Ron wrote:
You really should know. I repeat....know... hands down....tube
amplifiers are the big winner in seeking esoteric audio reproduction.
McIntosh brings big bucks for a reason. Solid state just can't do what
tubes can. Solid state feels harsh, sounds harsh. Tubes bring reality to
audio reproduction. Warmth...
Any form of reproduction of sound is imperfect to some degree. Sound is
recorded by imperfect microphones, recorded by imperfect devices onto
imperfect media, amplified by amplifiers with some degree of distortion,
played through speakers with bumpy frequency response, and reproduced
in a room which is different from the original studio or live venue. If
you are listening at a lower level than the original (pretty much a
necessity in our crowded world), then even characteristics of the human
ear need to be taken into account.
Some people would like to be able to listen to a recording of a
performance and have it entirely indistinguishable from the experience
of the original performance, although it's impossible to do an A/B
comparison, since by definition the listener isn't in the studio. But if
this is your goal, then various devices along the way must introduce the
least possible distortion of the signal -- that means harmonic
distortion, IMD, less-than-smooth frequency response, transient effects,
etc. This is a matter of engineering and cost, and results can be
measured. Tubes are not in general better in this regard than modern
solid-state designs.
Others like music to sound a certain way that's more pleasing to them.
They prefer to tailor the response of their systems so that the
distortion that they get is the right kind of distortion -- the kind
that makes the music feel 'warm' or 'smooth'. They feel that tubes tend
to produce this kind of sound. Actually, a solid state amplifier can do
exactly the same thing, if the correct kind of distortion is introduced.
There is a subculture of audio enthusiasts who believe that such things
as the oxygen molecules in their power cords and the dielectric in
bypass capacitors affects the quality of their sound. To understand
this phenomenon see <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cargo_cult>. Or just
Google 'cargo cult'.
--
73,
Vic, K2VCO
Fresno CA
http://www.qsl.net/k2vco
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