SS Amp Performance Characteristics

[Audiohertz2]

I played the MF A3cr again. Then plugged in the Blade KT88 PP. Very different. One very SS sounding, the other very tube sounding.
The MF does things different. Take vocals for instance. The low distortion of the MF allows one to hear individual singers among a group of singers. The background singers come out more. The vocals are a little forward in the recording. Not in space. They are accentuated.
With the tube and the distortion, the background vocals are a little harder to distinguish, but they are definitely there. The purity and realness of the singer is much higher with the Blade. The voice is much more like a human voice. It is less forward and prominent in the recording.

Piano is the real tell. Both present piano clean and clear. The MF more clear and again, more forward. The MF has good weight with the piano.
The Blade presents piano plenty clean and clear. The Blade is much more natural and true to the sound of a piano. But it has less weight. Its not as fleshed out in the lower octaves.

I don't sense any difference in decay in either. I do find the MF to be very dynamic. It has punch and jump. The Blade is dynamic, but not quite as much. its more fluid. The MF place more emphasis on parts. It brings things like vocals or piano or a horn to the front and accentuates it. It is dynamically present. The Blade keeps the vocals or piano or a horn more in the whole of the music. It does not highlight any one part as much.

The MF has much more gain.
I can see why people say they like the MF. As long as you don't push it too far, its a easy to digest, enjoyable playback. It does what I expect a SS amp to do.

I don't remember the Dartzeel that well. What I do remember I would say is that is did not bring any one part as forward as the MF, and it did not have a much sense of dynamics. It flowed more with everything pretty balanced. It was more refined.
There is nothing wrong with the amp I have functionally. Its just very different than the Blade KT88 PP. Neither amp is perfect. Oddly, I think what I am experiencing is exactly what a friend of mine was saying about the AR Ref tube amps and the Parasound Halo Monoblocks. Both have their strengths. I would love my Blade to have a more midbass weight. More flesh on a lower piano register note. I would love the MF to have a less forward presentation and to have a more natural and real sound. More accurate voices and piano.

Sounds like the MF is the better amp to me , if ur speakers are adjustable and you did so to get where you are now you may want to play with that.

As to image , invert speaker polarity , this phase change may make a difference on image presented when playing on the MF…

 

[Kingrex]

Sounds like the MF is the better amp to me , if ur speakers are adjustable and you did so to get where you are now you may want to play with that.

As to image , invert speaker polarity , this phase change may make a difference on image presented when playing on the MF…

I don't really like vocals that are in my face and don't sound natural or real. The only thing I like about the MF is the weight in the midbass. Otherwise the Blade is a far better amp.

 

[andromedaaudio]

And $100k in cables?

Just bought 2 pairs of 6 meters XLR cables for the show to connect 2 tapemachines.
Roland black series .
96 euros in total.
Call me cheap lol

 

[Audiohertz2]

I don't really like vocals that are in my face and don't sound natural or real. The only thing I like about the MF is the weight in the midbass. Otherwise the Blade is a far better amp.

Not based on your description of being better , toob , muddy image , less detail less attack says SS superior , you just prefer the toob sound..!

Invert the phase and report image should move back ..!

BTW one of the amps are inverting , guess which …!

 

[microstrip]

Why do you think his setup sounded poor and yours good?

I had an enormous sound scale with power, filling the whole room with music with good dynamics. In his room we felt the speakers sounded like small monitors.

 

[morricab]

I had an enormous sound scale with power, filling the whole room with music with good dynamics. In his room we felt the speakers sounded like small monitors.

Ok, why do you think that was the case??

 

[microstrip]

Ok, why do you think that was the case??

Very different room acoustics.

BTW, I had similar experiences with Sonus Faber Extrema's.

At that time I did not know about detailed RTA analysis and waterfall spectra - I am sure it can help understand such behavior.

 

[morricab]

Very different room acoustics.

BTW, I had similar experiences with Sonus Faber Extrema's.

At that time I did not know about detailed RTA analysis and waterfall spectra - I am sure it can help understand such behavior.

In which sense? Shape of the room, size, building materials, furnishings, etc.?

 

[microstrip]

In which sense? Shape of the room, size, building materials, furnishings, etc.?

Yes, almost every thing was different, even building materials. And I know from experience they can make a nigh and day difference.

 

[Porsche]

whatever floats your boat but the best SS over tubes anyday

 

[Kingrex]

Not based on your description of being better , toob , muddy image , less detail less attack says SS superior , you just prefer the toob sound..!

Invert the phase and report image should move back ..!

BTW one of the amps are inverting , guess which …!

Your saying you like a very detailed sound that has attact that puts it, in your face. And its all in a way that is not very realistic to actual instruments. No one would ever say that is a high quality stereo. They would say its a pleasant to some stereo. I am absolutely certain with additional tuning I can clean up the detail and some of the bass weight on the Blade amp. You will never get the MF to sound more realistic. You could tame the attack and forward vocals to bring them back into the body of the music.
You are 100% correct. I like the sound of tubes. Many others like the sound of SS. Pick what you like and work with it.
If you heard it in my room, and were honest with yourself, you would say the Blade tube amp is far superior at recreating music that sounds like human voices and a real piano. You would never say that of the MF. You would say it has more weight and emphasizes vocal. But it does not say the MF has a true to a human vocal or piano in the room sound.

