Going retro, that’s been a trend in guitar amps for a few years. Small, all-tube amps that capture the vintage mojo. For example, take a look at the new Peavey Valveking Royal 8…
The thing is though, you got to sell retro to the kids and that requires some slick wordsmithing…
Perfect for rehearsing, the Royal 8 combo amp features the simple interface of a single tone control, dual inputs, and master volume and gain controls that can be adjusted for either class A “breakup” power amp tones achieved by reducing the gain and increasing the master volume, or preamp distortion, which you can access by reducing the master volume and cranking the gain.
“simple interface”… now, that tickles me!
Take a look at the “interface” on this old Gibson…
OK, we’ve seen tube amps for iPods. How about a tube headphone amp. From Cary Audio Design…
Cary Audio Design is thrilled to introduce the most recent addition to its storied history of superb vacuum-tube audio technologies, the Xciter integrated amplifier.
This innovative integrated power amplifier was conceived to be a small desktop integrated unit, and designed to please the discerning headphone fanatic and the high-end audiophile alike. In the Cary tradition, it features a gorgeous cabinet, and has a subtle touch of translucent blue LED back lighting to complement the natural beauty of the vacuum tubes.
Although it may be small in physical size, it is imbued with the full spirit of Cary Audio. Its five watts per channel in class A triode mode plays much bigger than one might expect, and its sublime musicality is just what you would expect from Cary Audio.
A 5 watter; that should be more than enough for headphones. But, dig this; this baby has two 12AX7A input gain stage/driver stage tubes and four 6L6GC output tubes. Four 6L6s! That’s some beef there.
How are you ever going to get that to saturate? heh, heh….
This is all still very odd to me.
OK, you know I’ve been in to tube amps forever. You also know that I’m hopelessly out of the loop so this might be something everybody knows about already but I just heard about it and I’m scratching my head.
Tube amps for iPods.
Yep. that’s right tube amps for iPods.
Here is the iTube ValveDock at $498.00.
The entry-level Fatman product for use with iPod and any other audio device (e.g. CD). Utilising a hybrid-tube design platform, the iTube provides superb audio reproduction and attractive design at an affordable price. The performance of the amplifier and dock has been scrutinised by the world’s press and they have awarded it the best accolades possible. The dock allows any iPod to be used (except Shuffle) and this also comes with a full-function 27 key remote control (not just marketing speak) for a limited transport and menu control, but complete control over all iPod functionality. As one major h-fi magazine in the UK said, the iTube valve dock is a gloriously effective juxtaposition of old and new technologies… …keep it up Fatman!.
Evidently that is the industry standard as I found out when I saw a review of the new Logic3 iPod dock at AV Review.
Logic3 claims the hybrid vacuum tube amp balances the sound of MP3 files, eliminating the majority of noise distortion to deliver a ‘warm, harmonic’ soundstage that reaches up to 80W RMS total output.
Dual audio inputs allow users to hook up TV, DVD player, CD player and decks, while on the front sit output selection and volume controls. Everything else is controlled via the remote.
Extremely reminiscent of FatMan’s excellent and award-winning iTube valve amps, we can only hope it performs as well when it launches in December, priced at £300.
“Balances the sound of MP3 files”. I don’t know quite how that works but I’m glad they stuck the word “warm” in there because no discussion of tube amps should go without it.
Does this make any sense?
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