[vlad335]

Check the review.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OA9bluZ6kMU

Little Bear. I bought this amp for $70 because of the review above. OK, plenty of limitations with the implementation of this thing but The Tube Sound... It's in there!

I have been a musician for 30 years and I know the warm and gooey tube sound. Listening with my Galaxy Note4 and using Poweramp.  KEF 200 in ears and Hifiman 400's and the sound is sublime. Sure, not the last word in detail or resolution but I can listen to this simple setup for hours. Fat driving bass that mimics a live band perfectly!

[ohenry]

It may be cool, but the stupid background art in YT made me cringe before I could continue.  How stupid can a dork be?

[vlad335]

Really?

"stupid background art in YT"

[Letitroll98]

I didn't see any wacko background art, but I couldn't listen to the guy more than 30 seconds.  Let me emphasise that has nothing to do with vlad's review of the product, he perfectly detailed what he listens for and how the product meets that.  For the price I can't see not trying it if in the market, definitely Cheap & Cheerful.

[vlad335]

I didn't see any wacko background art, but I couldn't listen to the guy more than 30 seconds.  Let me emphasise that has nothing to do with vlad's review of the product, he perfectly detailed what he listens for and how the product meets that.  For the price I can't see not trying it if in the market, definitely Cheap & Cheerful.

Yeah, I get it. Personally I don't care for the guys style so much but he does REAL WORLD reviews. Published and Pro reviews are useless now IMO. I check him out and used to love Noaudiophile but his reviews are few and far between these days.

I do not know how long this amp will last but I am still loving it. (First one I received was defective and ordered another immediately.) Great buy IMO for $70.

[wushuliu]

But aren't those the ones that are really using opamps? I don't think the tubes do much of anything...

...The tubes are not pre-amplifiers or final amplifiers at all, just configured as a voltage follower, meaning a gain of less than one and augment the signal very little if at all...any other tubes won't help because it is not working as an amp. and not being driven hard enough to pick up the richness of tube harmonics. All the work and drive is being provided by two small solid state op amp ICs. The big tip off should been obvious when powered by a small 6volt supply.

A couple reviewers on Amazon pointed this out. Doesn't mean it doesn't sound great, but the tube aspect may be misleading.

[vlad335]

But aren't those the ones that are really using opamps? I don't think the tubes do much of anything...

A couple reviewers on Amazon pointed this out. Doesn't mean it doesn't sound great, but the tube aspect may be misleading.

OK. This is disconcerting. I get the technical aspects of the tube voltage and I agree.

However,  I listened to this unit again after reading your post and this is what TUBES SOUND LIKE. Is there some fuckery with EQ inside this unit? Perhaps, but the harshest MP3's on my phone sound silky smooth.
I simply cannot believe the tubes are not imparting something to the sound.

[wushuliu]

OK. This is disconcerting. I get the technical aspects of the tube voltage and I agree.

However,  I listened to this unit again after reading your post and this is what TUBES SOUND LIKE. Is there some fuckery with EQ inside this unit? Perhaps, but the harshest MP3's on my phone sound silky smooth.
I simply cannot believe the tubes are not imparting something to the sound.

Based on what I’ve read it sounds like the tubes are used just for adding the second harmonic distortion so thats what you are hearing. so the tubes ate the eq.