Do you know if hybrid amps last longer? Have they typically produced better sound when compared to other amps? It seems like buying a hybrid would be the way to go as you'd get the best of both worlds.
Rusty Messages: 1188 Registered: May 2018 Location: Kansas City Missouri
Illuminati (3rd Degree)
I'd say, no and no. Great designs can be had with or without the hybrid approach. Which I think is to make something with the trait's of one format, say, tube impressed upon a solid state design. Reliability is part of any honest designer's forethought. With that foundation, the devil in the details can be expressed with creativity. Van Alstine is suppose to have fine hybrid amplifiers. Don't know if they can be said to be superior in sound and reliability to many other non-hybrid designs though. But I bet they have their follower's that would swear by them.
Strum Drum Messages: 229 Registered: November 2017
Master
I think it's hard for hybrids to actually produce the best of both worlds - rich tube sound with the signal processing and the reliability of a digital amp. Hybrids tend to be cheaper and they aren't terrible or anything. I've used a model by VOX and another by Orange with my guitar. They were both fine, but nothing spectacular.
gofar99 Messages: 1949 Registered: May 2010 Location: Southern Arizona
Illuminati (5th Degree)
Hi, Hybrids can excel in some areas. Where there is the need for a lot of gain and low noise solid state devices do very well. However, how they sound may not be to everyone's liking. If you want a warmer sound, often caused by the presence of even harmonics then tubes will probably sound better to you. A hybrid with a high gain front end feeding tube output circuitry can be very nice. It depends on the design and execution. If all the gear has a cathode follower output (like many of the budget hybrids seem to do) then it is not likely to make any difference.
AudioFred Messages: 377 Registered: May 2009 Location: Houston
Illuminati (1st Degree)
The biggest problem with hybrid amps is the emotional conflict you would feel in deciding whether to post messages in Silicon Valley or in Thermionic Emissions.
AudioFred Messages: 377 Registered: May 2009 Location: Houston
Illuminati (1st Degree)
I do understand McIntosh doesn't make the best amp for the money, but the name McIntosh is in the same league as Harley Davidson and Corvette - an American classic. I really like the looks of this one. No I'm not considering spending this kind of money. https://www.mcintoshlabs.com/products/new-products/MA352
AudioFred Messages: 377 Registered: May 2009 Location: Houston
Illuminati (1st Degree)
It has finally arrived. I said I wouldn't spend so much on any audio component, then I decided to reward myself. It sounds great, but I'm having a terrible case of cognitive dissonance deciding whether to post this in Silicon Valley or the Tubey forum. Tubey or not tubey, that is the question.
Rusty Messages: 1188 Registered: May 2018 Location: Kansas City Missouri
Illuminati (3rd Degree)
Ooo We! That must've been a load getting that on your cabinet. You ended up really treating yourself. So, it looks like a marriage of both a pure tube preamp section to a solid state amplifier? Which with the McIntosh pedigree. You have the best of both. I've used tube preamps with solid state for some years and I'm sold on tube preamps. My experience is they work great with solid state and tube amplification. Whatever works and works well I say. There goes your audio budget now for the next 20 years.
AudioFred Messages: 377 Registered: May 2009 Location: Houston
Illuminati (1st Degree)
I'm thinking if it has a tube preamp section and a ss amp section, I should post here in Silicon Valley. If it's vice versa, I should post in the Thermionic Emissions forum.
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