tube amp w/iPod?

[Walker Lexus]

does anyone have experience using iPod with a tube amp? My dad had an old tube amplifier (long gone) and swears that the newer stuff isn't the same.

I've found mixed opinion in my limited research, but some say the old technology can bring out the best sound from my ipod. I'd appreciate your opinion or recommendation, if you know anything more about this.

[3DJ]

HI, I'm sure you found this out in your research, but many high end companies offer Tubes in their pre amp or amps to help take the "edge" off of digital. Look at McIntosh, they do it really well. There are headphone tube amps out there that I have heard in the past and they sound great. Anyway, there are advantages and disadvantages to both Tube vs Solid State.

Tubes in general have what is described as an open and airy sound, at the expense of power and often low end, Solid State, specifically a Class A amp design will mimic this quite well (Look at Classe, high end amps that operate in class A at low wattage and AB at high volumes) Solid State will have better low end but more harsh in the highs than tubes. These are all the generalizations that are usually made between all of this, so it is open to debate and has been for years.

-Jim

[n3tfury]

hopefully you have speakers that are capable if you're going to go the tube route. no sense in having sub par speakers if you have a good tube amp. also, make sure you're using lossless and not lossy as your source files.