Today we have a unique product on our plate. The first ever consumer motherboard with a vacuum tube as a part of its onboard audio subsystem. This is not only an industry first, its one of the many industry firsts introduced by AOpen.
The AX4B-533 Tube is what AOpen terms as the fusion of current day P4 technology, with the century old Vacuum Tube, to create the worlds first true motherboard to claim more lifelike reproduction of music and gaming audio.
At the time of writing this article, the AX4B-533 Tube is no longer cutting edge because it uses the older Intel 845E chipset, but its still state of the art, as far as were concerned, because of the beautiful Vacuum Tube. Thus we head onwards with our tests and our discussion of just what the AX4B-533 Tube brings to the table.
Why a Vacuum Tube
Almost anyone is an audio enthusiast at some level, and a fair number of audio enthusiasts are well aware of the legendary audio quality attributed to Vacuum Tube amplifiers. Some chalk it up to nostalgic silliness on the part of audiophiles clinging to old technologies, and fearing improvement. And others swear by the richness, the depth, and the purity of audio from Tube amplifiers.
AOpens AX4B-533 Tube manual includes a very serious preamble which includes the reasons why they decided to create this P4 - Vacuum Tube fusion, as well as a detailed description of how they addressed various issues surrounding such a fusion design.
So really, why a Vacuum Tube? Aside from looking mighty cool, AOpen and many audiophiles believe that music is
well more musical, more breathtaking, and more soulful. Yes, the harmonic distortion is higher with a Tube system then with a solid state amplifier, but many many people will pick the higher distortion Tube amplifier because they feel the music just sounds BETTER.
In AOPens own words: We love what we hear regardless of harmonic distortion as well as the limited frequency response compared to a solid state device.
P4 - Vacuum Tube Fusion
I thought I would give you some information about AOpens vacuum tube, to curb the curious audiophiles and hardcore enthusiasts alike. AOpen didnt just go and stuff a tube onto the motherboard and push it out the door, they wanted something that would stand up to some scrutiny.
In fact, they think theyve succeeded in making the the AX4B a pretty good product:
Yes, the AX4B-533 Tube is not quite a true Stereophile C-class recommended group of components. Yet, given its original fusion idea and meticulous journey to fruition, we believe it is Class-A for certain.
AOpens meticulous journey to bring this fusion to fruition involved carefully choosing components. They use a 24K plated ceramic 9 pin socket for the tube, Cardas Audi cable, Vishay resistors, and a Maxim 668 DC-DC power supply for the tube.
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