First I want to make it clear I am not a tube fan. To me it is fragile, expensive, old tech, whose day is long past. IMHO, equally good results can be achieved with solid state at a cheaper price.
Pat Farrell;255799 Wrote: > seanadams wrote:[color=blue] > But tube gear does not reproduce what the signal is. > Very, very expensive tube gear can come close, but that is not what > tube gear fans want. They change the sound. > Tube gear can be designed to be as clean as solid state, and solid state gear can be designed to sound like tubes. Tubes are inherently more linear than solid state, so require less negative feedback for the same level of distortion. Negative feedback, while improving distortion, harms transient response. Many audiophiles (I am not one of them) prefer no feedback class A designs - tubes naturally lend themselves to such designs. Pat Farrell;255799 Wrote: > seanadams wrote:[color=blue] > Tubes are cool distortion and noise generators. Tubes are signal > changing devices. There is nothing wrong with liking them. > And solid state isn't? All components change a signal. Many in fact believe (guys like Frank Alstine) that hybrid circuits can be designed giving the best of both worlds. His take is the linearity and higher voltage of valves makes them great for input circuits, while the low output impedance of solid state makes them great for output circuits driving loads. Personally, I believe fully solid state circuits can in practice match valve, or valve hybrid circuits, - but technically he has a point - I just believe it is not worth the effort. Blind listening tests conducted by National Semiconductor showed it was rather difficult, (but probably not impossible), to beat a lm4562. I have no problem with guys attempting it - and yes if something sounds better is a personnel preference. Searching for the ultimate is what led National to develop the lm4562, which in blind listening tests, by all reports, usually does beat the previous workhorse - the 5534. Pat Farrell;255799 Wrote: > seanadams wrote:[color=blue] > Whether or not this is an "improvement" is a personal, subjective > decision. > Sure - but more than a preference for the 'distortion' of valves is the reason, otherwise we all would be listening to ultra low distortion amps with massive amounts of feedback that sucked the life out of music. Thanks Bill -- bhobba ------------------------------------------------------------------------ bhobba's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=14889 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=41756 _______________________________________________ audiophiles mailing list [email protected] http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
