Tube vs transistor: Which is better?<\/p>\n
Gatot Susetyo, Contributor, Jakarta<\/p>\n
What do you expect from a high-end stereo music system? Of
\ncourse high quality sound, just as when you listen to a live
\nmusical performance, where the sound of bass, treble and vocal
\nare so clean and transparent.<\/p>\n
That kind of high quality sound can be produced by either a
\nvacuum tube or transistor amplifier. Both can give listeners an
\nauthentic illusion of reality, but the question is which is
\nbetter?.<\/p>\n
According to audiophile stereo lovers, a vacuum tube can
\nproduce cleaner and more transparent sound than a transistor.
\nWith a tube, the details of the sound such as bass, treble and
\nvocal are so transparent, whereas transistors often produce a lot
\nof buzzing.<\/p>\n
\"Tube amplifiers produce more low-octave bass while transistor
\namp mostly emphasizes on sibilants and cymbals especially when
\nplayed at a low level,\" says Chandra Wijaya, an audiophile who
\nlives in Surabaya.<\/p>\n
\"Transistor sound seems to be 'restricted' as if it is put
\nunder a blanket, whereas the sound from the tube amp seems to
\njump out of the speaker at you,\" says Steven Adi, an audiophile
\nin Jakarta. Adi said that the transistor amp had highs and lows
\nbut there was no \"punch\" to the sound.<\/p>\n
There are a lot of vacuum tube brands in the market at present
\nalthough many vacuum tube producers in Europe, China and Russia
\nhave stopped production.<\/p>\n
NOS (New Old Stock) is a big force in the tube market at
\npresent as many older, unused tubes taken from warehouses of the
\nclosed down factories such as WE300B and WE91ASE brands are still
\navailable in the market. Their quality is as good as those
\nproduced by Mullards, Siemens and Philips.<\/p>\n
Of course, both technologies have their own uniqueness. Many
\nstereo lovers in Indonesia still prefer transistors to tubes.
\nTubes may produce a better sound, but unfortunately they consume
\na lot of energy. Tubes also requires better maintenance.<\/p>\n
Defining the difference of both technologies is, however, a
\ncomplex problem. And don't forget that a tube or transistor is an
\nelement in an audio system, and the best sounding system is one
\nwhere each of the components in the entire system are well-
\nmatched to work together synergistically in a well-balanced
\nsystem.<\/p>\n
In particular, we believe that the matching of the amplifiers
\nwith the loudspeakers is the most critical link to a musically
\nsatisfying system.<\/p>\n
And finally, the perception of the quality of sound depends on
\nthe discernment of our ears.<\/p>",
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