Back to Basics Vintage Amplifiers

                                      Back to Basics Vintage Amplifiers

Tube amplifier refers to the audio amplifier of the electronic tube. Some tubes are used for power amplification, and some are used for polishing or voltage amplification. The tube amplifier has its unique "taste of guts", the sound is warm and durable, the sense of music is good, and the atmosphere is good. Tube amplifier is the oldest and enduring evergreen tree in the audio industry. Its notable advantages are soft, natural and friendly sound, especially a large dynamic range, and a very distinctive sense of hearing.

Before the 1960s, various audio equipment with electronic tube devices dominated the audio field, and power amplifiers were no exception. The late 1960s, and especially the 1970s, were the unluckiest years for tubes. Due to its own shortcomings (large size, high power consumption, etc.), it has gradually become obsolete, especially in China. In the late 1970s, electronic tubes became active again abroad. In the 1980s, tube amplifiers became more and more popular. Especially after the invention of the high-quality sound source CD player, with the advancement of the output transformer technology that restricts the tube amplifier, the tube amplifier can "neutralize" the blunt "digital sound" of the CD player, and the status of the tube amplifier is improving. Coupled with the fact that older enthusiasts have enjoyed its beautiful sound, its comeback was first welcomed by these people. At home and abroad, amplifiers are sometimes even a symbol of status and self-cultivation.

About "Enthusiast"

Enthusiast is a word that describes being "obsessed" with something. This name originated from Hong Kong, and it is the name Hong Kong people gave to the early "audio equipment enthusiasts". Around the 1950s and 1960s, the power amplifiers at that time were mainly tube amplifiers, that is, tube power amplifiers (including tube radios). Tube amplifiers have a big disadvantage, that is, they will generate heat after a long time of booting, and the higher-end machines will generate more heat, which is what Hong Kong people call fever. People who want to keep playing are called enthusiasts. Over time, audiophiles have become a common name for "audio equipment enthusiasts". But later it gradually evolved into a general term for people who have a special interest in certain things. According to the preferences of enthusiasts, they can be roughly divided into QQ enthusiasts, movie enthusiasts, Weibo enthusiasts, electronic enthusiasts, audio enthusiasts, mobile phone enthusiasts, computer enthusiasts, etc.

Why tube amplifier is music "evergreen tree"

Since the electronic tube is a voltage-controlled amplifier, most of its distortion components are even-order distortion, which is just a pure octave in music performance, so even if the harmonic distortion measured by the instrument is relatively large (generally above 2%), listening Not only does it not have a blunt sense of distortion, but it has a gentle, thick, sweet and moving charm like a yellow rose, especially for high-fidelity playback of vocals and musical instruments, suitable for playing idyllic, soothing and elegant classical music and Chinese folk music. Especially in the ethereal, transparent, full, and elegant performances of guzheng and guqin such as "Mountain and Flowing Water", "Fishing Boat Sings Evening", "Hujia Eighteen Beats", "Pingsha Luoyan", etc., there is indeed a kind of otherworldly, spotless, It's even so beautiful that it doesn't eat the fireworks of the world and returns to the basics.