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Hybrid vs. Straight Tubes

I am serioulsy considering the purchase of a Jolida Hybrid Amplifier, most likely an integrated amp (tube-pre section with solid state power). The amp will be used to drive my Monitor Audio RS6s.

I am after tube sound and coloration.

The advantage of the hybrid amp is the added power at a reasonable cost.

My question is, will I be trading off the tube qualities for added power? And, is the added power even needed to drive my speakers?

Which would be preferable a 40 watt tube amp, or a 100 watt hybrid?

PS: For more details regarding my system, please see my post in virtual systems.

Thanks!
nick_sr
stanwal's avatar
stanwal
3,147 posts
 
The really expensive part of a tube amp is the output stage, if you use tubes in driver stage and mosfet output stage you can get a lot of the tube sound. I used an amp like this at one time and it worked well.
tvad
9,467 posts
 
07-25-09: Tpreaves
You will not hear real tube sound from a hybrid.

You won't hear a colored tube sound, IMO.

In general, I agree with Newbee when he said:
07-25-09: Newbee
I think the real 'sound' of tubes is found in the amp output not in a couple of tube drivers in front of a SS output.

However, I heard a significant change in the Moscode 401HR hybrid amplifier by changing non-output, nine-pin tubes.
mechans
2,999 posts
 
If yoo really want to find out why tubes have a very dedicate bunch of fanatics. To hear what makes a tube amp really magical, it is imperative that you have an all tube power output stage . Not a shadow of doubt period about it.
plato
1,543 posts
 
TVAD writes:

"However, I heard a significant change in the Moscode 401HR hybrid amplifier by changing non-output, nine-pin tubes."

The same can be said for changing the input tubes in tube amps as well. Changing cables will change the sound too, so I'm not really sure what the point of that statement is.

But I do know that I used to use tube/MOSFET hybrid amps and now I'm back to all tube designs. This is not to say that I'm not open to trying other designs in the future.
tvad
9,467 posts
 
...so I'm not really sure what the point of that statement is.
Plato (Threads | Answers)

The point of the statement was to offer another perspective on Newbee's comment, wherein he wrote, "I think the real 'sound' of tubes is found in the amp output not in a couple of tube drivers in front of a SS output."

I found with the Moscode 401HR hybrid amplifier that changing the driver and input tubes made a difference, which some listeners might consider being close to "the real sound of tubes", as Newbee put it. In fact, I heard more significant changes when rolling the Moscode's driver and input tubes than I have when changing driver or input tubes in a premium 100% tube amp I have owned (VAC Phi 110/110). IMO, the VAC was fairly impervious to tube rolling, which I always considered a sign of design excellence.

There are many ways to approach amplification. Each topology has its winners and losers. There is no definitive winner that will satisfy every listener and every system, no matter how emphatically the case is made.

I hope that helps makes my point clearer.
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