For any stereo to be considered, World Class, it has to sound natural and real to voices and piano, as well as other instruments. Like I said earlier, the tube amp really shines with Aerosmith. The MF fell apart.

 

[Audiohertz2]

I never said any such thing mate , that was your description and your analysis i responded to, the important response is the MF is way more accurate, but in your face ..

So you prefer laid back, less details because the image is not in your face ..

Thats an easy fix i already told you how , next you can take all the excessive toe in you have to run to get details out of the toob amp .

Start with comparing both amps on the same absolute phase so invert the MF , next play with speaker toe and distance from rear wall , closer with the dipole projects forward further away image goes back towards plane ..


Its not difficult … ,

Enjoy

 

[morricab]

I never said any such thing mate , that was your description and your analysis i responded to, the important response is the MF is way more accurate, but in your face ..

So you prefer laid back, less details because the image is not in your face ..

Thats an easy fix i already told you how , next you can take all the excessive toe in you have to run to get details out of the toob amp .

Start with comparing both amps on the same absolute phase so invert the MF , next play with speaker toe and distance from rear wall , closer with the dipole projects forward further away image goes back towards plane ..


Its not difficult … ,

Enjoy

How do you know the MF inverts polarity?

 

[Audiohertz2]

I said one of his amps is inverting , to confirm reverse the MF and compare again. He is switching between the amps with no effort to optimize between the two ..!

 

[morricab]

I said one of his amps is inverting , to confirm reverse the MF and compare again. He is switching between the amps with no effort to optimize between the two ..!

Get a grip…he prefers a more natural sounding amp and you would like him to prefer a more technical sounding amp…it’s normal for people who actually want to enjoy music that sounds like music and not a 1980s Casio keyboard .

 

[Kingrex]

Its not that bad. Its more a Roland Electric Piano!!!!!!

I am not at all interested in spending time tuning the MF. That is not why I bought it. It will work to help tune the room. Understand what my amp is and isn't doing. And give feeback on the battery/Inverter. Its a good $700 tool. It does sound pretty radically different than my tube amp. Enough so I though it was broken. I don't believe it has any operational issues at this time.

I did play it more last night. I became more aware the bass on the MF has a little Poof to it. Not a lot. But you don't hear the pluck of a bass string like you do with my tube amp. That is something the maker of my amp said to me. There are often trade offs when designing audio equipment. As you add something somewhere, it can take away in other places.

No one is going to convince me this amp will overcome that sort of shortcoming. I am fully confident many well regarded SS amps do get that sort of detail correct.

The MF is a great amp for a second system in a living room. Its easy to listen too. Its warm. If I spent time setting it up with a decent bookshelf speaker and a Hifi Rose acting as the streamer and volume control, I would have a good stereo for under $7k. I might do as such. I might also sell it to Audioertz since he likes it so much and get a all in one NAD. Less clutter.

 

[Al M.]

I did play it more last night. I became more aware the bass on the MF has a little Poof to it. Not a lot. But you don't hear the pluck of a bass string like you do with my tube amp. That is something the maker of my amp said to me. There are often trade offs when designing audio equipment. As you add something somewhere, it can take away in other places.

Yes, if you cut the bass you hear the plucking on the strings more. That's a normal consequence of less bass.

On a real double bass you don't hear that much of a plucking sound, unless it's forceful.

 

[morricab]

Yes, if you cut the bass you hear the plucking on the strings more. That's a normal consequence of less bass.

On a real double bass you don't hear that much of a plucking sound, unless it's forceful.

Depends mostly on how it’s recorded. I have plenty of deep and mid bass and get lots of pluck…on certain recordings.

 

[Audiohertz2]

Get a grip…he prefers a more natural sounding amp and you would like him to prefer a more technical sounding amp…it’s normal for people who actually want to enjoy music that sounds like music and not a 1980s Casio keyboard .

Apology for speaking over your head again …!

 

[Audiohertz2]

Its not that bad. Its more a Roland Electric Piano!!!!!!

I am not at all interested in spending time tuning the MF. That is not why I bought it. It will work to help tune the room. Understand what my amp is and isn't doing. And give feeback on the battery/Inverter. Its a good $700 tool. It does sound pretty radically different than my tube amp. Enough so I though it was broken. I don't believe it has any operational issues at this time.

I did play it more last night. I became more aware the bass on the MF has a little Poof to it. Not a lot. But you don't hear the pluck of a bass string like you do with my tube amp. That is something the maker of my amp said to me. There are often trade offs when designing audio equipment. As you add something somewhere, it can take away in other places.

No one is going to convince me this amp will overcome that sort of shortcoming. I am fully confident many well regarded SS amps do get that sort of detail correct.

The MF is a great amp for a second system in a living room. Its easy to listen too. Its warm. If I spent time setting it up with a decent bookshelf speaker and a Hifi Rose acting as the streamer and volume control, I would have a good stereo for under $7k. I might do as such. I might also sell it to Audioertz since he likes it so much and get a all in one NAD. Less clutter.

Nobody is trying to convince you of anything and I'm not into pam pam amps which both are ….

Morricab does like them thou even on apogees ..