Box. The crossover is a bit lower, since the SHL5+XD's reach lower, but to get the same level of slam from the PrimaLuna and SHL5+XD's, I needed to crank the subs a bit more.
Then I realized this is probably more due to the difference in amplifier. The subs are active and so have their own amplifiers, but I figured maybe the output of the PrimaLuna is just softer on the low-end than my V70SE, even when the former is in ultralinear mode, which is supposed to have more frequency extension.
Could the softer bass be due to the tubes that I've got running in the PrimaLuna? It's running EL34's whereas my Octave is running KT120's (and has a supplemental power bank (the Black Box)). The Octave V70SE is also regarded as a very 'solid state-sounding' tube amp. I've read a lot of threads about how different tubes affect the sound signature, but I'd never really heard it before now, if the tube difference is likely to be the explanation here.
Are EL34's softer in the bass than KT120's?
Side note: The PrimaLuna has superb midrange and guitar-centric music (Hendrix, White Stripes, Zeppelin, etc.) just sounds so good with that amp. Bass-heavy music sounds pretty good, but it doesn't sound as tight as it does with the Octave. The Octave low-end hits you in the chest.
Thanks all!
So I'm a big fan of tubes, but admittedly I know next to nothing about the actual workings of the technology. I just happen to really enjoy their sound and think they look very cool. (I'm a novice and am learning about the basics of circuits right now.) Last night, I was listening to my PrimaLuna EVO 400 integrated (75wpc) in ultralinear mode. I hooked it up to my SHL5+XD's and my dual REL T7x subs.
I keep logs of the level, phase, and crossover settings for each of the L/R subs for each speaker/amp/sub combination, so I don't have to re-tune them every time I switch things up. And I noticed that, surprisingly (or not surprisingly?), when pairing them with my SHL5+XDs, the level was actually a bit higher than it is when paired with my P3ESRXD's (which are much smaller) running through my Octave Audio V70SE w/ Black Box. The crossover is a bit lower, since the SHL5+XD's reach lower, but to get the same level of slam from the PrimaLuna and SHL5+XD's, I needed to crank the subs a bit more.
Then I realized this is probably more due to the difference in amplifier. The subs are active and so have their own amplifiers, but I figured maybe the output of the PrimaLuna is just softer on the low-end than my V70SE, even when the former is in ultralinear mode, which is supposed to have more frequency extension.
Could the softer bass be due to the tubes that I've got running in the PrimaLuna? It's running EL34's whereas my Octave is running KT120's (and has a supplemental power bank (the Black Box)). The Octave V70SE is also regarded as a very 'solid state-sounding' tube amp. I've read a lot of threads about how different tubes affect the sound signature, but I'd never really heard it before now, if the tube difference is likely to be the explanation here.
Are EL34's softer in the bass than KT120's?
Side note: The PrimaLuna has superb midrange and guitar-centric music (Hendrix, White Stripes, Zeppelin, etc.) just sounds so good with that amp. Bass-heavy music sounds pretty good, but it doesn't sound as tight as it does with the Octave. The Octave low-end hits you in the chest.
Thanks all!
Last edited: