HiFi iTube iPod amps
By Barb Dybwad 
posted Mar 17th 2005 8:30AM
posted Mar 17th 2005 8:30AM
Sprinkle your digital with a taste of analog: PsiberAudio will be offering a HiFi iTube tube amplification system
for the little white buggers we know and love. These "Retro-Classics" output at 15 watts and are 100% hand-wired with
Teflon coated silver wire and full star grounding. Pricing nor availability have been announced for any of the three
amps in the line, so we hereby pass this non-information on to you. Is it just us, or does that photo scream "twin
coffee makers" more than it screams "tube amps"?
[Thanks, Jose!]
there are a lot of really cool looking retrofuturistic gattacaesque tube amps out there that would (in my opinion) compliment an ipod better than these. these just happen to be white and have an ipod shown with them. ooo.
they didn't even make the ipod dock integrated into the amp to at least *pretend* they did something more than just paint an amp white.
Hmmm... Guess I don't really understand why you'd pay lots of money to amplify a lifeless, overcompressed digital recording. But hey, whatever works for you.
There is a more beautiful product f?Pod/Tube afficionados at http://www.goldster-audio.com/. Have a look, or better lend an ear!
I'm with Frank, a 128kbs file from iTunes doesnt need freaking tube amps.
i just can't see an audiophile using this with an ipod at all. the ipod niche has more to do with convenience and portability than it does with sound quality-- at least to the degree where using a tube amp would make a difference.
"Guess I don't really understand why you'd pay lots of money to amplify a lifeless, overcompressed digital recording. "
Never heard of lossless encoding, I guess?
The iPod supports it. On a 60GB iPod, you could fit around 180 CD's encoded losslessly.
The obvious question is why would a company offer an audiophile product to a market that audiophiles abhor? It isn't that most iPod users compress their music. Lossless or Lossy, the music on an iPod is digital. An audiophile wants nothing to do with digital music because it is lifeless, sterile, distorted, whatever.
You can tell from my reply I think it is all in their heads (and not their ears) but that's something for another post.
"The iPod supports it. On a 60GB iPod, you could fit around 180 CD's encoded losslessly."
I still don't think anyone is going to claim the audio circuitry in the iPod is audiophile quality.
This system will be used purely for show. Anyone who appreciates music enough to buy this kind of amp probably has a nice setup at home already.
I just thought I would point out there is a typo on the second last line.
"Pricing nor availability ..."
totally agree with #6.
if audio quality is so important, can't see why youd play through an ipod as opposed to a cd or vinyl
Well, Justin, I don't bring my LP player to work with me. I do bring my iPod though...
sure JK, bring those tubes to work too, uh huh.
I don't really like iPods but that is way cool.
it's stupid. the iPoo has no digital out, only line out, so the megabucks tube amp will use the iPoo's wimpy digital-analog converter. LOL. morons. if they would care about sound quality instead of pimping they would make a digital preamp + tube amp for daps with digital out like the iRiver 120/140.
"Wow, my 128k MP3's really *DO* sound sh!tty. That's odd, they sound great on my earbuds..."
I can call myself audiophile I guess. However, I don't own LP player (I used to), but I do own SACD and DVD-A. I also own 60GB iPod where 80% of music is uncompressed. It is shame that iPod has no digital out, but it sounds good enough. You know, audiophiles do not lug around their primary systems and they actually listen to music in cars, planes and in offices. Tube amps have distinct sound and actually make low end DACs sound better. I sit in a separate office with a door and small tube amp seems to be interesting. I DO have small tube headphone amp in the office, but I am not a big fan of headphones. However, I seriously recommend upgrading standard iPod buds to something better. Sennheiser foldable phones such as PXC250 sound way better - try them. As for iPod sound quality, as a matter of fact Stereophile graded it pretty good and reviewers often mention that they do try their iPods (horrors - audiophile press reviewers own iPods !!!) with megabuck equipment they are writing about.
Stereophile gave the iPod a very good review for lossless encoded music. It IS an audiophile grade device!
Note that these amps look very much like the Chinese Manufactured MG-HEAD models, now imported by Antique Sound Labs... Psiberaudio site has a Singapore registry too.
-Pie
Interesting that we have finally found out that the iPod really is a quality sound source and that the tube amps can be useful. From my view the thing that worries me are those exposed tubes, which can be hazardous: heat, breaking and electrical shock. They would look great with a perforated metal cage around them.